Men's Rowing Preview For London Olympics, Pac-12 Edition

Previous Pac-12 Olympic previews: Women's soccer | Men's basketball | Men's swimming | Women's swimming

MEN’S FOUR:

Canadian Will Dean (Cal) is making his Olympic debut in London. The 24-year-old made his senior World Championships debut in 2011, finishing seventh in the coxless fours. In 2010, he closed out his Cal career by winning the Intercollegiate Rowing Championships (IRC). In 2009 he placed fifth in the Under 23 World Championships and in 2008 he earned silver in the eight. Also in 2008 Dean was a member of the eight that won the Henley Grand Challenge Cup with the Canada U-23 team at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Scott Gault (Washington), from Piedmont, Calif., began rowing in 1999. Nationally, he’s won National Selection Regatta’s (2011, pair; 2010, double sculls), Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships (2005, second varsity eight; 2002, freshman eight), Pac-10 Championships (2005, second varsity eight; 2004, varsity eight; 2002, freshman eight) and the U.S. National Championships (2004, pair). Across the water, Gault won the 2008 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne (quadruple sculls), earned bronze at the 2011 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne (four), reached the final of the Steward’s Challenge Cup at the 2011 Henley Royal Regatta and finished fifth at the 2008 Olympic Games (quadruple sculls).

MEN’S QUADRUPLE SCULLS:

Boston-native Elliot Hovey (Cal) won the double sculls at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. In National Selection Regatta’s, Hovey finished second in the double sculls at the 2010 Regatta #3 and placed second in the double sculls at the 2009 Regatta #2. He won gold in the quadruple sculls at the 2009 USRowing National Championships, won the varsity eight at the 2006 IRA Championships and won the varsity eight at the 2006 Pac-10 Championships. Internationally, he won the Double Sculls Challenge Cup at the 2008 Henley Royal Regatta, earned second in the Queen Mother Challenge Cup at the 2010 Royal Henley Regatta, placed fourth in the quadruple sculls at the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne and finished 12th in the double sculls at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Alex Osborne (Stanford) won gold in the eight at the 2008 World Rowing Under 23 Championships and in 2007 he placed fourth. He won the championship eight at the USRowing National Championships in 2010 and 2009. He was named the 2009 Pac-10 Male Rower of the Year and was an All-Pac-10 Rower in 2008 and 2009. Osborne won the freshman four with coxswain at the 2006 IRA Championships, placed second in the varsity eight at the 2007 IRA’s, took third in the varsity eight in 2009 and finished fifth in the varsity eight in 2008.

MEN’S EIGHT:

Olivier Siegelaar (Cal) is competing for the Netherlands in the men’s eight. He rowed in the three seat and took fourth with the Dutch eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, finishing behind the third-place U.S. eight. As a senior at Cal in 2011 he was named to the Pac-10 All-Conference Team, he competed on Cal’s varsity eight boat that beat Stanford at The Big Row, he placed second at the Pac-10 Championships and finished third at the IRA National Championships. As a junior in 2010, he rowed on Cal’s National Champion varsity eight at the IRA Regatta, earned second at the Pac-10 Championships in the varsity eight, and as part of the varsity eight beat Stanford at The Big Row. As a sophomore in 2009, he rowed on Cal’s Pac-10 Champion varsity eight that placed second at the IRA Regatta.

Cal graduate Zachary Vlahos will be rowing the men’s eight coxswain. This year he won the eight at the Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. In 2010 he finished second in the eight at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships and he won the varsity eight at the IRA Championships, which he has said to be his most memorable sporting achievement. Vlahos won the freshman eight at the 2009 IRA Championships and won the Temple Challenge Cup at the 2009 Henley Royal Regatta. In 2006 he placed fifth in the eight at the World Rowing Junior Championships and in 2005 he won gold in the four with coxswain at the USRowing Youth National Championships and placed fourth in the four with coxswain at the World Rowing Junior Championships.

David Banks (Stanford) won the eight at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. He placed ninth in the four at the 2008 Olympics. In 2010 he won the eight at the USRowing National Championships and placed third in the pair at the 2010 National Selection Regatta #2. At the 2009 Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne he won bronze (pair) and in 2008 won bronze in the four. 2009 was a good year for Banks, as he won the pair at the 2009 World Championships Trials, the pair at the 2009 National Selection Regatta #2, the pair at the 2009 National Selection Regatta #1 and was second in the pair at the 2009 USRowing Speed Order.

Jake Cornelius, a former Cardinal, won the eight at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. While he won the eight at the 2007 Cambridge Oxford Boat Race, Cornelius has had much national success. In 2010, he won the pair at the National Selection Regatta #3, the pair at the USRowing National Championships, the pair at the National Selection Regatta #2 and the pair at the National Selection Regatta #1. In 2009, he earned gold in the four and silver in the pair and the eight at the USRowing National Championships.

Giuseppe Lanzone (Washington) was born in La Punta, Peru and grew up in Annandala, Va. He won the eight at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. He placed ninth in the four at the 2008 Games. In 2010 he was named the USRowing Male Athlete of the Year and he won the Stewards’ Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta and earned silver in the four at the Rowing World Cup. In 2009, he won gold in the eight at the USRowing National Championships, placed second in the pair at the National Selection Regatta #2, and took home bronze at the Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne. At Washington, he won the varsity eight at the 2004 Pac-10 Championships, the varsity eight at the 2003 Pac-10 Championships, the freshman eight at the 2002 IRA Championships and the freshman eight at the 2002 Pac-10 Championships.

Brett Newlin (Washington) will be competing in his second Olympics -- he finished ninth in the four at the 2008 Games. He won the eight at the 2012 Final Olympic Qualification Regatta. In 2011, Newlin placed second in the eight at the E.ON Hanse Canal Cup, earned bronze in the four at the Rowing World Cup stop in Lucerne, finished fourth in the four at the World Rowing Championships and in the pair at the National Selection Regatta #2, and reached the final of the Steward’s Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta. He won the pair at the 2010 National Selection Regatta #3, won gold in the four with coxswain and took silver in the eight at the 2007 USRowing National Championships and won the pair at the 2006 National Selection Regattas #2 and #3.

MEN’S PAIR:

Silas Stafford (Stanford) won the pair at the 2012 Olympic Trials in rowing. In 2011 he won the pair at the National Selection Regatta #1, in 2008 he won gold in the eight at the World Rowing Under 23 Championships, in 2006 he won gold in the championship four at the Head of the Charles and the Copley Cup at the 2006 San Diego Crew Classic. In 2010 he finished second in the pair at the National Selection Regatta #3, fifth in the pair at the National Selection Regatta #2 and fifth in the four at the World Rowing Championships.

Also competing from the Pac-12 will be Canadian’s Scott Frandsen (Cal), Dave Calder (Washington), Will Crothers (Washington), Rob Gibson (Washington), Anthony Jacob (Washington) Conlin McCabe (Washington) and American alternate Ty Otto (Washington).