FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 12, 2002

CONTACT: Kate Gross, Oakland Strokes Publicity Chair, 510-893-2464

Oakland Strokes rower and Piedmont High junior Matt King concluded his second year in the sport by representing the United States at the World Junior Rowing Championships held in Trakai, Lithuania, near the historic capital city of Vilnius, from August 7-10.

At 16 the youngest member of the U.S. Junior National Rowing Team, King is viewed by some college coaches as likely to be one of the top recruits in the nation next year. Dismissing such speculation as a distraction, though, he is focused more on keeping the Strokes program in the top ranks of junior rowing and on helping the American team to improve its international standing.

At Trakai, King provided power as three seat in the U.S. men’s four without coxswain, an event won by the French. The U.S. placed third in the petite final, or ninth overall in the world.

"We hung in there with the older European rowers who focus more on the fours than we do," King said. "[Junior National Team coach] Evans Liolin’s strategy is to boat younger guys in the fours, so we can develop the international experience necessary to help us later win the eights. It works—returning rowers contributed a lot to the bronze that our eight won in Trakai, up from seventh in Duisenberg. Those of us who expect to come back next year are committed to helping the U.S.A. take gold or silver in the eights in Athens, where the Junior Worlds will be held."

He almost got his chance a year early. In a near repeat of events at the USRowing National Championships held in late July, King was chosen by the U.S. eight to practice with them the day before the finals so he could be ready in case one of their members did not recover from a brief illness. Fortunately, since teamwork is so critical to peak performance and last minute substitutions are not ideal, the other rower healed more quickly this time.

"It was a long summer, from the National Team selection process through the Worlds," King noted, "but the two weeks in Europe made it all worthwhile. Rowing next to a 14^th century castle sure is different from the Estuary! Plus, I got to improve my Arnold Schwarzenegger accent by talking with the Austrians," he laughed. "The best part, though, was trading uniforms with other rowers on the last day. I scored lots of cool gear from Germany, Yugoslavia and Russia."

King and his Strokes teammates who trained this summer at the USRowing Southwest Regional Development Camp, Josh Sowick, Roman Rezanowicz, Chris Pieri and Alex Baker-Lubin, intend to bring the Strokes men back to their accustomed spot at the top of California rowing. If successful in reaching their goal, they would join the Strokes women, who won this year’s USRowing Southwest Regional Championship and placed highly at nationals.

Cal, Stanford, Ivy League and other collegiate rowing powers actively recruit Oakland Strokes members. "Tell the basketball players out there that rowing for the Strokes is a surer way to get into Harvard than shooting hoops, and that we only have one early morning practice each week," King urged. For membership information, contact Ro Leaphart at 510-523-5451 or ro.Leaphart@att.net.