Regional Racing Heats Up at WIRA Championship
The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships took place April 27-28 on Sacramento’s Lake Natoma. WIRA, a regional organization with membership comprised of 40 rowing programs at all division levels, includes nearly every rowing program in the West, outside of the Pac-12 varsity heavy/openweight teams. The #4 Stanford lightweight women brought home gold medals in the openweight varsity eight, varsity four and double while the #3 UCLA club men finished first in the varsity eight and novice four. This is UCLA’s first ever win in the varsity eight at WIRAs and their third consecutive win in the novice four. In the women’s D2/D3/Club events, #1 Western Washington won both the varsity and second varsity eights, propelling them from sixth to first in this week’s Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll.
IRCA/IRA Coaches Poll – Week 4, May 1
This week’s IRCA/IRA Poll has Princeton atop the heavyweight men’s varsity eight poll for the second week in a row while Wesleyan retains the top spot for the DIII varsity eight and Harvard does the same for the lightweight men’s varsity eight.
IRCA/IRA Men’s Heavyweight Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
4/26/23 | ||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Previous | |
1 | Princeton University (8) | 295 | 1 | |
2 | University of Washington (4) | 292 | 2 | |
3 | Harvard University | 270 | 3 | |
4 | University of California – Berkeley | 269 | 4 | |
5 | Yale University | 253 | 5 | |
6 | Brown University | 240 | 6 | |
7 | Syracuse University | 221 | 7 | |
T-8 | Northeastern University | 214 | 8 | |
T-8 | University of Pennsylvania | 214 | 9 | |
10 | Dartmouth College | 192 | 10 | |
11 | US Naval Academy | 170 | 11 | |
12 | Stanford University | 167 | 12 | |
13 | Boston University | 162 | 13 | |
14 | Cornell University | 144 | 14 | |
15 | University of Wisconsin | 136 | 15 | |
16 | Drexel University | 118 | 17 | |
17 | La Salle University | 106 | 16 | |
18 | Columbia University | 96 | 18 | |
19 | Georgetown University | 87 | 19 | |
20 | Holy Cross University | 63 | T-20 | |
21 | University of California – San Diego | 62 | 22 | |
22 | Oregon State University | 53 | T-20 | |
23 | Temple University | 38 | 23 | |
24 | Jacksonville University | 23 | 24 | |
25 | Colgate University | 12 | 25 | |
Others Receiving Votes: St. Joseph’s University (2), Gonzaga (1) | ||||
IRCA/IRA Men’s Heavyweight 2nd Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Previous | |
1 | University of Washington (11) | 299 | 1 | |
2 | Princeton University (1) | 283 | 3 | |
3 | University of California – Berkeley | 281 | 2 | |
4 | Harvard University | 258 | 6 | |
5 | Yale University | 254 | 4 | |
6 | Northeastern University | 233 | 7 | |
7 | Boston University | 225 | 10 | |
8 | Brown University | 217 | 8 | |
9 | Dartmouth College | 213 | 5 | |
10 | Syracuse University | 197 | 9 | |
11 | University of Pennsylvania | 177 | 11 | |
12 | Cornell University | 166 | 12 | |
13 | US Naval Academy | 146 | 13 | |
14 | Stanford University | 143 | 15 | |
15 | Columbia University | 135 | 14 | |
T-16 | Georgetown University | 112 | 19 | |
T-16 | La Salle University | 112 | 18 | |
18 | University of Wisconsin | 101 | 16 | |
19 | Oregon State University | 76 | 21 | |
20 | St. Joseph’s University | 63 | 25 | |
21 | Holy Cross University | 55 | 22 | |
22 | Drexel University | 50 | 17 | |
23 | Temple University | 49 | 20 | |
