Hillsborough High’s Katie Burke has been named to the U.S. Junior Rowing team’s double sculls crew, and will compete for the U.S. at the World Junior Rowing Championships, which are to be held at Brive-la-Gaillarde in France in August.

Burke, who finished third in the single sculls at the U.S. Junior Rowing Championships at Lake Harsha, Ohio earlier this month, said making the team meant a lot.

“I think last year, when I didn’t make the [U.S.] team, it was a goal for me to work for a full year to get on the team,” Burke said by phone from the U.S. Camp at Mercer Lake, N.J. “This is a really big honor, because obviously a lot of people wanted it and tried out.”

Burke was selected to the U.S. High Power team, the equivalent of the National ‘B’ team, which competed in Germany last year. While in Mercer, she teamed with Abby Knight, from the Friends of Shenendehowa (N.Y.). Burke said the chemistry she and Knight, a fellow finalist at the U.S. Junior Nationals, were able to generate in a short space of time surprised her.

“Right when she got in the boat it felt pretty good,” Burke said. “Usually it takes a while, especially being single scullers getting together and finding a rhythm, but we matched up really well.”

Tampa has three other crew members vying for positions on the U.S. Junior National team, as Plant High rowers Molly Hamrick, Elisabeth Murray and coxswain Kristen Brownlee are currently attending the U.S. Junior Women’s National Team Selection Camp in New London, Conn.