The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Rowing’s Searle named CRCA Athlete of the Year finalist
06.10.2026 | Rowing
It marks the third-consecutive year Texas has had a finalist for the award.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Rowing junior Lucy Searle was named one of four Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association's (CRCA) Athlete of the Year finalists, the organization announced Wednesday.
A two-time CRCA First-Team All-American, Searle powered Texas' First Varsity Eight to an individual title while helping clinch the program's fourth overall NCAA Championship at Lake Lanier Olympic Park on May 31. Searle also garnered All-SEC selection and was tabbed SEC Rower of the Week on May 1.
"While Lucy was in our First Eight last year, she may have been the team's most improved athlete and was terrific in every aspect of being an outstanding athlete," Texas head coach Dave O'Neill said. "Lucy became one of the team's top technical rower's, and she established a new team record on the C2 erg despite being somewhat undersized. A relentless competitor, Lucy was persistent and positive throughout the spring racing, and her ability to lift and lead her teammates was noticed by the entire team and staff. There's no way we would have finished the way we without the leadership and ability of Lucy Searle."
With the help of Searle, the 1V8 threw down an unofficial world-record time of 5:47.706 to win gold and clinch the NCAA Championship for the Longhorns. It was the fourth national title victory by the I Eight in program history and first since 2024. Texas edged out second-place Stanford (5:50.160), third-place Tennessee (5:51.450), fourth-place Virginia (5:52.398), fifth-place Yale (5:53.412) and sixth-place Princeton (6:00.056).
With Searle being named a finalist for CRCA Athlete of the Year, it marks the third-consecutive year in which Texas has had a finalist for the award. Marg van der Wal was selected as a finalist for the award in 2025 and Anna Jensen became the second Longhorn to win the award in 2024. Anna Jensen (2024) and Francesca Raggi (2022) have taken home the award.
Stanford's Annika Jeffery, Tennessee's Meg Flanagan and Washington's Aisha Rocek join Searle as finalists for this year's award.
Texas is just the second program all-time to win four titles in a six-year span, joining Brown from 1999-2004. The four national championships moves Texas into a tie for third-most all-time behind only Brown with seven and Washington with five, and equal with Cal.
The Horns have recorded a top-eight result in each of the previous 11 national regattas, including a top-four finish in each of the last nine national championships. It is the second time overall and first since 2024 that Texas has won two events at the same national championship.
The Longhorns' 130 points at this year's national regatta was well ahead of runner-up Stanford, who tallied 125 points. Tennessee finished third with 119 points followed by fourth-place Virginia (114 points), fifth-place Yale (103 points), sixth-place Princeton (100 points), seventh-place Washington (100 points), eighth-place California (89 points), ninth-place Syracuse (80 points) and 10th-place Brown (77 points) to round out the top 10.
Not only did the 130-point total match the UT program record from 2024, but it is also tied for third among all teams since 2013 when the current scoring system was established. It trails only the 132 points scored by Washington in 2017 and 2019, while Cal also scored 130 points in 2018 as part of the tie for third.