24 | Santa Clara University | 26 | 23 | |
25 | Gonzaga University | 20 | 24 | |
Others Receiving Votes: University of California – San Diego (4), Jacksonville University (3), Colgate University (2) | ||||
IRCA/IRA Men’s Heavyweight 3rd Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | ||
1 | University of Washington (12) | 300 | 1 | |
2 | Brown University | 287 | 2 | |
3 | University of California – Berkeley | 271 | 3 | |
4 | Harvard University | 264 | 4 | |
5 | Yale University | 254 | 5 | |
6 | Princeton University | 238 | 6 | |
7 | Dartmouth College | 233 | 7 | |
8 | Syracuse University | 215 | 8 | |
9 | Boston University | 199 | 10 | |
10 | University of Pennsylvania | 197 | 9 | |
11 | Northeastern University | 182 | 11 | |
12 | Cornell University | 167 | 12 | |
13 | US Naval Academy | 155 | 13 | |
14 | University of Wisconsin | 140 | 16 | |
15 | Drexel University | 137 | 14 | |
16 | Georgetown University | 116 | 15 | |
17 | Holy Cross University | 105 | 17 | |
18 | Oregon State University | 99 | 18 | |
19 | Santa Clara University | 68 | 20 | |
20 | Temple University | 67 | 19 | |
21 | St. Joseph’s University | 57 | 25 | |
22 | Gonzaga University | 56 | 21 | |
23 | University of California – San Diego | 44 | 22 | |
24 | Hobart College | 25 | 23 | |
25 | Jacksonville University | 14 | 24 | |
Others Receiving Votes: Marist College (1) | ||||
IRA Ten Eyck Team Points | ||||
Rank | Team | Points | Previous | |
1 | University of Washington | 283 | 1 | |
2 | Princeton University | 269 | 2 | |
3 | University of California – Berkeley | 259 | 3 | |
4 | Harvard University | 257 | 4 | |
5 | Yale University | 240 | 5 | |
6 | Brown University | 232 | 6 | |
7 | Northeastern University | 203 | 9 | |
8 | Syracuse University | 201 | 8 | |
9 | Dartmouth College | 193 | 7 | |
10 | University of Pennsylvania | 186 | 10 | |
11 | Boston University | 180 | 11 | |
12 | US Naval Academy | 154 | 12 | |
13 | Cornell University | 146 | 13 | |
14 | University of Wisconsin | 111 | 14 | |
15 | Stanford University | 109 | T-15 | |
16 | Georgetown University | 93 | 17 | |
17 | Drexel University | 87 | T-15 | |
18 | Columbia University | 75 | 18 | |
19 | La Salle University | 72 | 19 | |
20 | Holy Cross University | 65 | 20 | |
21 | Oregon State University | 60 | 21 | |
22 | Temple University | 33 | 22 | |
23 | St. Joseph’s University | 32 | NR | |
24 | University of California – San Diego | 26 | 23 | |
25 | Santa Clara University | 22 | 24 | |
26 | Gonzaga University | 9 | 25 | |
27 | Jacksonville University | 5 | 26 | |
28 | Hobart College | 3 | 27 | |
IRCA/IRA Men’s D3 1st Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
4/26/23 | ||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Previous | |
1 | Wesleyan University (6) | 90 | 1 | |
2 | Trinity College | 82 | 2 | |
3 | Tufts University | 79 | 3 | |
4 | Williams College | 73 | 4 | |
5 | Bates College | 65 | 5 | |
6 | Marietta College | 57 | 6 | |
7 | US Coast Guard Academy | 52 | 7 | |
8 | Colby College | 51 | 8 | |
9 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 39 | 9 | |
10 | Ithaca College | 37 | 10 | |
11 | Milwaukee School of Engineering | 28 | NR | |
12 | Hamilton College | 25 | 11 | |
13 | St. Lawrence University | 21 | 12 | |
14 | Catholic University of America | 11 | 13 | |
15 | Skidmore College | 5 | 15 | |
Others Receiving Votes: Rochester Institute of Technology (3), Washington College (2) | ||||
IRCA/IRA Men’s D3 2nd Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | Previous | |
