US Collegiate Rowing – Week Four Race Preview

With the national championship just two months away, the pecking order in the United States is beginning to solidify. Lineups are becoming more permanent, and speed comes from refinement rather than revolution. This week, hundreds of boats across dozens of squads will face off in some of the most exciting racing in the world – here are a few events to look out for. 

Redwood Shores III

In yet another round of racing at Redwood Shores, the field is the strongest we have seen so far this season, with three top programmes from the East Coast coming to race #1 California, #7 Stanford, and top club competition. While the top-three battle between California and #3 Brown is bound to take the headlines, my pick for the most interesting racing is Stanford, as they will face all three visiting crews: Brown, #8 Yale and #11 Syracuse. These showdowns will demonstrate where the Cardinal stack up on a national stage as they face East Coast competition for the last time until the national championships in eight weeks.

Women’s Redwood Shores

Not to be left out, the women’s programmes at #6 California and #2 Stanford are also hosting an invitational this weekend as they welcome new conference rivals #9 Virginia and #11 Syracuse to the Bay Area for a double dual. As the four highest-ranked teams in the ACC, this may shine a light towards a potential outcome on Lake Hartwell in South Carolina, but beyond that, all four of these teams have their sights set on at least the NCAA grand final. 

Under new head coach Wesley Ng, the Virginia season started with a bump, as the 1V fell to Ohio State. However, after recovering against Michigan, they will face their toughest test of the regular season this weekend to attempt to show their mettle.

#13 Michigan at #1 Texas

For the fifth year in a row, #13 Michigan and #1 Texas come together for a one-by-2k dual, as this year, Michigan makes the 21-hour drive to Austin for the occasion. In that time, Texas is undefeated across the NCAA boats, but this fixture continues to provide a strong test for a Michigan squad looking to make gains after an underwhelming start to the season. For Texas, they have focused on building speed throughout the year as opposed to simply trying to win every event; it paid off for them as they brought three trophies home with them from the crew classic. This weekend – win, lose or draw – head coach Dave O’Neill will only have eyes for a strong improvement week-on-week.

About The Author

Fraser Innes

Fraser joined the JRN team in September 2022 and regularly writes about domestic and international rowing with particular specialisation on US Collegiate Rowing having launched JRN’s coverage and being a staple on the End of the Island’s series on the topic. He has been involved with the sport since 2016 at George Heriot’s School and the Universities of Glasgow and Wisconsin.

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