Sunday, June 1
West Windsor, N.J.
5:00 AM PT
University of Washington
vs
NCAA Championships
Photo by: Alika Jenner
UW Finishes 4th At NCAAs; II Eights & Fours Take Silver
June 01, 2025 | Women's Rowing
WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Washington women's rowing team finished in fourth place overall at the 2025 NCAA Rowing Championships Sunday at Mercer Lake, taking second place in both the second eights and the fours, while finishing fifth in the first eights.
No. 1-ranked Stanford won the team title for the second time in three years despite an upset victory from seventh-seeded Yale in the first eights grand final.
The Huskies finished in the top five for the 10th time in a row. UW has never finished outside of the top-10 in 28 straight NCAA appearances since the regatta was first established in 1997.
"'All or us or none of us' is the team mantra, and that certainly was the mindset going into the weekend," said ninth-year UW head coach Yasmin Farooq. "Earning a spot in all of the grand finals was a key step, and leaving with a team NCAA trophy is always such a positive symbol of the team's investment in one another. I'm really proud of the efforts of every crew."
Washington, which finished second to the Cardinal in both the fours and second eights finals, entered the first eights final needing to finish ahead of Stanford to earn the team title.
But from the start of the regatta's final race, Yale, ranked No. 5 in the polls and seeded No. 7 in the varsity eights field at NCAAs, took command of the race, jumping out to an early lead and fending off defending champion Texas and top-ranked Stanford.
Washington, rowing in an outside lane, battled Tennessee for fourth place, but crossed the line in fifth, about 1.6 seconds behind the Volunteers and 6.4 seconds behind the winners.
"We're really proud of our performance today," said varsity bow seat Aisha Rocek. "We went into the race with the mindset of, 'We have nothing to lose ,why not us?' and we were genuinely excited to race one last time together as a crew.
"It was an incredibly high-level final, with so many Olympians lining up, which made the experience even more special," Rocek, a two-time Olympian herself, added. "We left everything on the course and did everything we could to stay ahead."
Yale broke Washington's 2019 record for fastest-ever NCAA first eights (6.07.284), with a time of 6:06.138. Stanford was about 2.2 seconds behind, with Texas third.
"The V8 semifinal Saturday could have been a classic V8 final, except that Yale was missing" Farooq noted. "It got us prepared for the final. We knew that race was going to be fast out of the blocks and then we would need to be assertive there. I thought we were in a good position at 1,000 meters. Credit to Yale for setting a blistering pace and getting their bowball ahead early.
"What Yale did was extraordinary," she concluded. "They raised the bar for the entire field. They put Stanford on their heels and the rest of us were racing for third in challenging conditions. That wind made the last 1,000 very tactical. I think our crew gave it all they had. We got a best effort out of all three boats, and I am incredibly proud of the overall effort of the entire squad."
That result gave Stanford the team title, with Yale moving into second, tying for that program's highest-ever team finish. Texas, with 118 points, finished in third, one point ahead of Washington (117).
Earlier in the morning, Washington took second in the finals of both the fours and the second eights.
In the fours race, Washington went to the front of the pack off of the start line, leading the field through the 500- and 1,000-meter marks, but the field remained tightly-packed at each milestone with five crews in contact of one another.
In the third 500, Stanford moved in front and crossed the 1,500-meter buoy just five one-hundredths of a second in front of the Huskies.
The Cardinal won the fours final in 6:56.532, just over two seconds ahead of Washington (6:58.598). Texas was a close third.
"The V4 race was truly inspirational. Our four is an understated crew, despite entering the NCAA's undefeated," Farooq said. "Their theme this year was 'Be Bold' and it was awesome to see them assert themselves right out of the blocks, lead the field for 1,500 meters and come away with a silver medal."
Shortly after that result, the Huskies raced in the second eights final. Stanford led that race from the start, taking a big lead over the other five crews. At 500 meters, Washington sat in fourth place and, by 1,000, the Huskies had moved up to third, challenging Princeton for second.
In the third 500, Washington rowed through the Tigers into second position and gave Stanford a solid challenge.
The Cardinal won the race by less than two seconds over UW with times of 6:13.075 to 6:14.931. Washington held off Princeton, which finished just under a tenth of a second behind the Huskies in third place.
"We knew it was going to be a tough battle until the very last stroke, and that's exactly what we got to experience," said team captain Olivia Hay, seven seat in the second eight. "It was a race that demanded everything from us, and we gave it everything we had.
"The trust, courage, and belief in each other have been unwavering all season," Hay continued, "and today's performance was a reflection of that buy-in from the entire team this whole year. I am so proud to be a Husky."