1 | Williams College (6) | 60 | 1 | |
2 | Tufts University | 54 | 2 | |
3 | Wesleyan University | 46 | 3 | |
4 | Bates College | 43 | 4 | |
5 | Trinity College | 37 | 5 | |
6 | Marietta College | 30 | 6 | |
7 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 23 | 7 | |
8 | Colby College | 18 | 8 | |
9 | Ithaca College | 13 | 9 | |
10 | US Coast Guard Academy | 4 | 10 | |
Others Receiving Votes: Hamilton College (1), Rochester Institute of Technology (1) | ||||
IRCA/IRA Men’s D3 Team Points | ||||
Rank | Team | Points | Previous | |
1 | Wesleyan University | 51 | 1 | |
2 | Tufts University | 46.5 | 2 | |
T-3 | Trinity College | 45 | T-3 | |
T-3 | Williams College | 45 | T-3 | |
5 | Bates College | 37.5 | 5 | |
6 | Marietta College | 31.5 | 6 | |
7 | Colby College | 22.5 | 7 | |
8 | US Coast Guard Academy | 18 | 8 | |
9 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | 9 | 9 | |
IRCA/IRA Men’s Lightweight 1st Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
4/26/23 | ||||
Rank | Team | Points | Previous | |
1 | Harvard University (10) | 100 | 1 | |
2 | University of Pennsylvania (1) | 87 | 2 | |
3 | Princeton University | 81 | 3 | |
4 | Cornell University | 78 | 4 | |
5 | Georgetown University | 59 | 6 | |
T-6 | Dartmouth College | 45 | 9 | |
T-6 | US Naval Academy | 45 | 7 | |
8 | Massachusettes Institute of Technology | 44 | 8 | |
9 | Columbia University | 35 | 5 | |
10 | Yale University | 21 | 10 | |
11 | Mercyhurst | 10 | 11 | |
IRCA/IRA Men’s Lightweight 2nd Varsity 8 Poll | ||||
Rank | Team | Points | Previous | |
1 | Cornell University (8) | 89 | 1 | |
2 | University of Pennsylvania (2) | 83 | 2 | |
3 | Yale University | 73 | 6 | |
4 | Princeton University | 65 | 3 | |
5 | Harvard University | 56 | 4 | |
6 | Columbia University | 50 | 5 | |
7 | US Naval Academy | 44 | 7 | |
T-8 | Dartmouth College | 31 | 8 | |
T-8 | Georgetown University | 31 | 9 | |
10 | Massachusettes Institute of Technology | 18 | 10 | |
IRCA/IRA Men’s Lightweight Team Points | ||||
Rank | Team | Points | Previous | |
1 | University of Pennsylvania | 49.5 | T-1 | |
2 | Harvard University | 48 | T-1 | |
3 | Cornell University | 45 | T-3 | |
4 | Princeton University | 43.5 | T-3 | |
5 | Georgetown University | 31.5 | T-6 | |
6 | US Naval Academy | 30 | T-6 | |
7 | Dartmouth College | 28.5 | T-8 | |
8 | Yale University | 24 | T-8 | |
9 | Columbia University | 22.5 | 5 | |
10 | Massachusettes Institute of Technology | 19.5 | T-8 | |
11 | Mercyhurst | 6 | 11 |
Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll – Week 7, May 1
After an eventful Longhorn Invite, Texas now sits atop the DI Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll. Ohio State also made a significant move from 14th to 12th after defeating Virginia at the same event. Alabama makes their first appearance on the polls this week, coming in at 18th on the strength of their performance at the Lake Wheeler Invite.
The DII polls saw the biggest shakeups, with Western Washington catapulting from sixth to first after winning both the varsity and second varsity eights at the WIRA Championships. Seattle Pacific also made a big move from fifth to third as a result of their performance at WIRAs.
The DIII polls remained mostly stable as crews begin to enter their championship season. St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Smith each won their respective conference championships this past weekend and have earned the first two AQ bids for the 2024 NCAA Championships.
