Sunday, May 18
Indianapolis, Ind.
6:00 AM PT
University of Washington
vs
Big Ten Championships
Washington Sweeps Big Ten Women's Rowing Championships
May 18, 2025 | Women's Rowing
INDIANAPOLIS – The No. 2-ranked Washington women's rowing team swept all seven grand finals and won the Big Ten Championship Sunday in the Huskies' first year in their new conference.
In the 25-year history of the Big Ten regatta, Washington was just the second team ever to sweep, winning every grand final, joining Ohio State, which accomplished that feat in 2018.
Washington won the team title with a perfect points total of 264. Rutgers was second with 239 points and Michigan (212) finished in third.
"We have dreamed of days like today since the very start of the season and to have that dream become a reality means more than words will ever be able to describe," said Olivia Hay, the Huskies' 2025 team captain and seven seat in the second varsity eight. "To win every single race across the board is a true testament to what we have been creating this year, with all of us here in Indianapolis and all our teammates back home too.
"I am just in awe of this team, and how every single person wanted to do this for each other," Hay added. "It really was all of us or none of us today."
The Huskies' victory marked the 27th conference championship in program history. UW joined the Big Ten having won 18 Pac-12 Women's Rowing Championships, as well as eight conference titles prior to the Pac-10/Pac-12 era (1987-2024).
"I was definitely aware that we were in a position to win Washington's first Big Ten Championship, but we never really talked about it," said UW women's head coach Yasmin Farooq. "We knew each race was going to take our very best and I think we were just truly focused on preparing for tough racing and bringing our best performances to the table. There are no shortcuts to the top in NCAA rowing, and we've been working diligently as a team to build unity and speed since our debut seven weeks ago at the San Diego Crew Classic.
"We believed we had the potential to win, and even sweep, the Big Tens," Farooq continued. "To do that, we knew we would have to withstand a number of challenges today, which we definitely got. I was extremely proud of how our team handled every scenario this weekend. We were prepared and every single person stepped up."
The day's final race, the varsity eights grand final, began with a tightly-packed field off of the starting line. With the team championship essentially already won, the Huskies were seeking the sweep, having already won all six previous grand finals.
Defending conference champion Michigan crept away in the first 500 to take the lead, gaining a half-length over UW by 1,000 meters. In the third 500, though, the UW crew responded and gained ground on the Wolverines.
As the Huskies pulled away from Michigan, Rutgers came on, moving into second and giving the UW a legitimate challenge down the homestretch.
Washington held off the Scarlet Knights, who also finished second as a team, winning by about two or three seats and less than a second. UW's final time was 6:05.233, while Rutgers crossed the line in 6:06.081.
"We had a great race where we were pushed all the way down the course which allowed us to elevate ourselves and never take a stroke for granted," said Megan Lee, UW's varsity eight stroke rower. "It was special winning, of course, but even more special because we knew our teammates had won and we wanted to close it out so everyone could celebrate a clean sweep together.
"When we docked, the team was waiting for us and we got to have that celebratory moment all together," Lee continued. "Winning is fun, but winning as a whole team is the ultimate goal, which we got to experience today."
Michigan, Rutgers and UW jumped to the front at the start of the second varsity eight final, but before 500 meters, the Huskies had edged into a three-seat edge.
The Huskies had an open-water advantage just after 1,000 meters and rowed the second half of the course in command of the lead. UW's second eight won its final in 6:11.674, just under six seconds ahead of Rutgers.
Ohio State and Minnesota gave UW an early challenge in the first of the "NCAA boat" races, the varsity fours. But by 500 meters, Washington had established a clear lead over the Golden Gophers and the Huskies left the rest of the field well behind for the remainder of the 2,000 meters.
Washington won the fours in a time of 6:53.520. Rutgers fought off Michigan to finish second, about 3.3 seconds back of the Huskies.
Michigan jumped out to the early lead in the second fours grand final. But by 500 meters, Washington had moved in front, with Rutgers taking second spot from the Wolverines.
Rutgers hung in and kept contact with the UW crew, but the Huskies answered each challenge. Washington crossed the line about a half-length in front of Rutgers, winning the race in 6:58.341, about 1.6 seconds ahead.
In the third fours event, Washington led early, but Rutgers moved ahead in the second 500. The Scarlet Knights' lead was short-lived, though, as the Huskies moved back in front and stretched the lead to nearly a length by 1,500 meters. The Huskies pulled away in the stretch at won in 7:03.150, more than three seconds ahead of Rutgers.
In the third varsity eights race, with UW's top novice boat racing, the Huskies faced an early challenge from Ohio State, but led by a half-length at 500 meters. In the second 500, Rutgers moved into second, but Washington held the lead the rest of the way, winning in 6:31.866, a length ahead of the Scarlet Knights.
