Sunday, May 31
Gainesville, Ga.
5:00 AM PT
University of Washington
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Grace Mackinlay
UW Four Wins NCAA Bronze; Huskies Tie For 6th Overall
May 31, 2026 | Women's Rowing
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – The Washington women's rowing team claimed the bronze medal in the varsity fours and finished in a tie for sixth place overall at the 2026 NCAA Championships, which wrapped up Sunday at Lake Lanier Olympic Park.
The Huskies tied with Princeton for sixth place with 100 overall points. Texas won the title with 130 points, five more than defending champion Stanford, which finished second.
Washington finished third in the NCAA fours grand final to claim a trophy in that event, while winning the petite final (places 7-12) in both the varsity eight and second varsity eight.
"I'm really proud of our team today," said 10th-year head coach Yasmin Farooq. "Our varsity four had an outstanding race and earned a strong third-place finish in a very competitive field.
"This is the fastest field in NCAA history, and the level continues to rise," Farooq continued. "At Washington, our goal is always the same — to be in the grand final contending for the podium."
With extremely fast conditions at Lake Lanier, the host site for rowing at the 1996 Olympic Games, NCAA records were broken and re-broken throughout the day, but those conditions also produced choppy water.
Washington began its morning in the grand final of the varsity four, in a stacked field along with Stanford, Texas and Tennessee. The Cardinal, defending NCAA champions in the four, took the lead early on, with Texas and UW second and third at 500.
By 1,000 meters, Tennessee had moved into third place ahead of Washington and, by 1,500 meters, the Huskies had dropped to fifth, with Rutgers having passed them.
However, down the stretch, with Texas rowing through the Cardinal into first position, and the Huskies having moved back into fourth, a rower in the Stanford crew caught a crab, as a missed stroke caught the water and brought the boat nearly to a stop.
That mistake allowed Texas to cruise to the win, with Tennessee second, and both Washington and Rutgers were also both able to take advantage, rowing past the the stalled Stanford shell for third and fourth place.
Texas won the NCAA fours grand final in 6:35.728, breaking the NCAA record set by Washington in 2019, and faster than the world best time for women's coxed fours (NCAA races do not count in world-best times in rowing). Tennessee was second in 6:41.291 and the Huskies crossed the finish line in 6:47.654, about 1.3 seconds ahead of fourth-place Rutgers.
"Racing this weekend and coming away with a bronze medal at NCAAs is an incredible honor," said Cami Martin, the UW four's bow seat, from Seattle's Nathan Hale High. "Representing UW at this championship has certainly been a goal of mine for the past four years, and I'm so grateful to everyone who made the entire experience meaningful far beyond the medal we get to bring home.
"Washington is a magical place," Martin continued, "and this weekend was a reminder of how naturally this team makes you want to pull for something bigger than yourself. As always, Go Dawgs!"
Next for Washington was the petite final in the second eights, where the Huskies were the favorites. The Huskies finished the first quarter of the race in the lead, with Michigan second, but at 1,000 meters, it was the Wolverines in front.
Washington moved back into the third in the third 500 and extended the lead down the stretching, winning the petite final with a time of 6:03.358, seven seats ahead of second-place Michigan (6:06.598). Cal was third in the petite final.
The Huskies final race of the 2026 season came in the first eights petite final. Washington, seeded No. 9 in the first eights coming into the regatta, facing a field that included seventh-seed California and eight-seed Syracuse.
California led the field at 500, but only by a small margin over the Huskies, with Syracuse third. By 1,000 meters, Washington had raced to a deck-length lead over the Golden Bears and, as in the second eights race, the Huskies began to pull away in the third 500, leading by three or four seats at 1,500 meters.
Cal and Syracuse both challenged the Huskies in the sprint, but Washington held on to win with a time of 5:56.227, four seats ahead of California (5:57.723), which successfully held off third-place Syracuse.
Washington, with its tie for sixth, slightly out-paced expectations in terms of seeding, which would have placed the Huskies seventh, if all seedings had played out.
"I thought the heats and semis taking place in one day might play to our strengths, but the field was simply too hot,'" noted Coach Farooq. "The petite final wasn't where we wanted our eights to be, and as a staff we'll take a hard look at how we can prepare better for that kind of intensity. But I'm proud of how the athletes responded — they handled it with maturity and a renewed resolve to make the most of today's racing."