Rank | Team | Points | Previous Ranking |
1 | University of Texas | 2614 | 2 |
2 | Stanford University | 2528 | 1 |
3 | Princeton University | 2308 | 3 |
4 | University of California, Berkeley | 2201 | 4 |
5 | University of Tennessee | 2133 | 5 |
6 | Yale University | 2005 | 6 |
7 | Brown University | 1953 | 7 |
8 | University of Washington | 1780 | 8 |
9 | University of Michigan | 1593 | 9 |
10 | Syracuse University | 1542 | 10 |
11 | University of Pennsylvania | 1362 | 11 |
12 | The Ohio State University | 1265 | 14 |
13 | Rutgers University | 1154 | 13 |
14 | Duke University | 1086 | 16 |
15 | Indiana University | 1078 | 15 |
16 | University of Virginia | 961 | 12 |
17 | Washington State University | 433 | 18 |
18 | University of Alabama | 305 | NR |
19 | Columbia University | 284 | 19 |
20 | Harvard-Radcliffe | 281 | 20 |
ORV | Gonzaga University | 255 | |
ORV | University of Southern California | 160 | |
ORV | University of Central Florida | 147 | |
ORV | University of California, Los Angeles | 146 | |
ORV | University of Miami | 134 | |
ORV | Oregon State University | 109 | |
ORV | University of Minnesota | 93 | |
ORV | University of Notre Dame | 69 | |
ORV | University of Iowa | 18 |
Rank | Team | Points | Previous Ranking |
1 | Western Washington University | 158 | 6 |
2 | University of Central Oklahoma | 152 | 1 |
3 | Seattle Pacific University | 132 | 5 |
4 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | 127 | 2 |
5 | Cal Poly Humboldt | 109 | 3 |
6 | Mercyhurst University | 74 | 4 |
7 | University of Tampa | 60 | NR |
8 | Rollins College | 52 | 7 |
ORV | Thomas Jefferson University | 17 | |
ORV | Barry University | 14 |
Rank | Team | Points | Previous Ranking |
1 | Tufts University | 732 | 1 |
2 | Trinity College | 672 | 2 |
3 | Williams College | 629 | 3 |
4 | Wesleyan University | 610 | 4 |
5 | Bates College | 561 | 5 |
6 | Ithaca College | 458 | 6 |
7 | Hamilton College | 410 | 7 |
8 | Smith College | 408 | 9 |
9 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) | 382 | 8 |
10 | Wellesley College | 369 | 10 |
11 | US Coast Guard Academy | 219 | 12 |
12 | Clark University | 176 | 11 |
13 | William Smith College | 146 | 13 |
14 | Rochester Institute of Technology | 87 | 15 |
15 | University of Puget Sound | 56 | 14 |
ORV | Lewis & Clark College | 36 | |
ORV | St. Mary’s College of Maryland | 30 |
St. Mary’s Women’s Rowing Win’s MARC Championships, Earn NCAA Championships Berth
West Windsor, NJ– The St. Mary’s Women’s Rowing Team competed in the MARC Championships. The Seahawks took first and earned a spot in the NCAA Championships.
How it Happened:
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The Women’s Varsity 8 squad finished second in the first heat with a time of 7:18, just behind Bryn Mawr.
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The Women’s Second Varsity 8 team earned first in their heat with a time of 7:25. The Women’s Third Varsity 8 crew earned third in that same race with a time of 7:45.
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The Women’s Varsity 8 squad earned first place in the final race to capture the MARC Championship. The Seahawks crossed the finish line at the 7:04 mark, edging Bryn Mawr by three seconds.
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Nik Meyer was named MARC Women’s Rowing Coach of the Year.
Lineups:
Women’s Varsity 8
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Coxswain Tiffany Dioko
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Stroke Meara Johnson
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3 Jocelyn Reubauer
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1 Abby Shckelford
Women’s Second Varsity 8
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Coxswain Gabriella Zv
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Stroke Claire Thompson
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7 Gabriella Hannon
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3 Gabriela Plummer
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2 Melissa Lacross
Women’s Third Varsity 8
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Coxswain Alli Thress
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Stroke Victoria Mathis
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2 Abby Rowe
Up Next:
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May 10 | Dad Vail Regatta | Pennsauken, NJ
Smith Claims 2024 NEWMAC Rowing Championship
WORCESTER – Smith won three of four races and tallied 42 points to claim the 2024 New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Rowing Championship Saturday morning at Lake Quinsigamond. Smith edged WPI by a single point to claim its 10th overall team championship and earn the NEWMAC’s automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship at East Fork/Harsha Lake on Bethel, OH on May 31st and June 1st. It will be the Pioneers first appearance at the NCAA Championships in 14 years.
