Mercer Lake/ISA Sculling Championships

  • Hosted By: Princeton National Rowing Association/Mercer
  • 2017 Registered Regatta

2017 Mercer Lake Sprints

Registration Information

  • Registration window: Saturday, March 4 – Friday, April 14
  • The entry window will be open until: Friday, April 14 or when an event hits capacity (most events will cap at 14 or 21 entries).
  • Entries are taken on a first come first served basis. Consideration may be given to allow maximum team participation.
  • A maximum of one boat per team can be entered in a varsity, second varsity event and first novice event. Two entries per team will be allowed in other events, however if the event has a 7 boat entry cap only one boat entry per team will be allowed.
  • Once an event hits capacity, it will close. Participants who register after an event is closed will be put on a waitlist.
  • Late entries will be accepted as space allows and will be assessed a late fee of $25.00 per late entry. Crews on the wait list prior to close of registration will not be charged a late fee. 
  • Entries will NOT be recognized until full payment is made.
  • Entries not paid by the close of registration (April 14) are subject to possible cancellation
  • Scratches received after the entry deadline (April 14) but before the first day of the regatta will be charged a $25 per entry cancellation fee.
  • Scratches made on or after the first day of the regatta will not receive a refund for entry fees.
  • Important Note: To avoid registration being blocked by teams who “reserve entry spaces” only to scratch entries at the last minute, any registration not paid in full by the normal registration deadline will be removed from the system. This will be strictly enforced to allow the maximum team participation in the regatta. 

Event Rules: Please read the following event descriptions carefully. The goal of PNRA is to run a regatta that is safe, fair and highly competitive.

  • No school will be allowed to enter a "second eight" without entering a "first eight" and so on. For example, a school must have an entry in the Varsity 8 in order to enter a boat in the Second Varsity 8. This goes for all boat classes and applies to each category within an event (must have a second boat in order to enter a third boat, etc.)

  • Varsity Eight: The top event for eights. The "Varsity Eight."

  • 2nd Varsity Eight: No school can enter a second eight without entering a first eight

  • Novice: Rowers and coxswains are considered novice if their first competition in the rowing discipline (sweep or sculling) is within the previous 12 months of the date of the Mercer Lake Sprints (USRowing Rule 1-202(m)).

  • Lightweight: There will be no averaging for lightweight events. Boys must weigh no more than 150lbs. and girls must weight no more than 130lbs. Athletes' weights will be on the coach's honor.

  • Coxswains: There will be no weight restrictions for coxswains and no weigh-ins.

  • Awards: The top three places in each Final (not Heat) and each Flight will receive awards. These awards should be picked-up by the crew or the coach at the awards dock after the race has been declared official.

Entry Limits

  • The race schedule will not be changed to accommodate athletes who are doubling up or teams that are hot seating shells. Please plan accordingly.

  • Each event will be subject to entry limits (the cap for most events is 14 entries)

  • Events will close when all lanes are full. The lanes will be drawn on a first come, first served basis. For questions on individual event entry limits please contact Events Manager, Hilary Gehman at hgehman@rowpnra.org.

  • Athletes can row in no more than two events in the same day.

  • Athletes may NOT row in events that are scheduled less than one hour from each other.

  • IF AN EVENT DOES NOT HAVE THREE OR MORE ENTRIES, the event will be dropped and you will be notified. Anyone who is part of an event that is dropped will be contacted before the event and you can choose to roll that entry into a higher category (ex= second double dropped, then second double rows in varsity category).

  • IF AN EVENT DOES NOT HAVE MORE THAN 7 entries, it will be rowed as a straight final. "B" entries will be mixed with all of the "A" entries. "B" entries does NOT mean a separate event.