The Division III Championship finals will be held on Saturday, May 31st. Tufts are seeded first among the eight teams selected to race at this event, followed by Williams and then Wesleyan. As last year’s overall NCAA Championship winners as well as the winners of the 2024 1V Grand Final race, Tufts will be looking to defend both titles and dominate this national race once again.
Tufts University
After winning the New England Small College Athletic Conference, Tufts received an automatic bid to compete at the 2025 NCAA Championships. Last year was the first time Tufts winning the national title in its program history, having come third overall in 2023 and sixth in 2022, so it is clear this program has hit their stride and is making progress every year. In fact, the 2024-25 season has been one of Tufts’ most successful seasons yet, consistently being ranked #1 on the Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division III Rankings, after successful performances throughout the season. As only the 1V and 2V race at NCAAs for Division III rowing, it will be exciting to see Tufts put out their best rowers and race for the final time this season amongst the USA’s top programs.
Williams College
Seeded second in the 1V category, Williams will be Tufts main competitor going into this race. Williams faced Tufts recently in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, coming in second, just three seconds behind Tufts in the 1V Grand Final. Their strong performances throughout the season allowed them to be selected to compete at the NCAA Championships. Ranked third in the most recent Pocock Division III Rankings, Williams have a very strong 1V and having had a few weeks to nail down their racing strategy and technique, they will have one final chance to get their bow ball ahead at the biggest stage of the season and take down the current national champions.
Wesleyan University
Seeded third in the NCAA 1V classification but second in the Pocock Division III Rankings, Wesleyan earned an at-large bid. As the two-time defending national runner-up, this will be the eleventh time in team history that Wesleyan travel to NCAA Championships. In the most recent New England Small College Athletic Conference, they placed third, just behind Tufts and Williams. At last year’s NCAA Championships, Wesleyan V8 finished second, crossing the finish line ahead of Williams. After a few weeks of intense training, they will be looking to close the marginal gap between Tufts and Williams and secure a first-place finish.
Predictions
These crews faced each other off recently in the New England Small College Athletic Conference, with Tufts securing the strong win. With their consistent performances ahead of Williams and Wesleyan throughout the season, I predict Tufts will secure the 1V Championship win at the 2025 NCAA Championships.
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