WPI (7:09.70) led wire-to-wire in the varsity eight en route to winning the V8 for just the second time in program history and first time since 2019. Smith (7:11.38) surged ahead of Wellesley (7:11.84) over the final 250 meters to take second. The 0.46 margin of victory proved to be the difference in determining the conference’s automatic qualifier, which is comprised of the varsity eight and the second varsity eight. Coast Guard (7:17.66) was fourth followed up Clark (7:27.54), Mount Holyoke (7:38.51) and Simmons (8:17.49).
In the second varsity eight, Wellesley jumped out to a quick lead but Smith (7:24.40) took it to another gear just past the Donahue Rowing Center to reach the finish line over second ahead of the Blue (7:31.74). WPI (7:37.65) broke away late from Coast Guard (7:37.65) to take third while Clark (7:48.43) was fifth and Mount Holyoke sixth (8:01.18).
Smith also won the final two races of the morning. In the third varsity eight, the Pioneers (7:36.42) reached the final buoys ahead of Wellesley (7:40.20), WPI (7:52.7), Coast Guard (7:57.16) and Clark (8:40.78) while in the fourth varsity eight the Pioneers reached Regatta Point in 7:46.0 followed by Wellesley (7:55.91) and Coast Guard (8:11.41).
The Pioneers also took the Florence Jope Smith Cup, awarded annually to the school with the highest number of points from the overall results at the event. Smith, which won for the ninth time and first time since 2010, finished first with 40 points followed by Wellesley with 32 points and WPI with 20. Coast Guard (20), Clark (12), Mount Holyoke (6), and Simmons (2) rounded out the final standings.
Smith’s Linnea Schultz (Woodinville, Wash./Woodinville) was voted as the conference’s Rower of the Year while teammate Sofia Trotta (Guilford, Conn./The Gunnery) and WPI’s Emily Howard shared Coxswain of the Year accolades.
Joining Schultz, Trotta and Howard on the All-Conference first team were WPI’s Maggie Kirwan, Jules Prisco, Megan Tupaj, Anya Hanitchak, Kaylee Liu of Wellesley and Megan Holm (Flagstaff, AZ/BASIS Flagstaff) and Anna Boden (Seattle, WA/Holy Names Academy) of Smith.
Up Next
Smith turns their attention to next week’s New England Championships, which is Saturday, May 4 on Lake Quinsigamond.
Varsity Eight
1. WPI – 7:09.70
2. Smith – 7:11.38
3. Wellesley – 7:11.84
4. Coast Guard – 7:17.66
5. Clark – 7:27.54
6. Mount Holyoke – 7:38.51
7. Simmons – 8:17.49
Second Varsity Eight
1. Smith – 7:24.40
2. Wellesley – 7:31.74
3. WPI – 7:35.48
4. Coast Guard – 7:37.65
5. Clark – 7:48.43
6. Mount Holyoke – 8:01.18
Third Varsity Eight
1. Smith – 7:36.42
2. Wellesley – 7:40.20
3. WPI – 7:52.7
4. Coast Guard – 7:57.16
5. Clark – 8:40.78
Fourth Varsity Eight
1. Smith – 7:46.0
2. Wellesley – 7:55.91
3. Coast Guard – 8:11.41
NEWMAC Championship AQ Standings
1. Smith – 42
2. WPI – 41
3. Wellesley – 37
4. Coast Guard – 30
5. Clark – 25
6. Mount Holyoke – 20
7. Simmons – 15
Florence Jope Smith Cup Standings
1. Smith – 40
2. Wellesley – 32
3. WPI – 28
4. Coast Guard – 20
5. Clark – 12
6. Mount Holyoke – 6
7. Simmons – 2
About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log on to smithpioneers.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
The Importance of Being Neutral
A priority of any coach or program should be to cultivate a welcoming environment. Rowing ought to be a sport where people of all kinds can find a seat in the boat as long as they want to do the work.
