Princeton University Athletics
Once NCAA Champion Teammates, Bertko & Stone Earn Spots In 2016 Olympics
April 24, 2016 | Women's Rowing - Open
It was a decade ago when Gevvie Stone '07 rowed in the 2 seat, one seat ahead of bow Kate Bertko '06 in arguably the greatest women's boat in collegiate history. Bertko and Stone won gold that year as Princeton teammates; they earned the opportunity to race for more gold this summer as Olympic teammates.
Both Stone and Bertko were victors Sunday morning at the US Olympic Trials, held at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla. They were two of the four former Princeton NCAA champions who competed for Olympic berths; 2011 gold medalists Kelly Pierce '12 and Molly Hamrick '13 were also finalists, though they did not win their events.
Stone and Pierce were both in the women's 1x final, but Stone was the one with the Olympic experience in the event. Four years after placing seventh in the single sculls during the London Games, Stone assured her return trip with a convincing victory in the final. She topped the rest of the field by more than seven seconds and took the race in 7:51.57.
While Stone will be making a return to the Olympics, Bertko will be making her debut this summer. Bertko teamed with Devery Karz to win the women's lightweight 2x by nearly 12 seconds over the rest of the field. Bertko has medaled in both the lightweight single and double sculls at the World Rowing Championships, but this will be her first Olympiad.
Hamrick competed in the women's 2x, but her boat finished third in the final, while Pierce took fourth in the singles.