Ruiz helps U.S. reach World Rowing Junior finals

Ethan Ruiz, an incoming senior at Newport Harbor High, helped the U.S. men’s eight advance to Saturday’s finals at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Ruiz, the coxswain and a member at the Newport Aquatic Center, and his U.S. team took second twice on Thursday.

Team USA barely missed winning both heats, coming up 0.39 seconds short in the first race, and in the repechage against the Netherlands, the U.S. finished in 5:58.85, behind the Netherlands’ time of 5:58.12.

The U.S. men’s eight was one of 11 U.S. crews that advanced to the semifinals or finals during Thursday’s racing.

— From staff reports