It has become common for all sorts of organizations and institutions to “take a stand” on any number of issues—from the murder of George Floyd to the Israel-Hamas war. Text-only Instagram posts and statements on websites declare where a company, university, or sports team stands on the matter. This includes rowing teams and boathouses.
No matter how well intended, this practice excludes inherently those who oppose the position. The righteousness of the stance aside, it also creates the expectation that once an organization comments on one issue it must comment on all, lest silence be misconstrued as acquiescence.
It’s time for those of us in positions of power to explore how to create a place for open, respectful inquiry while fostering in our athletes a sense of self.
In 1967, against the backdrop of student protests against the Vietnam War, the University of Chicago adopted a policy of “institutional neutrality” that was formalized in the Kalven Report. The product of a faculty committee led by First Amendment scholar Henry Kalven, it states:
“The mission of the university is the discovery, improvement, and dissemination of knowledge. . . . To perform its mission in the society, a university must sustain an extraordinary environment of freedom of inquiry and maintain an independence from political fashions, passions, and pressures. . . . A university, if it is to be true to its faith in intellectual inquiry, must embrace, be hospitable to, and encourage the widest diversity of views within its own community.”
Stanford, Columbia, and the University of North Carolina have adopted similar policies, and faculty groups at Yale, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania are pushing their administrations to follow suit.
This is not a perfect solution, and institutional neutrality has its limits. Not all beliefs and opinions can be entertained while maintaining an environment that is safe and respectful. A university can refrain from releasing statements on racist acts across the country and still oppose racism vigorously on its own campus.
Neutrality does not mean apathy or indifference. Rowers are also citizens and members of society. What goes on outside the boathouse is our business, too, and can affect the way we think, feel, and even perform on the water.
This isn’t to say that individual team members and even coaches should refrain from expressing their personal views. Quite the contrary. By remaining neutral as a team, the stage is set for an honest exchange of ideas and perspectives among members.
As leaders within the sport of rowing who guide young people through their formative years, we have an obligation to help them find their voices and build their own belief systems, not parrot our own.
ACRA Poll: April 30
Men’s ACRA Varsity Eight | |||||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | |||||
1 | University of Virginia (8) | 116 | |||||
2 | University of Notre Dame (1) | 104 | |||||
3 | University of California, Los Angeles (2) | 93 | |||||
4 | University of Minnesota (1) | 86 | |||||
5 | Rutgers University | 58 | |||||
6 | University of Michigan | 57 | |||||
7 | Orange Coast College | 49 | |||||
8 | George Washington University | 43 | |||||
T – 9 | Purdue University | 25 | |||||
T – 9 | Bucknell University | 25 | |||||
Other: Washington State (3), Grand Valley State (1) | |||||||
Men’s ACRA Freshman/Novice Eight | |||||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | |||||
1 | Purdue University (6) | 83 | |||||
2 | Orange Coast College | 82 | |||||
3 | University of Virginia | 66 | |||||
4 | University of Minnesota | 59 | |||||
T – 5 | University of Michigan | 48 | |||||
T – 5 | Bucknell University | 48 | |||||
7 | University of California, Davis | 34 | |||||
8 | University of California, Los Angeles | 29 | |||||
9 | Rutgers University | 15 | |||||
10 | University of Southern California | 11 | |||||
Others: Northwestern (10), Washington St (6), Florida (3), West Point (3) | |||||||
Women’s ACRA Varsity Eight | |||||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | |||||
1 | Vanderbilt (6) | 86 | |||||
2 | Purdue University | 71 | |||||
3 | Clemson University (2) | 64 | |||||
4 | University of Rhode Island (1) | 54 | |||||
5 | Bowdoin College | 51 | |||||