"The best way to describe the 2V8 race is 'gritty,'" Farooq said. "They were down, the wind and waves were starting to get wild, and they just clawed their way back into the race and all the way to the line, pushing Stanford and then fighting to edge Princeton in the final strokes. Truly an incredibly effort."
In nine seasons (eight NCAA regattas, as none was held in 2020) under Farooq, a total of 18 crews have earned medals under Farooq, along with two team titles and several other team podium finishes (NCAA sports reward team trophies to the top-four teams). In all, 42 Husky crews have medaled at NCAAs, in the first and second eights, and the fours.
"Earning two second place boat trophies was validating," Farooq said. "Of course we all hoped that the Varsity eight could have reached the podium as well. But in the end, leaving with a team trophy is truly symbolic of the effort and the passion the team has put in all year."
"Looking back, we're proud not just of today, but of everything we've accomplished this season, every race we've won, and how far we've come together," Rocek noted. "Personally, it means so much to be part of this program and to live this journey alongside such an inspiring group of women."
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Legacy
Cox: Izzy Michaelson (Mukilteo, Wash.)
Stroke: Megan Lee (Natick, Mass.)
7: Sally Jones (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
6: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
5: Sophie Houston (Sydney, Australia)
4: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
3: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
2: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
Bow: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
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: Emma Waters (Galway, Ireland)
3: Leah Nash (Chatham, Mass.)
2: Shakira Mirfin (Invercargill, New Zealand)
Bow: Marilou Duvernay-Tardif (St. Jean-Baptiste, Que., Canada)
Varsity Four
Shell: Paula Mitchell
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Paris Burbine (Alpharetta, Ga.)
3: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C. Canada)
2: Madeleine Parker (Napier, New Zealand)
Bow: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
UW's All-Time NCAA Team Finishes
2025: 4th
2024: 5th
2023: 2nd
2022: 4th
2021: 3rd
2020: no regatta held
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)
* - NCAA-record time for fours: 6:52.451
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)
* - NCAA-record time for second eights: 6:11.262
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
California – 4
Stanford – 3
Texas – 3
Ohio State – 3
Virginia – 2
Harvard – 1
All-Time NCAA Rowing Boat (V8+, 2V8+, V4+) Championships
Washington – 18
Brown – 14
Virginia – 9
Stanford – 7
California – 7
Yale – 6
Ohio State – 6
Texas – 5
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
No. 1-ranked Stanford won the team title for the second time in three years despite an upset victory from seventh-seeded Yale in the first eights grand final.
The Huskies finished in the top five for the 10th time in a row. UW has never finished outside of the top-10 in 28 straight NCAA appearances since the regatta was first established in 1997.
"'All or us or none of us' is the team mantra, and that certainly was the mindset going into the weekend," said ninth-year UW head coach Yasmin Farooq. "Earning a spot in all of the grand finals was a key step, and leaving with a team NCAA trophy is always such a positive symbol of the team's investment in one another. I'm really proud of the efforts of every crew."
Washington, which finished second to the Cardinal in both the fours and second eights finals, entered the first eights final needing to finish ahead of Stanford to earn the team title.
But from the start of the regatta's final race, Yale, ranked No. 5 in the polls and seeded No. 7 in the varsity eights field at NCAAs, took command of the race, jumping out to an early lead and fending off defending champion Texas and top-ranked Stanford.
Washington, rowing in an outside lane, battled Tennessee for fourth place, but crossed the line in fifth, about 1.6 seconds behind the Volunteers and 6.4 seconds behind the winners.
"We're really proud of our performance today," said varsity bow seat Aisha Rocek. "We went into the race with the mindset of, 'We have nothing to lose ,why not us?' and we were genuinely excited to race one last time together as a crew.
"It was an incredibly high-level final, with so many Olympians lining up, which made the experience even more special," Rocek, a two-time Olympian herself, added. "We left everything on the course and did everything we could to stay ahead."
Yale broke Washington's 2019 record for fastest-ever NCAA first eights (6.07.284), with a time of 6:06.138. Stanford was about 2.2 seconds behind, with Texas third.
"The V8 semifinal Saturday could have been a classic V8 final, except that Yale was missing" Farooq noted. "It got us prepared for the final. We knew that race was going to be fast out of the blocks and then we would need to be assertive there. I thought we were in a good position at 1,000 meters. Credit to Yale for setting a blistering pace and getting their bowball ahead early.
"What Yale did was extraordinary," she concluded. "They raised the bar for the entire field. They put Stanford on their heels and the rest of us were racing for third in challenging conditions. That wind made the last 1,000 very tactical. I think our crew gave it all they had. We got a best effort out of all three boats, and I am incredibly proud of the overall effort of the entire squad."
