The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
NCAA Championships
No. 1 Rowing preview: 2022 NCAA Championships
05.25.2022 | Rowing
Texas will seek a second-straight national crown beginning on Friday at the NCAA Division I Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Fla.
No. 1 Texas Rowing heads to Sarasota, Fla. for the 2022 NCAA Division I Rowing Championships in search of a second consecutive NCAA title. The Longhorns are the top overall seed and have the top-seeded boat in all three events (first varsity eight, second varsity eight, varsity four). Texas will be looking to become the seventh team to win consecutive NCAA titles and the first since Ohio State won three-in-a-row from 2013-15.
Texas' First Varsity Eight will also be looking to defend their crown after winning the championship in at last year's national regatta. The Texas I Eight is unbeaten over the last two years, winning 16 consecutive races with a head-to-head record of 51-0 versus teams within those races, including a 34-0 mark against teams in the CRCA Top 20.
Make the most of each day, and you'll be prepared for those really big days. 🤘#HereComesTexas | #HookEm | #NCAARow pic.twitter.com/SLVKE498ul
— Texas Rowing (@TexasRowing) May 26, 2022
When: Friday, May 27 – Sunday, May 29, 2022
Where: Nathan Benderson Park, Sarasota, Fla.
Field: Boston U., Brown, California, Duke, Gonzaga, Jacksonville, Michigan, Northeastern, Ohio State, Oregon State, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Rhode Island, Rutgers, SMU, Southern California, Stanford, Syracuse, TEXAS, Virginia, Washington, Yale.
Watch: NCAA Championships Live
Results: Regatta Timing
Schedule
Friday, May 27 – Heats
8:00 a.m. CT (9:00 a.m. ET) – First Varsity Eight, Heat 1
Lane 1: Southern California
Lane 2: Pennsylvania
Lane 3: TEXAS
Lane 4: Washington
Lane 5: Rutgers
8:48 a.m. CT (9:48 a.m. ET) – Second Varsity Eight, Heat 1
Lane 1: Southern California
Lane 2: SMU
Lane 3: TEXAS
Lane 4: Michigan
Lane 5: Oregon State
9:36 a.m. CT (10:36 a.m. ET) – Varsity Four, Heat 1
Lane 1: Pennsylvania
Lane 2: Yale
Lane 3: TEXAS
Lane 4: Southern California
Lane 5: Syracuse
Saturday, May 28 –Semifinals
7:36 and 7:48 a.m. CT (8:36 and 8:48 a.m. ET) – First Eight, A/B Semifinals
8:24 and 8:36 a.m. CT (9:24 and 9:36 a.m. ET) – Second Eight, A/B Semifinals
9:12 and 9:24 a.m. CT (10:12 and 10:24 a.m. ET) – Fours, A/B Semifinals
Sunday, May 29 – Finals
8:36 a.m. CT (9:36 a.m. ET) – Fours, Grand Final
9:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. ET) – Second Eight, Grand Final
9:24 a.m. CT (10:24 a.m. ET) – First Eight, Grand Final
Format/Scoring
The NCAA Rowing champion is determined by total points with points assigned based on the finish in each race. The first-place finisher in the First Varsity Eight will receive 66 points with each subsequent finisher collecting three fewer points – 63 for second, 60 for third, etc. The Second Varsity Eight winner will earn 44 points with each successive finisher collecting two fewer points (42 points for second, 40 points for third, etc.) and the Fours winner will receive 22 points, with the runner-up earning 21 points, third receiving 20 points, etc. Ties will be broken based on the teams' result in the First Eight.
NCAA Championships History
Texas won the first national title in program history at the 2021 NCAA Championships, collecting 126 team points, equaling the total of Stanford and Washington and winning the national championship due to the Longhorns' triumph in the First Eight Grand Final. The Second Varsity and the Varsity Four each finished third in their respective races, earning crucial points for the Horns. The First Eight's victory was also the first national crown for an individual boat in program history.
UT placed a second overall at the 2019 NCAA Championships, collecting 125 points with all three boats finishing in the top three for the first time in program history. The team finish marked Texas' third consecutive year of besting its previous record in NCAA Championship finishes. The First Eight finished second in the grand final, the Second Eight placed second overall, and the Four finished third in the grand final.