The morning began with a win in the fourth varsity eights event, with the Huskies' second novice eight. In that race, Ohio State crossed the 500-meter buoy in first place by a half-second. By 1,000 meters, the UW had moved in front by that same margin and, in the third 500, the Huskies pulled in front.
Washington won the race by just under four seconds, in a time of 6:41.711 to the Buckeyes' 6:45.679.
"The 4V8 – which consists of all freshmen including walk-ons — set the stage for the day with a great battle with Ohio State," Farooq commented. "We knew that race would be a smoker. Our boat raced gritty and tough — and the way they raced inspired all of us."
With the completion of the Big Ten Championships, the All-Big Ten Women's Rowing Team was also revealed, with six Huskies honored. Washington's first-team selections were Marilou Duvernay-Tardif, Zola Kemp and Aisha Rocek, while Sophie Houston, Megan Lee and Cillian Mullen were named to the second team.
"Last night we talked as a team about our values, and what it means to be a Woman of Washington," Farooq explained. "Across the board, each crew gave themselves over to one another. There were coxswain calls thanking teammates back home and all of our supporters at UW and in RowTown USA. In the V8, the last 500 was for the support of Husky Nation every time we race the final 500 meters in the Montlake Cut.
"The last time we raced here in Indy, we swept the NCAA's and I had a deja vu moment watching Michigan lead the V8 final field out of the blocks and to the 1,000," Farooq concluded. "Rutgers was also right there keeping everyone honest. As our boat moved into the lead, I knew we would do what we needed to do to win. Michigan and Rutgers really pushed us at different stages of that race and I think we all learned and grew from it. I can't wait for NCAA's. There is going to be some awesome racing there."
Next, the NCAA will announce the 22-team field for the 2025 NCAA Championships on a selection show this Tuesday, May 20, at 2:00 p.m. PT. Washington, having earned the Big Ten's automatic berth, will make its 28th NCAA appearance in the 28-year history of the event.
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Legacy
Cox: Isabel Michaelson (Mukilteo, Wash.)
Stroke: Megan Lee (Natick, Mass.)
7: Sally Jones (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
6: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
5: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
4: Marilou Duvernay-Tardif (St. Jean-Baptiste, Que., Canada)
3: Sophie Houston (Sydney, Australia)
2: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
Bow: Shakira Mirfin (Invercargill, New Zealand)
Second Varsity Eight
Shell: Kit Green
Cox: Grace Murdock (Roswell, Ga.)
Stroke: Ava Meuleman (Seattle, Wash.)
7: Olivia Hay (Auckland, New Zealand)
6: Evan Park (Bend, Ore.)
5: Jordan Freer (Lotus, Calif.)
4: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
3: Leah Nash (Chatham, Mass.)
2: Emma Waters (Galway, Ireland)
Bow: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
Varsity Four
Shell: Paula Mitchell
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
3: Cait Whittard (St. Catherine's, Ont., Canada)
2: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C. Canada)
Stroke: Paris Burbine (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Second Varsity Four
Shell: Coleen Lynch
Cox: Perry McLoughlin (Port Washington, N.Y.)
Stroke: Margaret Young (San Anselmo, Calif.)
3: Scout Wilson (San Antonio, Texas)
2: Madeleine Parker (Napier, New Zealand)
Bow: Sofia Suhinin (Adelaide, Australia)
Third Varsity Four
Shell: Wendell S. Sykes
Cox: Elisabeth Wu (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Carmel Bollag (Seattle, Wash.)
3: Niamh Comerford (London, England, U.K.)
2: Alex Dessart (Bronxville, N.Y.)
Bow: Sofie Sand (Rochester, Wash.)
Third Varsity Eight
Shell: Dottie Simpson
Cox: Taylor Inouye (Kailua, Hawai'i)
Stroke: Liv Ormseth (Vashon Island, Wash.)
7: Grace Worthington (Grand Haven, Mich.)
6: Annelise Hahl (Cary, N.C.)
5: Maggie Ward (Madison, Wisc.)
4: Caroline Law (Bellingham, Wash.)
3: Marin Maycotte (Austin, Texas)
2: Emily Myers (Oxford, England, U.K.)
Bow: Riley Barringer (Pacific Grove, Calif.)
Fourth Varsity Eight
Shell: Jenni Vesnaver Hogan
Cox: Payton Wold (Arlington, Wash.)
Stroke: Emma Cronin (Roswell, Ga.)
7: Audrey Cronin (Roswell, Ga.)
6: Kylie Kunz (Seattle, Wash.)
5: Sami Tyler (Camas, Wash.)
4: Faith Meyer (Beaverton, Ore.)
