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The University of Washington women won four of five races entered at the 2026 Head of the Lake Regatta on Lake Union and Lake Washington, earning victories in the coxed fours, pairs, and the two of three collegiate eights races, including first and second in the women’s collegiate / open eight sponsored by Pocock Racing Shells event.
“The Head of the Lake is RowTown USA on full display,” said Washington head coach Yaz Farooq. “We structured the day to create competition throughout the squad, with evenly matched lineups in both the championship and JV eights events and athletes racing multiple times across the day.”
Capital’s A entry won the women’s junior eight event ahead of Sammamish Rowing Association and Green Lake in a 17-boat field. Green Lake won the men’s junior eight, with Brentwood and Lakeside second and third among 20 crews.
Twenty-eight Huskies returned to fill out the entire 14-boat field of the women’s collegiate pair event, with Violet Holbrow Brooksbank and Katie Gardner earning Connibear Shellhouse bragging rights.
The University of Washington men beat a boat full of UW alumni and national teamers racing as Varsity Boat Club in the men’s collegiate / open eight event for the Ben Porter Cup. UW men’s crews also finished first and second in the championship men’s collegiate / open coxed four sponsored by Pocock Racing Shells event.
“The Head of the Lake is always a good test of speed for the entire squad,” said UW men’s head coach Michael Callahan. “It also marks a transition from autumn training to winter training.”
The University of Victoria (British Columbia) won the women’s collegiate 3V eights event in front of second-place Washington State, a pair of UW eights, and entries from Seattle University, the University of British Columbia, and Pacific Lutheran.
The Head of the Lake began in 1979 as an end-of-season competition among Lake Washington Rowing Club scullers and University of Washington athletes seeking fall competition. From humble beginnings, the regatta has become an annual tradition for Pacific Northwest crews, featuring a scenic and challenging course from Lake Union to Lake Washington, with the Seattle skyline and Cascade Mountains as a backdrop.
“The conditions were outstanding, the racing was intense, and it was great to watch our athletes respond to those challenges,” said Farooq. “I especially loved seeing two freshman eights race through the Montlake Cut for the first time as Huskies. It’s a uniquely Seattle experience and one of the special traditions in our sport.”