The Longhorns finished third in the 2018 NCAA Championships, sending all three boats to the grand final for the first time. The First Eight placed third overall, the Second Eight finished fifth overall, and the Four placed fourth, totaling 115 points.
In 2017, Texas placed fourth overall with 108 points in the final team standings at the 2017 NCAA Championships. Texas placed fourth in the First Eight grand final, first in the Second Eight petite final (seventh place overall) and fourth in the Fours grand final.
The Longhorns placed eighth as a team at the 2016 NCAA Championships. Texas announced its presence at the 2015 NCAA Championships and finished seventh overall in the 22-team regatta with 99 points.
The Longhorns placed fourth in the First Eight grand final, second in the Second Eight petite final and fifth in the Fours petite final at the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Texas sent its varsity eight boats to compete at the 2003 and 2004 NCAA Championship regattas but had not been invited to compete at the Championships as a team until the Longhorns' breakthrough season in 2015. The Texas varsity eight placed sixth in its petite final (6:28.65) at the 2003 NCAA Championship but did not reach a final at the 2004 NCAA Championships.
Texas' All-Time NCAA Team Finishes
Texas has registered top-eight results in each of the last six NCAA Championship Regattas with program-best results in five, including each of the last four:
2021 – National Champions
2020 – No regatta
2019 – 2nd
2018 – 3rd
2017 – 4th
2016 – 8th
2015 – 7th
Last Time Out
Texas swept five races at the Big 12 Championship to win their seventh consecutive conference title. The victory marked the 11th conference title in program history and the Longhorns' seventh consecutive sweep of the conference regatta.
The clean sweep netted the Longhorns 98 points in the final Big 12 team standings and automatically qualified UT for the NCAA Championships. Texas won the five races by an average of 25.576 seconds, including an average of 23.482 among the three NCAA Championships bound boats.
Texas' Third Eight took to the water and got out to a quick lead in the first 250 meters of the 2,000-meter course with a three-quarter boat length advantage. The Longhorns had open water by 500 meters and extended it to a full boat length of open water at the midway point. Texas pushing the lead wider throughout the reminder race, winning in 6:54.670, followed by Kansas at 7:17.774 and Alabama in 7:20.881.
The Second Varsity Four followed with a dominating performance, winning with a time of 7:29.734, over 34 seconds faster than runner-up Alabama (8:04.063) with Oklahoma (8:10.047) placing third.
Texas collected its next victory in the First Four, posting a time of 7:31.219 to top second-place finisher Alabama (7:54.922). Kansas State took third with a time of 8:02.905.
In the Second Eight, the Longhorns topped Tennessee by almost 23 seconds, crossing the line at 6:43.714 to the Volunteers 7:06.389. Alabama finished third with a time of 7:10.106.
The First Varsity Eight secured the sweep and the conference crown with a win in the final race of the morning, clocking a time of 6:29.543, while Tennessee and Alabama had a hard-fought battle for second with the Vols coming out in front 6:53.612 to 6:53.892.
A Look at the Longhorns
The defending national champion and seven-time defending Big 12 Conference champion Longhorns return four student-athletes who earned CRCA All-American recognition following last year's title run. Rowers Aspa Christodoulidis, Kaitlin Knifton, Francesca Raggi and coxswain Rachel Rane lead the way for Texas, as well as 2021 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Anna Jensen. All five were integral members of the Texas First Varsity Eight that powered past Stanford and Washington over the final 750 meters of the Grand Final to capture the first title in program history.
All told, 15 of the 20 rowers and all three coxswains who competed in the 2021 National Championship regatta are back in the fold.
Also returning from last year's champion First Eight boat are Lisa Gutfleisch and Susanna Temming, while returners from the Second Eight crew will be rowers Katelyn Bouthillette, Amber Harwood, Parker Illingworth, Hannah Medcalf, and Samantha Schalk and coxswain Elizabeth Romero. Back from the Four is coxswain Olivia Fogarty and rowers Marlowe Eldridge, Cassandre Korvink-Kucinski and Lanie Nitsch.
