Huskies crews leave Monday for Henley Royal Regatta

Washington's men's rowing team will conclude its 100th season with an appearance at the Henley Royal Regatta on the Thames River in England next month.

Coach Bob Ernst and two Huskies crews depart Monday for a week of training in England before the 164th Henley Regatta July 2-6.

The 1-mile, 550-yard (2,112 meters) Thames River course is slightly longer than the traditional 2,000-meter racing distance.

Washington will compete with eight other eight-oared crews for the Ladies' Challenge Plate. The Huskies' varsity eight won the Pac-10 title and was national runner-up at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championships. Harvard, which won the Ladies' Challenge Plate at Henley in 2002, beat the Huskies for the IRA championship.

The Huskies will be without sophomore stroke Ante Kusurin, who is training with the Croatian national team. Ian Sawyer, the stroke from the junior-varsity eight, will fill his seat.

Washington also has a crew among the 70 entries in the Britannia Challenge Cup for fours with coxswain.

Notes

• No Seattle Thunderbirds are expected to be selected in the first round of this weekend's NHL draft. However, several are rated among the top 200 eligible skaters. The Red Line Report, an independent scouting service, lists T-birds defenseman Zach FitzGerald (87th), right wing David Svagrovsky (97th), defenseman Matthew Hansen (124th) and center Nate Thompson (144th) in the top 150.

• Lianne Nelson of Seattle and Katie Hammes of LaCrosse, Wis., finished second in their heat behind a women's pair from Great Britain in a World Cup rowing event in Munich. Nelson and Hammes are trying to qualify for the U.S. team going to the World Championships in Milan Aug. 24-31. Erik Miller of Renton rowed on a lightweight men's four that reached today's semifinals.