That result gave Stanford the team title, with Yale moving into second, tying for that program's highest-ever team finish. Texas, with 118 points, finished in third, one point ahead of Washington (117).
Earlier in the morning, Washington took second in the finals of both the fours and the second eights.
In the fours race, Washington went to the front of the pack off of the start line, leading the field through the 500- and 1,000-meter marks, but the field remained tightly-packed at each milestone with five crews in contact of one another.
In the third 500, Stanford moved in front and crossed the 1,500-meter buoy just five one-hundredths of a second in front of the Huskies.
The Cardinal won the fours final in 6:56.532, just over two seconds ahead of Washington (6:58.598). Texas was a close third.
"The V4 race was truly inspirational. Our four is an understated crew, despite entering the NCAA's undefeated," Farooq said. "Their theme this year was 'Be Bold' and it was awesome to see them assert themselves right out of the blocks, lead the field for 1,500 meters and come away with a silver medal."
Shortly after that result, the Huskies raced in the second eights final. Stanford led that race from the start, taking a big lead over the other five crews. At 500 meters, Washington sat in fourth place and, by 1,000, the Huskies had moved up to third, challenging Princeton for second.
In the third 500, Washington rowed through the Tigers into second position and gave Stanford a solid challenge.
The Cardinal won the race by less than two seconds over UW with times of 6:13.075 to 6:14.931. Washington held off Princeton, which finished just under a tenth of a second behind the Huskies in third place.
"We knew it was going to be a tough battle until the very last stroke, and that's exactly what we got to experience," said team captain Olivia Hay, seven seat in the second eight. "It was a race that demanded everything from us, and we gave it everything we had.
"The trust, courage, and belief in each other have been unwavering all season," Hay continued, "and today's performance was a reflection of that buy-in from the entire team this whole year. I am so proud to be a Husky."
"The best way to describe the 2V8 race is 'gritty,'" Farooq said. "They were down, the wind and waves were starting to get wild, and they just clawed their way back into the race and all the way to the line, pushing Stanford and then fighting to edge Princeton in the final strokes. Truly an incredibly effort."
In nine seasons (eight NCAA regattas, as none was held in 2020) under Farooq, a total of 18 crews have earned medals under Farooq, along with two team titles and several other team podium finishes (NCAA sports reward team trophies to the top-four teams). In all, 42 Husky crews have medaled at NCAAs, in the first and second eights, and the fours.
"Earning two second place boat trophies was validating," Farooq said. "Of course we all hoped that the Varsity eight could have reached the podium as well. But in the end, leaving with a team trophy is truly symbolic of the effort and the passion the team has put in all year."
"Looking back, we're proud not just of today, but of everything we've accomplished this season, every race we've won, and how far we've come together," Rocek noted. "Personally, it means so much to be part of this program and to live this journey alongside such an inspiring group of women."
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Legacy
Cox: Izzy Michaelson (Mukilteo, Wash.)
Stroke: Megan Lee (Natick, Mass.)
7: Sally Jones (Victoria, B.C., Canada)
6: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
5: Sophie Houston (Sydney, Australia)
4: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
3: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash.)
2: Chloe Sheppard (Tewkesbury, England, U.K.)
Bow: Aisha Rocek (Como, Italy)
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: Emma Waters (Galway, Ireland)
3: Leah Nash (Chatham, Mass.)
2: Shakira Mirfin (Invercargill, New Zealand)
Bow: Marilou Duvernay-Tardif (St. Jean-Baptiste, Que., Canada)
Varsity Four
Shell: Paula Mitchell
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash.)
Stroke: Paris Burbine (Alpharetta, Ga.)
3: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C. Canada)
2: Madeleine Parker (Napier, New Zealand)
Bow: Violet Holbrow Brooksbank (Monmouth, Wales, U.K.)
UW's All-Time NCAA Team Finishes
2025: 4th
2024: 5th
2023: 2nd
2022: 4th
2021: 3rd
2020: no regatta held
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)
* - NCAA-record time for fours: 6:52.451
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)
* - NCAA-record time for second eights: 6:11.262
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
California – 4
Stanford – 3
Texas – 3
Ohio State – 3
Virginia – 2
Harvard – 1
All-Time NCAA Rowing Boat (V8+, 2V8+, V4+) Championships
Washington – 18
Brown – 14
Virginia – 9
Stanford – 7
California – 7
Yale – 6
Ohio State – 6
Texas – 5
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
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
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/ Women's Rowing
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/ Women's Rowing
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COX
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
COX
/ Women's Rowing
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/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
COX
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/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
/ Women's Rowing
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