An Olympic hopeful rows against the odds

Ben Harrison (right) with Alex Hearne at the Olympic trials at Princeton, N.J. Harrison first tried rowing at the Noble & Greenough School. (Ed Hewitt/row2k.com)

Ben Harrison is so close to the Olympics, yet so far away. The 23-year-old Dedham native has spent months training with the US Olympic crew in Princeton, N.J., hoping to earn a spot for this year's Summer Games in Beijing.

The 2007 Brown University graduate may be considered too young this year, but he is optimistic that even if he misses the cut, he will be ready the next time around.

The final team will be selected tomorrow, and Harrison is keeping it in perspective.

"I'm definitely a long shot to make the team," Harrison said recently. ". . . I knew going into this year I would have a lot of improvements to make. Only 22 make the team and the average age is 26 to 27 to 28 years old. I have improved a lot this year. It was a big risk for me to try this, but it was something that was really important to try and do."

About 30 rowers are left from the pool of about 200 working toward the desired spots for the team. Earlier this month, the majority of the team was selected at the Olympic trials. Two rowers from the Bay State, Elliot Hovey of Manchester-by-the-Sea and Wes Piermarini of West Brookfield, won the double sculls and earned an automatic berth.

Harrison possesses the size and skill to be an elite rower; his 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame is ideal.

He first tried rowing as a freshman at the Noble & Greenough School in Dedham. At the time, he considered himself a "half decent" soccer player. He had seen pictures of his father rowing, but that had been the extent of his interest.

Yet after his first high school victory, he was hooked.

"Winning a race is something I hadn't come close to feeling before," Harrison said.

The winning continued and so did Harrison's passion for the sport. His sister, Louisa, carried on the family tradition at the school. Earlier this month, she was part of a group that captured the gold medal in the women's four with coxswain at the US Rowing Youth National Championship. She will continue rowing at Dartmouth College this fall.

Harrison said his family has been very supportive of his decisions as he progressed. His parents, Carter and Deborah, have been the pillars of that encouragement, from his days at Nobles to Brown University.

He chose Brown because he liked the tradition and the program run by Paul Cooke, who just completed his seventh season.

At Brown, Harrison learned that his marks on the rowing machine were in the same range as those training with the national team. Thoughts of the Olympics began to dangle in his mind.

He spent time with the California Rowing Club, where he worked with respected coaches who explained how to develop mentally and physically. And in Princeton he was immersed in the competitive atmosphere.

"It's been really good because it's the most competitive possible environment and it gives you really honest feedback in how good you are or aren't," Harrison said. "You have a great measuring stick, personally, of how good you are."

The biggest challenge for Harrison and other rowers out of college is the transition from an eight-man boat to a pair, where each rower has one oar.

In an eight-man boat, the responsibilities are divided among the rowers. In a pair, the duties are doubled and mistakes can be magnified.

"You could be mediocre and in a really good eight, you could win, but if you're mediocre and in a pair, you'll get killed," Harrison said.

Cooke, who has worked around national team members and former Olympians, said it can take at least a year for an athlete to make the transition.

Harrison has shown the dedication to learn the new techniques, said Joel Scrogin, an assistant at the California Rowing Club who worked as an assistant at Brown.

"He's intelligent and very hard-working," Scrogin said. "He's physically gifted and powerful. He's got touch. Even though he may miss out this year, he'll make it the next time; I really believe that. He's basically the full package."

If Harrison does not earn a nod this year, he will head to Oxford in England, where he will study for his master's in business and continue rowing.

Cooke said that is a move that he believes will only strengthen Harrison's experience if he wants to continue working toward the Olympics.

"I think he's going to really enjoy that and do a great job there," Cooke said. "It will be a great step for him. The thing that's impressive about Ben is he has a really strong self belief, and he's very determined. He makes the people around him better. If he decides to do it, he'll be an asset. He'll be a guy that will help the team and he'll be gracious either way."

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.