3: Kayla Coates-Robertson (Redmond, Wash.)
2: Kate Elward (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Bow: Claire Cunningham (Seattle, Wash.)
In the 25-year history of the Big Ten regatta, Washington was just the second team ever to sweep, winning every grand final, joining Ohio State, which accomplished that feat in 2018.
Washington won the team title with a perfect points total of 264. Rutgers was second with 239 points and Michigan (212) finished in third.
"We have dreamed of days like today since the very start of the season and to have that dream become a reality means more than words will ever be able to describe," said Olivia Hay, the Huskies' 2025 team captain and seven seat in the second varsity eight. "To win every single race across the board is a true testament to what we have been creating this year, with all of us here in Indianapolis and all our teammates back home too.
"I am just in awe of this team, and how every single person wanted to do this for each other," Hay added. "It really was all of us or none of us today."
The Huskies' victory marked the 27th conference championship in program history. UW joined the Big Ten having won 18 Pac-12 Women's Rowing Championships, as well as eight conference titles prior to the Pac-10/Pac-12 era (1987-2024).
"I was definitely aware that we were in a position to win Washington's first Big Ten Championship, but we never really talked about it," said UW women's head coach Yasmin Farooq. "We knew each race was going to take our very best and I think we were just truly focused on preparing for tough racing and bringing our best performances to the table. There are no shortcuts to the top in NCAA rowing, and we've been working diligently as a team to build unity and speed since our debut seven weeks ago at the San Diego Crew Classic.
"We believed we had the potential to win, and even sweep, the Big Tens," Farooq continued. "To do that, we knew we would have to withstand a number of challenges today, which we definitely got. I was extremely proud of how our team handled every scenario this weekend. We were prepared and every single person stepped up."
The day's final race, the varsity eights grand final, began with a tightly-packed field off of the starting line. With the team championship essentially already won, the Huskies were seeking the sweep, having already won all six previous grand finals.
Defending conference champion Michigan crept away in the first 500 to take the lead, gaining a half-length over UW by 1,000 meters. In the third 500, though, the UW crew responded and gained ground on the Wolverines.
As the Huskies pulled away from Michigan, Rutgers came on, moving into second and giving the UW a legitimate challenge down the homestretch.
Washington held off the Scarlet Knights, who also finished second as a team, winning by about two or three seats and less than a second. UW's final time was 6:05.233, while Rutgers crossed the line in 6:06.081.
"We had a great race where we were pushed all the way down the course which allowed us to elevate ourselves and never take a stroke for granted," said Megan Lee, UW's varsity eight stroke rower. "It was special winning, of course, but even more special because we knew our teammates had won and we wanted to close it out so everyone could celebrate a clean sweep together.
"When we docked, the team was waiting for us and we got to have that celebratory moment all together," Lee continued. "Winning is fun, but winning as a whole team is the ultimate goal, which we got to experience today."
Michigan, Rutgers and UW jumped to the front at the start of the second varsity eight final, but before 500 meters, the Huskies had edged into a three-seat edge.
The Huskies had an open-water advantage just after 1,000 meters and rowed the second half of the course in command of the lead. UW's second eight won its final in 6:11.674, just under six seconds ahead of Rutgers.
Ohio State and Minnesota gave UW an early challenge in the first of the "NCAA boat" races, the varsity fours. But by 500 meters, Washington had established a clear lead over the Golden Gophers and the Huskies left the rest of the field well behind for the remainder of the 2,000 meters.
Washington won the fours in a time of 6:53.520. Rutgers fought off Michigan to finish second, about 3.3 seconds back of the Huskies.
Michigan jumped out to the early lead in the second fours grand final. But by 500 meters, Washington had moved in front, with Rutgers taking second spot from the Wolverines.
Rutgers hung in and kept contact with the UW crew, but the Huskies answered each challenge. Washington crossed the line about a half-length in front of Rutgers, winning the race in 6:58.341, about 1.6 seconds ahead.
In the third fours event, Washington led early, but Rutgers moved ahead in the second 500. The Scarlet Knights' lead was short-lived, though, as the Huskies moved back in front and stretched the lead to nearly a length by 1,500 meters. The Huskies pulled away in the stretch at won in 7:03.150, more than three seconds ahead of Rutgers.
In the third varsity eights race, with UW's top novice boat racing, the Huskies faced an early challenge from Ohio State, but led by a half-length at 500 meters. In the second 500, Rutgers moved into second, but Washington held the lead the rest of the way, winning in 6:31.866, a length ahead of the Scarlet Knights.
The morning began with a win in the fourth varsity eights event, with the Huskies' second novice eight. In that race, Ohio State crossed the 500-meter buoy in first place by a half-second. By 1,000 meters, the UW had moved in front by that same margin and, in the third 500, the Huskies pulled in front.