"We have a lot of new faces on this roster, and all three boats showed how much resilience and belief this group has built over the season," she continued. "They stepped up for one another and for Husky Nation, and they finish the year with their best races. I'm especially glad our seniors get to leave with that."
"Nationally, the standard is shifting, " Farooq concluded. "Programs like Texas, Stanford, and Tennessee are operating with unprecedented resources, and that's elevating the bar for everyone. To stay in that fight as the sport evolves, we need to keep evolving as a program too."
The Huskies, who have participated in all 29 NCAA Rowing Championships, which began in 1997, have finished in the top-10 in all 29.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @washingtrowing on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok; and @UW_Rowing on X, and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
VARSITY 8+ (I EIGHTS)
Shell: Jan Harville
Cox: Izzy Michaelson (Everett, Wash.)
Stroke: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
7: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
6: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
5: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
4: Jayna Palmer (Truckee, Calif.)
3: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
2: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
Bow: Katie Gardner (Cowbridge, Wales, U.K.)
SECOND VARSITY 8+ (II EIGHTS)
Shell: Dottie Simpson
Cox: Perry McLoughlin (Port Washington, N.Y.)
Stroke: Issy Melville (Hamilton, New Zealand)
7: Emily Myers (Oxford, England, U.K.)
6: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
5: Kalee Verd (Olympia, Wash.)
4: Grace Worthington (Grand Haven, Mich.)
3: Cait Whittard (St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada)
2: Amelia Westbrook (Lincoln, England, U.K.)
Bow: Sofia Suhinin (Adelaide, Australia)
FIRST VARSITY FOUR (I FOURS)
Shell: Sam & Raz
Stroke: Carmel Bollag (Seattle, Wash.)
3: Emily Downing (Marlow, England, U.K.)
2: Nienke Overgoor (Bunnik, Netherlands)
Bow: Cami Martin (Seattle, Wash.)
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
UW's All-Time NCAA Team Finishes
2026: t-6th
2025: 4th
2024: 5th
2023: 2nd
2022: 4th
2021: 3rd
2020: no regatta
2019: 1st
2018: 2nd
2017: 1st
2016: 5th
2015: 4th
2014: 7th
2013: 6th
2012: 7th
2011: 8th
2010: 10th
2009: 7th
2008: 2nd
2007: 10th
2006: 7th
2005: 9th
2004: 5th
2003: 3rd
2002: 2nd
2001: 1st
2000: 2nd
1999: 3rd
1998: 1st
1997: 1st
UW's All-Time NCAA Boat Champions
Fours (stroke to bow, coxswain)
1999 (Erin Becht, Anna Mickelson, Kara Nykrein, Kellie Schenk, Mary Whipple)
2000 (Lauren Estevenin, Carrie Stasiak, Heidi Hurn, Adrienne Hunter, Anne Heisburg)
2001 (Margherita Pallottino, Yvonne Stenken, Kattie Baurichter, Teegan Simonson, Maili Barber)
2008 (Rachel Powers, Jennifer Park, Charlene Franklin, Adrienne Martelli, Maggie Cheek)
2017 (Valentina Iseppi, Valerie Vogt, Julia Paulsen, Sophia Baker, Marley Avritt)
2019 (Dimitra Tsamopoulou, Kieanna Stephens, Holly Drapp, Emma Vagen, Dana Brooks)*
2021 (Carmen McNamara-Smith, Fiona Shields, Katherine Slack, Sophia Chaffey, Sachi Yamamoto)
Second Eights (coxswain, stroke to bow)
2002 (Anne Hessburg, Jenni Vesnaver, Jessica Harm, Shannon Oates, Erin Becht, Sanda Hangan, Margherita Pallottino, Erin Curry, Mandy Nelson)
2017 (Isabella Corriere, Marlee Blue, Maggie Phillips, Carmela Pappalardo, Phoebe Spoors, Karlé Pittsinger, Bella Chilczuk, Anna Thornton, Calina Schanze)
2018 (Marley Avritt, Brooke Pierson, Katy Gillingham, Carmela Pappalardo, Karlé Pittsinger, Julia Paulsen, Jennifer Wren, Jessica Thoennes, Calina Schanze)
2019 (Amanda Durkin, Klara Grube, Lark Skov, Elise Bueke, Holly Dunford, Molly Gallaher, Mackenna Cameron, Skylar Jacobson, Adele Likin)*
