The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
#13 Michigan
No. 1 Rowing sweeps four races against No. 13 Michigan
04.12.2025 | Rowing
The Longhorns swept Michigan for the third-straight year.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 1 Texas Rowing had four boats earn victories against No. 13 Michigan at Lady Bird Lake Saturday morning. It marks the third-consecutive year the Longhorns have swept the Wolverines.
It was a beautiful morning with calm waters and perfect racing conditions along the 2,000-meter course.
"It was a great morning in every aspect. Beautiful weather, perfect water, and, most importantly, our crews raced very well," head coach Dave O'Neill said. "Michigan is always one of the better programs in the country, so to come away with four wins means a lot. The First Eight keeps getting better, and they still have room for improvement. I was particularly impressed with the length and power from the middle of the boat. It's really great to have such power and flow from Abby Dawson, Phoebe Wise, Allie Alton and Marg Van der Wal. It's fun to watch them go."
Prior to the action between Texas and Michigan, the Longhorns had an Exhibition Eight crew of Allyson Stresow (Cox), Addie Hensley, Elliana Krone, Stella Roffers, Belle Nenadov, Malia Thompson, Reagan Whitehouse, Emery Jones and Grace Muir take on the Texas Rowing Center's Women's Masters crew. The Longhorns won in 6:58.377 while the TRC finished behind in 7:24.293.
Texas picked up their first win vs. Michigan after the UT I Four cruised to an open-water victory in 7:04.062 while the Wolverines finished in 7:12.190. The Longhorns took advantage of calm waters, struck an early lead and never looked back.
"We expected the Four to be a tight race, and they were definitely challenged early. It was the first race for Daniela Thiermann in an NCAA event, and she did a great job at stroke. I've been also impressed with Holly Davis and Amelia Gleed this week. They've shown they can be successful regardless of the situation, and that means a lot."
Texas followed that with another commanding victory, this time by the Texas Second Varsity Eight. Texas clocked in at a blistering 6:20.030, beating Michigan by over 12 seconds. The Wolverines crossed the finish line in 6:32.278.
"This revamped Second Eight has been hitting some fast projections this past week and very well in that regard this morning. Savvy Jerome switched sides, and adding Ellie Rodriguez and Lucy McFarlane seems to have a positive effect."
In the I Eight, Texas dismantled Michigan after registering a final time of 6:11.924 in the open-water victory. The Wolverines finished in 6:19.132. With Imy Grey and Ilva Boone a part of the Texas First Varsity Eight crew, it marks the first time UT has had two freshmen in the I Eight since 2019.
The Texas II Four poured it on in the final race of the day to secure the sweep over the Wolverines. Despite finding themselves behind Michigan for the first part of the race, Texas clawed back and finished in 7:06.594 for an open-water dub while Michigan punched in a final time of 7:14.655. It was the first race of the season for the II Four.
"The Second Four faced a big-time challenge in the first half of the race. They were down by half a length, but they stayed calm throughout for a fantastic result. Katelyn Semien was outstanding at the stroke seat by setting a calm, powerful rhythm for the others to follow."
Texas' First Eight (two races), Second Eight (two races) and Second Four (one race) are unbeaten this year.
"There were a number of positives from today including the event itself. It seems like it was a good experience for all, and we're looking forward to the Longhorn Invite in two weeks. That should be a great morning with some fantastic racing."
Next up, Texas hosts the Longhorn Invite on April 25-26 at Lake Walter E. Long in Austin, Texas. The stacked competition field includes the Canadian National Team, No. 2 Stanford, No. 15 Central Florida, No. 20 Oklahoma and SMU, respectively. More information on the schedule and start times will be released later.
Lineups
I Eight: Amy Werner (Cox), Sue Holderness, Ilva Boone, Marg Van der Wal, Allie Alton, Phoebe Wise, Abby Dawson, Lucy Searle and Imy Grey.
II Eight: Emma Williams (Cox), Rhiannon Luke, Paula Becher, Phoebe Robinson, Taryn Kooyers, Savvy Jerome, Lucy McFarlane, Anna Garrison and Ellie Rodriguez.
I Four: Paris West (Cox), Daniela Thiermann, Katherine Nordheim, Amelia Gleed and Holly Davis.
II Four: Evelyn Orsic (Cox), Katelyn Semien, Salma Dessouky, Jess Colbran and Harriet Wallace.
Exhibition Eight: Allyson Stresow (Cox), Addie Hensley, Elliana Krone, Stella Roffers, Belle Nenadov, Malia Thompson, Reagan Whitehouse, Emery Jones and Grace Muir.
Players Mentioned
