Rowers Go Bald for Childhood Cancer

Athletes from the OKC National High Performance Center, Ryan Monaghan and Phil Grisdela had their heads shaved on Sunday to stand in solidarity with kids fighting cancer and to raise money to find cures with the St. Baldrick's Foundation. 

St. Baldrick’s head-shaving events began as a challenge between businessmen and have grown from one event in 2000 to over 1,300 events in 2012, raising critical funds for childhood cancer research. Events take place in pubs, restaurants, schools, churches, parks, malls, military bases, firehouses and any other place you can imagine.

Because kids with cancer often lose their hair during treatment, "shavees" for the St. Baldrick’s Foundation show their support by shaving their heads voluntarily, and inspiring friends and family to donate money to support childhood cancer research.

Click HERE to make a donation to Ryan's page and HERE to make a donation to Phil's page. Help support the St. Baldrick's Foundation's efforts against childhood cancer!

Silver for OKC Rowers at World Cup 1

In the first international event of the season, the United States won medals in five of the six events it entered at the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup March 22-24 at the Sydney International Regatta Center in Penrith, Australia. The U.S. won silver in the women’s pair, women’s quadruple sculls, women’s eight and men’s eight, and bronze in the women’s single sculls. Host nation Australia topped the medals table with gold in four events.

In the men’s eight, four Oklahoma City National High Performance Center athletes, Stephen Young, Michael Gennaro, Tom Peszek and Grant James along with Tom Dethlefs, Stephen Kasprzyk, Brandon Shald, Nareg Guregian, David Banks won the silver medal with a time of 5:31.73 to Great Britain’s winning time of 5:29.90.

The 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup was run in conjunction with the inaugural Sydney International Rowing Regatta. The ‘Festival of Rowing’ was held March 18-24 at the Sydney International Regatta Center in Penrith. Peszek, James, Gennaro, and Dethlefs competed in the Men's Coxless four, winning bronze in a time of 5:57.71 behind first place Mercantile Composite (5:57.02) and second place Canberra Composite (5:57.66).

Australia is the first stop of the 2013 Samsung World Rowing Cup circuit. The second stage will be held June 21-23 in Eton, Great Britain. The final stage will take place July 12-14 in Lucerne, Switzerland.