2021 (Dana Brooks, McKenna Bryant, Dimitra Tsamopoulou, Molly Gallaher, Taylor Buell, Nikki Martincic, Lark Skov, Joïe Zier, Brittani Shappell)
First Eights (coxswain, stroke to bow)
1997 (Alida Purves, Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Jan Williamson, Tristine Glick, Kari Green)
1998 (Missy Collins, Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Rachel Dunnet, Vanessa Tavalero, Kari Green)
2001 (Mary Whipple, Lauren Estevenin, Nicole Borges, Anna Mickelson, Rika Geyser, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Nicole Rogers, Annabel Ritchie)
2002 (Mary Whipple, Lauren Estevenin, Annabel Ritchie, Anna Mickelson, Heidi Hurn, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Kara Nykreim, Yvonneke Stenken)
2017 (Phoebe Marks-Nicholes, Chiara Ondoli, Elise Beuke, Brooke Pierson, Katy Gillingham, Brooke Mooney, Tabea Schendekehl, Jessica Thoennes, Annemieke Schanze)
2019 (Marley Avritt, Tabea Schendekehl, Calina Schanze, Sofia Asoumanaki, Marlee Blue, Teal Cohen, Valentina Iseppi, Jennifer Wren, Carmela Pappalardo)*
All-Time NCAA Rowing Team Championships
Brown – 7
Washington – 5
Texas – 4
California – 4
Stanford – 3
Ohio State – 3
Virginia – 2
Harvard – 1
All-Time NCAA Rowing Boat (V8+, 2V8+, V4+) Championships
Washington – 18
Brown – 14
Virginia – 9
Stanford – 8
Texas – 7
California – 7
Yale – 6
Ohio State – 6
Princeton – 4
Michigan – 2
Clemson – 1
Harvard – 1
Minnesota – 1
USC – 1
UW's Pre-NCAA (NCRC) Women's National Championships
Varsity Eight*
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1987
1988
* V8+ winner was considered "national champion" prior to introduction of NCAA regatta
Junior Varsity Eight
1981
1982
1983
1987
1989
1994
Varsity Four
1987
The Huskies tied with Princeton for sixth place with 100 overall points. Texas won the title with 130 points, five more than defending champion Stanford, which finished second.
Washington finished third in the NCAA fours grand final to claim a trophy in that event, while winning the petite final (places 7-12) in both the varsity eight and second varsity eight.
"I'm really proud of our team today," said 10th-year head coach Yasmin Farooq. "Our varsity four had an outstanding race and earned a strong third-place finish in a very competitive field.
"This is the fastest field in NCAA history, and the level continues to rise," Farooq continued. "At Washington, our goal is always the same — to be in the grand final contending for the podium."
With extremely fast conditions at Lake Lanier, the host site for rowing at the 1996 Olympic Games, NCAA records were broken and re-broken throughout the day, but those conditions also produced choppy water.
Washington began its morning in the grand final of the varsity four, in a stacked field along with Stanford, Texas and Tennessee. The Cardinal, defending NCAA champions in the four, took the lead early on, with Texas and UW second and third at 500.
By 1,000 meters, Tennessee had moved into third place ahead of Washington and, by 1,500 meters, the Huskies had dropped to fifth, with Rutgers having passed them.
However, down the stretch, with Texas rowing through the Cardinal into first position, and the Huskies having moved back into fourth, a rower in the Stanford crew caught a crab, as a missed stroke caught the water and brought the boat nearly to a stop.
That mistake allowed Texas to cruise to the win, with Tennessee second, and both Washington and Rutgers were also both able to take advantage, rowing past the the stalled Stanford shell for third and fourth place.
Texas won the NCAA fours grand final in 6:35.728, breaking the NCAA record set by Washington in 2019, and faster than the world best time for women's coxed fours (NCAA races do not count in world-best times in rowing). Tennessee was second in 6:41.291 and the Huskies crossed the finish line in 6:47.654, about 1.3 seconds ahead of fourth-place Rutgers.
