PLOVDIV, Bulgaria – Cal rowing will be well-represented when the 2018 World Rowing Championships begin on Friday in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Rising seniors Maarten Hurkmans and Joachim Sutton headline a Cal contingent that looks to continue the Bears' tradition of success on the international stage.

Hurkmans will be racing in the Dutch eight and looks to build on a successful summer of racing, helping the Netherlands win bronze in the eight at both the World Rowing Cup II and World Rowing Cup III earlier this summer, and a silver medal at the 2018 European Championships. This will be Hurkmans' first time competing at the senior world championships, having gained valuable experience at both the Under-23 and Junior level regattas.

Another senior for the Bears this season, Sutton will be racing for Denmark in the men's four. Named the Pac-12 Men's Rowing Newcomer of the Year in 2016, Sutton competed in this event at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida, reaching the A Final and finishing fifth overall.

Along with current student-athletes Hurkmans and Sutton, several Golden Bear graduates will be racing for their respective countries.

The men's single sculls features a pair of Cal alumni in Marko Marjanovic '08 and Natan Wegrzycki-Szymczyk '18. Marjanovic will be racing for Serbia and competed in this event at both the 2017 World Rowing Championships and 2018 European Championships, charting a Top-10 finish on both occasions. Wegrzycki-Szymczyk, a three-time Pac-12 Men's Rowing Athlete of the Year honoree during his time in Berkeley, will be representing Poland. Wegrzycki-Szymczyk is coming off a fourth-place finish in the single sculls at the European Championships in Glasgow and finished seventh in this event at both the 2017 World Rowing Championships and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

Niki Van Sprang '16, a member of Cal's IRA Championship boat in 2016, will be racing for the Netherlands in the double sculls. Van Sprang reached the A Final in this event earlier this summer at the World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland, while reaching the B Final in Worlds last year in Sarasota.

Two more members from Cal's 2016 championship squad will be competing for the United States.  Julian Venonsky '16 will be coxing the U.S. eight while Jordan Vanderstoep '16 will serve as a spare. Both Venonsky and Vanderstoep helped the United States to a silver medal in the eight at the 2017 World Championships.

Former Cal head coach Mike Teti will be coaching the U.S. men in the eight, four, and pair. Teti spent before 10 seasons with the Golden Bears before taking over national team duties after the 2018 IRA Championship Regatta. 
The premier event of the 2018 international rowing calendar, the World Championships will be held from September 9-16 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Video streaming, audio commentary, and live race trackers are available on www.worldrowing.com.

For results and more information on the Bears throughout the season, follow the team on Twitter (@CalMRowing), Instagram (@CalMRowing), and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalMRowing).