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ONE HURDLE LEFT Teams compete in mid-April during the Florida Scholastic Rowing Association Sculling Championships at Benderson Park. Photo by Norman Schimmel SARASOTA AND MANATEE COUNTIES CELEBRATE THE RECOMMENDATION THAT BENDERSON PARK HOST THE 2017 WORLD ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS By Rachel Brown Hackney Editor Visit Sarasota County President Virginia Haley said she had cautioned her staff just that morning not to celebrate prematurely if good news came about the Benderson Park bid for hosting the 2017 World Rowing Championships. "If you could see me," she told The Sarasota News Leader laughingly on Monday, Aug. 5, "you would see me doing a 'happy dance.'" At 2:45 p.m. that day, Sarasota County Administrator Randall Reid sent an email to the County Commission with the subject line: "We got it!!!!!" So what did she do when the news arrived that the Council of the Fédération Interna- The official news release, issued about an hour tionale des Sociétés later, said, "The FISA d'Aviron — the InterCouncil announced national Federation of We've got a good plan and we think today that it is formalRowing Associations we'll do well. ly recommending to (FISA) — was recPaul Blackketter its 136 member Conommending its ConPresident gress that Sarasota/ gress award the bid to SunCoast Aquatic Nature Center Association Benderson? Bradenton host the