"Racing this weekend and coming away with a bronze medal at NCAAs is an incredible honor," said Cami Martin, the UW four's bow seat, from Seattle's Nathan Hale High. "Representing UW at this championship has certainly been a goal of mine for the past four years, and I'm so grateful to everyone who made the entire experience meaningful far beyond the medal we get to bring home.
"Washington is a magical place," Martin continued, "and this weekend was a reminder of how naturally this team makes you want to pull for something bigger than yourself. As always, Go Dawgs!"
Next for Washington was the petite final in the second eights, where the Huskies were the favorites. The Huskies finished the first quarter of the race in the lead, with Michigan second, but at 1,000 meters, it was the Wolverines in front.
Washington moved back into the third in the third 500 and extended the lead down the stretching, winning the petite final with a time of 6:03.358, seven seats ahead of second-place Michigan (6:06.598). Cal was third in the petite final.
The Huskies final race of the 2026 season came in the first eights petite final. Washington, seeded No. 9 in the first eights coming into the regatta, facing a field that included seventh-seed California and eight-seed Syracuse.
California led the field at 500, but only by a small margin over the Huskies, with Syracuse third. By 1,000 meters, Washington had raced to a deck-length lead over the Golden Bears and, as in the second eights race, the Huskies began to pull away in the third 500, leading by three or four seats at 1,500 meters.
Cal and Syracuse both challenged the Huskies in the sprint, but Washington held on to win with a time of 5:56.227, four seats ahead of California (5:57.723), which successfully held off third-place Syracuse.
Washington, with its tie for sixth, slightly out-paced expectations in terms of seeding, which would have placed the Huskies seventh, if all seedings had played out.
"I thought the heats and semis taking place in one day might play to our strengths, but the field was simply too hot,'" noted Coach Farooq. "The petite final wasn't where we wanted our eights to be, and as a staff we'll take a hard look at how we can prepare better for that kind of intensity. But I'm proud of how the athletes responded — they handled it with maturity and a renewed resolve to make the most of today's racing."
"We have a lot of new faces on this roster, and all three boats showed how much resilience and belief this group has built over the season," she continued. "They stepped up for one another and for Husky Nation, and they finish the year with their best races. I'm especially glad our seniors get to leave with that."
"Nationally, the standard is shifting, " Farooq concluded. "Programs like Texas, Stanford, and Tennessee are operating with unprecedented resources, and that's elevating the bar for everyone. To stay in that fight as the sport evolves, we need to keep evolving as a program too."
The Huskies, who have participated in all 29 NCAA Rowing Championships, which began in 1997, have finished in the top-10 in all 29.
For news, scores, highlights and more, download the Go Huskies app on your mobile device. Follow @washingtrowing on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and TikTok; and @UW_Rowing on X, and subscribe to UW Athletics on YouTube for the latest on the Dawgs.
VARSITY 8+ (I EIGHTS)
Shell: Jan Harville
Cox: Izzy Michaelson (Everett, Wash.)
Stroke: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
7: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
6: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
5: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
4: Jayna Palmer (Truckee, Calif.)
3: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
2: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
Bow: Katie Gardner (Cowbridge, Wales, U.K.)
SECOND VARSITY 8+ (II EIGHTS)
Shell: Dottie Simpson
Cox: Perry McLoughlin (Port Washington, N.Y.)
Stroke: Issy Melville (Hamilton, New Zealand)
7: Emily Myers (Oxford, England, U.K.)
6: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
5: Kalee Verd (Olympia, Wash.)
4: Grace Worthington (Grand Haven, Mich.)
3: Cait Whittard (St. Catharine's, Ontario, Canada)
2: Amelia Westbrook (Lincoln, England, U.K.)
Bow: Sofia Suhinin (Adelaide, Australia)
FIRST VARSITY FOUR (I FOURS)
Shell: Sam & Raz
Stroke: Carmel Bollag (Seattle, Wash.)
3: Emily Downing (Marlow, England, U.K.)
2: Nienke Overgoor (Bunnik, Netherlands)
Bow: Cami Martin (Seattle, Wash.)
