Several women rowers competed at the World Championships during the summer. Senior Lauren Hutchins represented her native Canada, which notched a fourth-place finish in the women’s eight. Photo by Jason O. Watson

The Virginia rowing team is widely recognized as one of the most talented national programs. Just this spring the Cavaliers’ Varsity Eight squad placed fourth in the country at the NCAA championships, highlighted by a second place finish to Stanford that was determined by three-tenths of a second. And this summer, several Cavaliers captured a taste of international competition in the World Championships held in the Czech Republic, France and Poland.
Coach Kevin Sauer said he believes the experience gained from competing internationally will help motivate the team to perform at an even more impressive level.
“Having those kids as part of the team is an important factor,” Sauer said. “They bring a level of accomplishment to the team that rubs off on everyone else.”
Senior Lauren Hutchins, a member of last season’s Varsity Eight and a captain of the squad, competed in the Under-23 World Rowing Championships in the Czech Republic as a member of the Canadian team, finishing fourth in the women’s eight. She also competed in the World Championships in Poznan, Poland, helping the Canadian team notch a third place finish.
“Competing in both the Under 23 and the Senior World Championships was a tremendous experience for [Hutchins],” Sauer said. “She was in Europe for quite a while training for and racing in the events … She works really hard, and sets a good example for people to aspire to.”
Hutchins was not the only team member to represent the Cavaliers in the U-23 Championships. 2009 University graduate Victoria Burke and senior Summers Nelson participated in the U.S. team in the lightweight squad, finishing with a silver medal.
The open squad also featured two 2009 All-Americans, 2009 graduate Amanda Chase and senior Desiree Burns, both of whom helped the U.S. to a third-place finish.
Senior Helen Tompkins participated in the women’s single and notched an eighth place finish at the event.
Virginia also was represented by two rowers in the Junior World Rowing Championships, held in France. Freshman Kristine O’Brien competed in the women’s pair event, and freshman Betsy Nilan was in the women’s four. The teams finished in sixth place in both races.
One former Cavalier, meanwhile, has built upon her success at Virginia with a string of impressive achievements in international competition. 2003 graduate Lindsay Shoop represented the U.S. in the women’s eight at the World Championships in Poland. The team finished first in its heat and went on to win the gold medal for the event.
“It reminds me of why you like what you are doing,” Shoop said. “You end up doing a lot of training and workouts, and it feels good to see it all pay off, and show the world that you really enjoy what you do.”