July 3, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. (www.ucfathletics.com) - After wrapping up her UCF rowing career in 2007-08, Caitlin Pauls learned that she was selected to compete for the Canadian Under-23 National Team this summer. She will be rowing in the pair with Washington Huskie Samantha Smith as they will represent Canada at the World Rowing U-23 Championships in Brandenburg, Germany, July 17-20.
A native of St. Catharines, Ontario, Pauls and the rest of her teammates will first head to Tilburg, Netherlands, on Sunday for a training camp session before traveling to Germany.
"Practices have been going really well for us," said Pauls. "We've had the opportunity to practice with the Canadian Olympic Team as well as having the Olympic coaches coach us for a few practices. We just got back from a trip to Bucknell where we practiced with the United States U-23 Team. Unfortunately they're not racing a pair so we just got a head start on the 8+s for all the pieces. But it was good for us and we're ready to go over to Europe and get racing."
Pauls is based out of the Ridley Graduate Boat Club and received the 2004 Bobby Pearce Award from Rowing Canada as the Canadian Junior Sculler of the Year. Two seasons later, she was named the 2006 Row Ontario's Athlete of the Year.
The 2008 World Rowing U-23 Championships will be hosting 792 rowers this season, the highest athlete participation in the event since it acquired World Rowing Championship status in 2005. Meanwhile, a total of 54 nations are going to compete in Germany. The regatta was established back in 1976 with the goal of providing a stepping stone to the elite level for young rowers. Initially it was called the Match des Seniors, then became the Nations Cup in 1992 and finally took on full FISA World Championship status in 2005.
The regatta begins with initial heats on July 17 and will run for four days, with the A finals being raced on July 20.
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