SARASOTA, Fla. – Stanford women's rowing finished second in all three grand finals on Sunday to post a second-place team finish at the 2021 NCAA Championships. Stanford's 126 points tied for the national title with both Texas and Washington, and the Cardinal finishes second overall based on the finish in the varsity eight.
The second-place team finish is the best for Stanford since also finishing second in 2011. The varsity eight last took second in 2017 while the varsity four has crossed the line in second in each of the last two championship regattas. The second varsity posted its best finish since winning the race in 2011.
The varsity four opened the morning with a second-place finish, as the Cardinal's push to the finish came up just short. Stanford trailed Washington by three seconds with 500 meters to go, but the comeback ran out of water. Stanford closed the gap to just 1.1 seconds at the finish line with a time of 7:03.2.
The second varsity also finished second, trailing the Huskies at the finish line by 1.2 seconds. Stanford led for a majority of the race, and by as much as three seconds at the course's midpoint, but the Huskies responded to take the win over the final meters.
After a two-hour lightning delay, the varsity eight joined their teammates with a second-place result. Stanford led by 0.4 seconds with 500 meters to go, but Texas closed with a burst of energy over the final stretch to edge the Cardinal.
Boatings
V8 – Nicole Pofcher (Cox), Kelsey McGinley (8), Annabelle Bachmann (7), Esther Briz Zamorano (6), Kaitlyn Kynast (5), Grace McGinley (4), Azja Czajkowski (3), Katelin Gildersleeve (2), Meg Saunders (1)
2V8 – Tassica Lim (Cox), Belle Battistoni (8), Julia Braz (7), Mathilda Kitzmann (6), Beckie Leigh (5), Taylor English (4), Sarah Ondak (3), Sophie Dixon (2), Sarah Commesso (1)
V4 – Rachel Miller (Cox), Kylie Oakes (4), Abby Tarquinio (3), Lucy Black (2), Sophia Lynn (1)
Results
V8 – Grand Final
1. Texas – 6:17.3
2. Stanford – 6:18.8
3. Washington – 6:21.7
4. Michigan – 6:23.4
5. Rutgers – 6:27.6
6. Virginia – 6:30.1
2V8 – Grand Final
1. Washington – 6:23.2
2. Stanford – 6:24.4
3. Texas – 6:29.0
4. Ohio State – 6:32.0
5. Virginia – 6:33.2
6. Michigan – 6:36.3
V4 – Grand Final
1. Washington – 7:02.1
2. Stanford – 7:03.2
3. Texas – 7:07.1
4. Virginia – 7:09.1
5. Ohio State – 7:14.2
6. Michigan – 7:15.7