2022 Statistics
First Varsity Eight
- Record (overall races): 8-0
- Average margin of victory: 8.897 seconds
- Largest victory: 24.069 seconds (over Tennessee at the Big 12 Championship)
- Closest victory: 4.11 seconds (over Cal in heats of the Varsity Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational at the San Diego Crew Classic)
- Head-to-Head Record (vs. individual teams within races): 23-0
- vs. CRCA Top 20: 15-0
- vs. 2022 NCAA Championship Field: 14-0
Second Varsity Eight
- Record (overall races): 8-0
- Average margin of victory: 11.401 seconds
- Largest victory: 22.675 seconds (over Tennessee at the Big 12 Championship)
- Closest victory: 2.29 seconds (over Cal in the Jackie Ann Stitt Hungness Trophy Final at the San Diego Crew Classic)
- Head-to-Head Record (vs. individual teams within races): 29-0
- vs. CRCA Top 20: 15-0
- vs. 2022 NCAA Championship Field: 16-0
Varsity Four
- Record (overall races): 8-0
- Average margin of victory: 10.146
- Largest victory: 23.703 (over Alabama at the Big 12 Championships)
- Closest victory: 2.80 seconds (over Princeton)
- Head-to-Head Record (vs. individual teams within races): 26-0
- vs. CRCA Top 20: 13-0
- vs. 2022 NCAA Championship Field: 14-0
Big 12 Rower of the Year
Fran Raggi was named the Big 12 Rower of the Year, the sixth Longhorn to earn Big 12 Rower of the Year accolades. A three-time Big 12 champion and two-time All-Big 12 member, Raggi helped the Texas First Eight to an undefeated regular season and a victory at the Big 12 Championship. The Maitland, Fla. native rowed primarily at seven-seat and was a member of two Big 12 Boat of the Week honorees this season. Texas' 1V8 posted wins over nine ranked opponents with Raggi on board, including No. 4 Princeton and No. 5 Washington, and recorded a time of 6:10.29 at the Longhorn Invite. At the Big 12 Championship, she was part of the I Eight crew that recorded a 24-second winning time of 6:29.543.
All-Big 12 Honors
Aspa Christodoulidis led a total of six Longhorns named to the All-Big 12 team. Christodoulidis collected her third all-conference honor after previously earning the distinction in 2019 and 2021. Christodoulidis became the sixth Longhorn to garner at least three all-conference nods and the first since Ljiljana Josic (2017-19). Kate Knifton, Fran Raggi and coxswain Rachel Rane each earned their second all-conference honor after earning the accolade last season. Lisa Gutfleisch and Anna Jensen both collected all-conference honors for the first time. The Longhorns had six All-Big 12 honorees for the seventh consecutive championship regatta.
Big 12 Newcomer of the Year
Grace Holland was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, the fourth Longhorn to garner Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors. A native of Tauranga, New Zealand, Holland rowed primarily at six-seat on the Second Varsity Eight while also competing on the 1V8. She was at three-seat on the I Eight victory at No. 6 Michigan, which earned the crew Big 12 Boat of the Week. The freshman helped the II Eight to an undefeated season, including victories over five ranked opponents as well as the Big 12 Championship.
Big 12 Coach of the Year
Dave O'Neill was named Big 12 Coach of the Year for the sixth time in his seven seasons with the Longhorns. He led Texas to a seventh consecutive sweep in the Big 12 Championship and has held the number one position in the CRCA Coaches Poll throughout the season. The Longhorns swept their way to titles at the San Diego Crew Classic and the Longhorn Invite and the three championship boats (first varsity eight, second varsity eight, four) are unbeaten this season.
Texas in the Polls
The Longhorns opened the season as No. 1 in the 2022 Preseason Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Women's Rowing Poll and have maintained the position throughout the season. Texas claimed all 25 first-place votes in this week's rankings for the third-straight week and has held the top spot for 13 consecutive polls. Stanford is second in the poll and Yale is ranked third. Princeton and Brown round out the top five in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll Division I Rankings – Week 10 (May 18)
1. TEXAS (25)
2. Stanford
3. Brown
4. Yale
5. Princeton
6. Washington
7. Ohio State
8. Michigan
9. Virginia
10. California
11. Pennsylvania
12. SMU
13. Syracuse
14. Duke
15. Oregon State
16. Rutgers
17. Indiana
18. Southern California
19. Tennessee
20. Miami
Players Mentioned
