MUNICH, GERMANY -- With San Jose's Megan Dirkmaat, Turlock's Alison Cox and Sacramento's Mary Whipple among the crew, the U.S. Women's Eight captured the gold medal Saturday at the 2004 BearingPoint Rowing World Cup Regatta in Munich, Germany.

In addition to the women's eight gold medal, the lightweight men's pair won a silver medal and the women's pair won a bronze medal.

In the women's eight, the U.S. crew of Dirkmaat, Whipple, Cox, Lianne Nelson, Caryn Davies, Laurel Korholz, Anna Mickelson, Kate Johnson and Sam Magee clocked a 6:30.16 to defeat China by 0.97 seconds. After sitting in second place at the 500-meter mark, the U.S crew passed China in the second 500 meters and slowly edged away throughout the remainder of the race. Germany won the bronze medal.

Steve Warner and Simon Carcagno won the silver medal in the lightweight men's pair. The duo sat in second place the entire way down the course, clocking a 7:16.83 to finish 3.3 seconds behind the gold medalists from Italy. Italy stroked a 7:13.53. Great Britain edged Germany for the bronze medal.

The U.S. had three entries in the women's pair field and two raced in Saturday's final. The duo of Nelson and Davies, who also won gold in the eight, passed China in the final 500 meters to finish third and win the bronze medal. Nelson and Davies clocked a 7:44.52. Great Britain's Cath Bishop and Katherine Grainger, the defending world champions, won the gold medal in a 7:39.79, while Canada won the silver medal in a 7:43.14.

America's Maite Urtasun and Liane Malcos finished fifth, stroking a 7:52.54 to finish 6.43 seconds behind fourth-place China. The third U.S. women's pair of Kate MacKenzie and Katie Hammes won the B final to finish seventh overall. The duo sat in third place for the first 1,000 meters before overtaking Germany and New Zealand for the top spot. MacKenzie and Hammes stroked a 7:46.91 to finish 2.19 seconds ahead of second-place New Zealand.

In the women's double sculls, the two U.S. crews finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Kelly Salchow and Hilary Gehman clocked a 7:35.56 to finish fourth, while Danika Holbrook and Michelle Guerette stroked a 7:36.63 to finish fifth. New Zealand's Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell, the defending world champions, won the gold medal in a 7:27.88. Great Britain took home the silver medal, followed by Germany.

A few minutes later, the four women combined to race in the women's quadruple sculls. Harris, Salchow, Guerette, and Gehman clocked a 6:46.35 to finish in fifth place. Germany won the gold medal, stroking a 6:34.94. Great Britain won the silver medal in a 6:42.93, while Denmark won the bronze medal in a 6:43.77. Belarus finished fourth.