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
UW's All-Time NCAA Team Finishes
2026: t-6th
2025: 4th
2024: 5th
2023: 2nd
2022: 4th
2021: 3rd
2020: no regatta
2019: 1st
2018: 2nd
2017: 1st
2016: 5th
2015: 4th
2014: 7th
2013: 6th
2012: 7th
2011: 8th
2010: 10th
2009: 7th
2008: 2nd
2007: 10th
2006: 7th
2005: 9th
2004: 5th
2003: 3rd
2002: 2nd
2001: 1st
2000: 2nd
1999: 3rd
1998: 1st
1997: 1st
UW's All-Time NCAA Boat Champions
Fours (stroke to bow, coxswain)
1999 (Erin Becht, Anna Mickelson, Kara Nykrein, Kellie Schenk, Mary Whipple)
2000 (Lauren Estevenin, Carrie Stasiak, Heidi Hurn, Adrienne Hunter, Anne Heisburg)
2001 (Margherita Pallottino, Yvonne Stenken, Kattie Baurichter, Teegan Simonson, Maili Barber)
2008 (Rachel Powers, Jennifer Park, Charlene Franklin, Adrienne Martelli, Maggie Cheek)
2017 (Valentina Iseppi, Valerie Vogt, Julia Paulsen, Sophia Baker, Marley Avritt)
2019 (Dimitra Tsamopoulou, Kieanna Stephens, Holly Drapp, Emma Vagen, Dana Brooks)*
2021 (Carmen McNamara-Smith, Fiona Shields, Katherine Slack, Sophia Chaffey, Sachi Yamamoto)
Second Eights (coxswain, stroke to bow)
2002 (Anne Hessburg, Jenni Vesnaver, Jessica Harm, Shannon Oates, Erin Becht, Sanda Hangan, Margherita Pallottino, Erin Curry, Mandy Nelson)
2017 (Isabella Corriere, Marlee Blue, Maggie Phillips, Carmela Pappalardo, Phoebe Spoors, Karlé Pittsinger, Bella Chilczuk, Anna Thornton, Calina Schanze)
2018 (Marley Avritt, Brooke Pierson, Katy Gillingham, Carmela Pappalardo, Karlé Pittsinger, Julia Paulsen, Jennifer Wren, Jessica Thoennes, Calina Schanze)
2019 (Amanda Durkin, Klara Grube, Lark Skov, Elise Bueke, Holly Dunford, Molly Gallaher, Mackenna Cameron, Skylar Jacobson, Adele Likin)*
2021 (Dana Brooks, McKenna Bryant, Dimitra Tsamopoulou, Molly Gallaher, Taylor Buell, Nikki Martincic, Lark Skov, Joïe Zier, Brittani Shappell)
First Eights (coxswain, stroke to bow)
1997 (Alida Purves, Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Jan Williamson, Tristine Glick, Kari Green)
1998 (Missy Collins, Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Rachel Dunnet, Vanessa Tavalero, Kari Green)
2001 (Mary Whipple, Lauren Estevenin, Nicole Borges, Anna Mickelson, Rika Geyser, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Nicole Rogers, Annabel Ritchie)
2002 (Mary Whipple, Lauren Estevenin, Annabel Ritchie, Anna Mickelson, Heidi Hurn, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Kara Nykreim, Yvonneke Stenken)
2017 (Phoebe Marks-Nicholes, Chiara Ondoli, Elise Beuke, Brooke Pierson, Katy Gillingham, Brooke Mooney, Tabea Schendekehl, Jessica Thoennes, Annemieke Schanze)
2019 (Marley Avritt, Tabea Schendekehl, Calina Schanze, Sofia Asoumanaki, Marlee Blue, Teal Cohen, Valentina Iseppi, Jennifer Wren, Carmela Pappalardo)*
All-Time NCAA Rowing Team Championships
Brown – 7
Washington – 5
Texas – 4
California – 4
Stanford – 3
Ohio State – 3
Virginia – 2
Harvard – 1
All-Time NCAA Rowing Boat (V8+, 2V8+, V4+) Championships
Washington – 18
Brown – 14
Virginia – 9
Stanford – 8
Texas – 7
California – 7
Yale – 6
Ohio State – 6
Princeton – 4
Michigan – 2
Clemson – 1
Harvard – 1
Minnesota – 1
USC – 1
UW's Pre-NCAA (NCRC) Women's National Championships
Varsity Eight*
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1987
1988
* V8+ winner was considered "national champion" prior to introduction of NCAA regatta
Junior Varsity Eight
1981
1982
1983
1987
1989
1994
Varsity Four
1987
Players Mentioned
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COX
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COX
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
COX
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
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