Strack (24), who holds the world record for the lightweight women's 5000m ergometer ride in indoor rowing, stroked the Southern RPC premier eight that won its heat at Lake Karapiro yesterday.
The Southern crew, which includes Otago rowers Johannah Kearney (Oamaru) and Fiona Bourke (Otago University), won a tight battle with Central RPC.
Southern won in 6min 13.92sec and was followed by Central RPC in 6min 15.99sec and Auckland RPC in 6min 31.62sec.
Strack is on track to repeat last year's medal haul when she won gold in the premier eight, to win her first red coat, and also claimed the premier lightweight single sculls.
Strack also qualified for the finals of the premier heavyweight single sculls when she came second in her repechage in 7min 51.91sec.
The Southern men's premier eight also qualified for the final when it came third in its heat in 6min 19.81sec. The race was won by Waikato RPC in 5min 57.50sec with Central RPC second in 6min 01.31sec. Alistair Bond (Otago University) is also in the crew.
Bond also reached the final of the men's premier lightweight single sculls when he finished fourth in his repechage in 7min 08.20sec.
Otago University's Fergus Fauvel went to the final of the men's premier double sculls as a member of the Southern RPC team with Hayden Cohen when they came second in the repechage in 6min 23.41sec.
The other Southern RPC crew of Jade Uru and John Storey won the repechage in 6min 22.79sec.
Otago club rowers Jack O'Leary and Mark Alm both reached the final of the men's senior single sculls.
O'Leary was runner-up in the repechage in 7min 15.86sec and Alm third in 7min 22.67sec.
They teamed together to win their repechage in the senior double sculls in 6min 46.11sec to reach the final.
Rachel Kennedy (Otago University) reached the final of the women's premier lightweight double sculls when her Southern RPC crew finished third in its heat in 7min 39.94sec.
The Wakatipu men's club eight, stroked by Latham Jones, was fourth in its heat in 6min 05.28sec and qualified for the final.
Anna O'Leary (Otago) qualified for the semifinal of the women's club single sculls when she won her repechage in 8min 19.69sec. Emma Winders (Otago) won her repechage in the women's under 20 singles sculls by 5sec in a time of 7min 59.89sec to advance to the semifinals.
Winders and O'Leary reached the semifinals of the women's club double sculls when they finished second in their repechage in 7min 41.69sec.
The Otago University pair of Anna Watson-Taylor and Nicola Shanks also qualified for the semifinals when they won their repechage in 7min 39.78sec.
Watson-Taylor and Caitlin Buist reached the final of the women's senior double sculls when they finished third in their heat in 7min 46.12sec.