Washington won the race by just under four seconds, in a time of 6:41.711 to the Buckeyes' 6:45.679.
"The 4V8 – which consists of all freshmen including walk-ons — set the stage for the day with a great battle with Ohio State," Farooq commented. "We knew that race would be a smoker. Our boat raced gritty and tough — and the way they raced inspired all of us."
With the completion of the Big Ten Championships, the All-Big Ten Women's Rowing Team was also revealed, with six Huskies honored. Washington's first-team selections were Marilou Duvernay-Tardif, Zola Kemp and Aisha Rocek, while Sophie Houston, Megan Lee and Cillian Mullen were named to the second team.
"Last night we talked as a team about our values, and what it means to be a Woman of Washington," Farooq explained. "Across the board, each crew gave themselves over to one another. There were coxswain calls thanking teammates back home and all of our supporters at UW and in RowTown USA. In the V8, the last 500 was for the support of Husky Nation every time we race the final 500 meters in the Montlake Cut.
"The last time we raced here in Indy, we swept the NCAA's and I had a deja vu moment watching Michigan lead the V8 final field out of the blocks and to the 1,000," Farooq concluded. "Rutgers was also right there keeping everyone honest. As our boat moved into the lead, I knew we would do what we needed to do to win. Michigan and Rutgers really pushed us at different stages of that race and I think we all learned and grew from it. I can't wait for NCAA's. There is going to be some awesome racing there."
Next, the NCAA will announce the 22-team field for the 2025 NCAA Championships on a selection show this Tuesday, May 20, at 2:00 p.m. PT. Washington, having earned the Big Ten's automatic berth, will make its 28th NCAA appearance in the 28-year history of the event.
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Legacy
Cox: Isabel Michaelson (Mukilteo, Wash.)
Stroke: Megan Lee (Natick, Mass.)
7: Sally Jones (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
6: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
5: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
4: Marilou Duvernay-Tardif (St. Jean-Baptiste, Que., Canada)
3: Sophie Houston (Sydney, Australia)
2: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
Bow: Shakira Mirfin (Invercargill, New Zealand)
Second Varsity Eight
Shell: Kit Green
Cox: Grace Murdock (Roswell, Ga.)
Stroke: Ava Meuleman (Seattle, Wash.)
7: Olivia Hay (Auckland, New Zealand)
6: Evan Park (Bend, Ore.)
5: Jordan Freer (Lotus, Calif.)
4: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
3: Leah Nash (Chatham, Mass.)
2: Emma Waters (Galway, Ireland)
Bow: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
Varsity Four
Shell: Paula Mitchell
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
3: Cait Whittard (St. Catherine's, Ont., Canada)
2: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C. Canada)
Stroke: Paris Burbine (Alpharetta, Ga.)
Second Varsity Four
Shell: Coleen Lynch
Cox: Perry McLoughlin (Port Washington, N.Y.)
Stroke: Margaret Young (San Anselmo, Calif.)
3: Scout Wilson (San Antonio, Texas)
2: Madeleine Parker (Napier, New Zealand)
Bow: Sofia Suhinin (Adelaide, Australia)
Third Varsity Four
Shell: Wendell S. Sykes
Cox: Elisabeth Wu (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Carmel Bollag (Seattle, Wash.)
3: Niamh Comerford (London, England, U.K.)
2: Alex Dessart (Bronxville, N.Y.)
Bow: Sofie Sand (Rochester, Wash.)
Third Varsity Eight
Shell: Dottie Simpson
Cox: Taylor Inouye (Kailua, Hawai'i)
Stroke: Liv Ormseth (Vashon Island, Wash.)
7: Grace Worthington (Grand Haven, Mich.)
6: Annelise Hahl (Cary, N.C.)
5: Maggie Ward (Madison, Wisc.)
4: Caroline Law (Bellingham, Wash.)
3: Marin Maycotte (Austin, Texas)
2: Emily Myers (Oxford, England, U.K.)
Bow: Riley Barringer (Pacific Grove, Calif.)
Fourth Varsity Eight
Shell: Jenni Vesnaver Hogan
Cox: Payton Wold (Arlington, Wash.)
Stroke: Emma Cronin (Roswell, Ga.)
7: Audrey Cronin (Roswell, Ga.)
6: Kylie Kunz (Seattle, Wash.)
5: Sami Tyler (Camas, Wash.)
4: Faith Meyer (Beaverton, Ore.)
3: Kayla Coates-Robertson (Redmond, Wash.)
2: Kate Elward (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Bow: Claire Cunningham (Seattle, Wash.)
Players Mentioned
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