6 | University of California, Irvine | 43 | |||||
7 | Orange Coast College | 39 | |||||
8 | Northwestern University | 38 | |||||
9 | Middlebury College | 30 | |||||
10 | University of California, Santa Barbara | 14 | |||||
Others: Vermont (5), Illinois (4), Florida (2), UC Davis (2), Wichita State (2) | |||||||
Women’s ACRA Frosh/Novice Eight | |||||||
Rank | Team (First Place Votes) | Points | |||||
1 | Purdue University (5) | 70 | |||||
2 | University of California, Santa Barbara (3) | 63 | |||||
3 | University of Florida | 39 | |||||
4 | University of Illinois | 37 | |||||
5 | Orange Coast College | 36 | |||||
6 | Washington University in St. Louis | 33 | |||||
7 | University of California, Irvine | 30 | |||||
8 | Vanderbilt University | 17 | |||||
9 | Northwestern University | 14 | |||||
10 | University of Central Florida | 12 | |||||
Others: Rhode Island (11), Middlebury (10), Georgia (2), West Point (1), Vermont (1) |
Race Highlights: April 26-28
Longhorn Invite: We have a new mid-season top dog in DI women’s rowing after #2 Texas defeated #1 Stanford in both the varsity eight and second varsity eight, while the Cardinal came away with a narrow victory in the varsity four. In an event the was rescheduled and reformatted due to high winds, the top-two ranked teams in women’s rowing, along with #12 Virginia and #14 Ohio State, raced in head to head, dual-style races on Lake Walter E. Long Saturday morning. The Buckeyes also had a strong showing, sweeping the Cavaliers in all of the NCAA-class boats. Full results here.
“The race of the season” lived up to the hype at the Longhorn Invite! Next stop: Big 12s 🤘#HookEm | #HereComesTexas pic.twitter.com/ZEXd0NQFrE
— Texas Rowing (@TexasRowing) April 28, 2024
High School Scholastic Championships: As the junior season heats up, scholastic championships are starting to take place for high school crews around the country. This past weekend, the Garden State Scholastic Championships crowned the fastest high school crews in New Jersey while the FSRA Sweep Championships named the fastest scholastic sweep crews in Florida. Last weekend, the FSRA Sculling Championships did the same for the sculling teams.
Lake Wheeler Invite: Tennessee continued their roll through the heart of the season, coming away from the Lake Wheeler Invite undefeated across 15 races, with wins over #10 Syracuse, #11 Penn, and #18 Washington State, while also scoring more points than #16 Duke who they did not face head to head. The real intrigue of the event comes for those crews fighting to make their case for at-large bids to the NCAA National Championships. Syracuse and Penn split two races in the varsity eight, though the Orange won both second varsity races. Margins off of Tennessee at Lake Wheeler and at last week’s Big Ten Invite suggest that Penn, Syracuse, Rutgers, and Indiana are all within less than two seconds of each other in the varsity eight. Meanwhile, #18 Washington State defeated #16 Duke in the top boat, making their own case to upset the rankings. Also of note, UCF finished third in the overall points standings, sweeping their final four races on Saturday. Full results can be found here.
European Rowing Championships: The 2024 European Rowing Championships and European Olympic and Paralympic Qualification Regatta concluded on Sunday in Szeged, Hungary with Great Britain on top of the medal table, sweeping the men’s sweep events and finishing second in the women’s eight behind defending champs Romania. A total of 20 different nations won medals with champions coming from nine countries, including Norway who won their first ever gold for a women’s crew in an Olympic boat class at this level as Thea Helseth and Inger Seim Kavlie won the women’s double sculls, in addition to Birgit Skarstein’s gold in the PR1 women’s single sculls. At the regatta, 10 crews punched their tickets to the Paris Olympic Games: individual neutral athlete Tatsiana Klimovich, Azerbaijan’s Diana Dymchenko, Ukrainian Yevheniia Dovhodko, Serbian Nikolaj Pimenov, Bulgaria’s Kristian Vasilev, and Belgian Tim Brys earned the nod in the single sculls; Poland and Austria qualified in the lightweight women’s double sculls; and Ukraine and Belgium in the lightweight men’s double sculls.