STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford lightweight rowing captured its fourth consecutive Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) team championship in 2018, capping another successful season on The Farm.
FOUR-PEAT COMPLETE
The Intercollegiate Rowing Association awarded the team points trophy to Stanford on June 19th, giving the Cardinal its fourth consecutive team championship. The Cardinal had already captured the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders Trophy, acknowledging the national champion of the lightweight eight on June 3. The championship regatta was cut short earlier in the month due to deteriorating weather conditions.
The IRA Board of Stewards on Tuesday determined that, since all seven boats competed in the lightweight four heat race on Saturday, June 2, the race met the criteria needed to award medals. Stanford won the lightweight four, capturing the race by more than 10 seconds over Wisconsin, and is thus the lightweight four national champion.
Based on the results of the lightweight eight and the lightweight four races, Stanford accrued 70 total points. With a lead greater than 12 points, through the lightweight eight and four titles, the IRA determined that Stanford's point total was insurmountable and awarded the Cardinal the team points trophy.
Stanford's fourth consecutive team title is also its eighth all-time. The Cardinal owns the most women's lightweight rowing national team championships in the history of the sport.
VARSITY EIGHT CLAIMS CROWN
The Cardinal eight captured its eighth Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders Trophy in the last nine years, winning the crown both years under head coach Kate Bertko. Stanford is the all-time leader in IRA lightweight eight championships with eight. Wisconsin is second with five.
"I am extremely proud of our team," said head coach Kate Bertko. "They have worked so hard all season and had an amazing fight today. It was great to see the eight work hard the entire race and celebrate at the finish. I am happy for our seniors to finish their careers with another trophy. Their accomplishments are truly remarkable and they will be deeply missed."
VARSITY FOUR NAMED CHAMPS
Stanford's varsity four boat was also awarded an IRA championship along with the team title. With the boat securing the title, Stanford owns the varsity four title in back-to-back seasons and three of the last four titles.
BACK-TO-BACK FOR BERTKO
In her second year on The Farm, Bertko has tallied two national team titles, two IRA titles for the varsity eight, and earned her second straight IRA National Coach of the Year honor.
Bertko, one of the United States' most decorated lightweight rowers and a 2016 Olympian, completed her second season as head coach of the Cardinal lightweight rowing program in 2018. A seven-year member of the National Team, she was named the 2013 USRowing Female Athlete of the Year.
WIRA TITLE DEFENDED
Stanford's top-ranked varsity eight boat repeated as Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Champions on April 29, winning the Varsity 8+ Grand Final to highlight a weekend of racing at Lake Natoma in Gold River, California.
Stanford defended its Grand Final title in the varsity eight by over five seconds, after winning last year's competition over both San Diego State and Loyola Marymount, with all three boats finishing in the same order as last year's race.
Stanford's second varsity eight also captured a title that weekend, winning the Junior Varsity 8+ Grand Final by almost eight seconds. The Cardinal raced to a 6:51.592, outpacing Sacramento State's time of 6:59.534. San Diego state placed third in the Grand Final with a time of 7:02.502.
CHAMPIONS IN THE CLASSROOM
10 student-athletes were named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) National Scholar-Athletes for Stanford lightweight rowing, a distinction that honors student-athletes with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher for their careers.
Stanford's honorees included Shea Cours (Psychology), Samantha Dore (Political Science), Isabella Garcia-Camargo (Computer Science), Keagan Hanley (International Relations), Serena Harber (Human Biology), Taylor Harris (Biomechanical Engineering), Hannah Levy (Psychology), Laura Stickells (Communications), Allison Tielking (Computer Science), and Micah Trautwein (Human Biology).
