STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford women’s rowing regained its spot on the top of the collegiate rowing world in 2025, winning its fourth consecutive conference title, the first as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the program’s third NCAA team title guided by individual national championships from the varsity four and second varsity eight boats.
NCAA Champions Once Again
Stanford captured its third NCAA title in school history on June 1, highlighted by victories in the second varsity eight and varsity four crews in their respective Grand Finals as racing concluded at Mercer Lake.
Stanford, which also claimed NCAA championships in 2009 and 2023, put the finishing touches on an impressive season in which it lived up to its billing as the national championship favorite. The Cardinal totaled 129 points and showcased its superior depth, outlasting runner-up Yale (121) and third-place Texas (118).
Stanford's varsity eight clocked in at 6:08.336 thanks to a lineup of (Coxswain) Honor Warburg, (8) Luise Bachmann, (7) Célia Dupré, (6) Sarah Marriott, (5) Iris Klok, (4) Matilda Drewett, (3) Alice Baker, (2) Annika Jeffery and (1) Julietta Camahort. That runner-up finish sealed the NCAA title, with Yale (6:06.138) leading the way and Texas (6:09.848) placing third.
The Cardinal's second varsity eight crossed the line at 6:13.075 and boasted a lineup of (Coxswain) Abbey Heinemann, (8) Nora Goodwillie, (7) Sofia Simone, (6) Martha Shepherd, (5) Carly Brown, (4) Katherine Mote, (3) Lucy Burrell, (2) Fiona Mooney and (1) Madeleine Greenstock.
Stanford opened the morning with its first varsity four title in school history, checking in with a time of 6:56.532, featuring a lineup of (Coxswain) Ella Casano, (4) Julia Doss, (3) Ellie Sutro, (2) Quincy Stone and (1) Charlotte Jett.
The Cardinal's victories in the second varsity eight and varsity four increased Stanford’s all-time program total to seven individual NCAA champions, with the most recent being the second varsity eight in 2024.
Farwell Family Director of Women’s Rowing Derek Byrnes has led the women's rowing team to two NCAA titles (2025, 2023). He also guided the lightweight rowing program to national team crowns in 2015-16.
Cardinal Claims Fourth Consecutive Conference Title
No. 1 Stanford captured its fourth consecutive conference title on Saturday, May 17, sweeping the 2025 ACC Women’s Rowing Championship held on Lake Hartwell in Clemson, S.C.
The Cardinal became the first ACC team since 2021 to sweep all championship regatta races.
Stanford led the way with 132 points and was joined on the podium by No. 13 Virginia with 106 points and No. 11 Syracuse with 104 points. No. 9 California earned fourth place with 102 points, while No. 18 Duke (89 points), No. 24 North Carolina (68 points), Clemson (67 points), SMU (50 points), Notre Dame (50 points), Louisville (39 points), Miami (34 points), and Boston College (17 points) rounded out the standings.
Following their dominant performance, Stanford’s varsity eight crew was named ACC Crew of the Year. Sarah Marriott earned ACC Newcomer of the Year while Farwell Family Director of Women’s Rowing Derek Byrnes was named ACC Coach of the Year.
Seniors Luise Bachmann, Iris Klok, and sophomores Célia Dupré and Honor Warburg were named to the All-ACC First Team, while junior Alice Baker earned All-ACC Second Team honors.
Stanford’s championship run featured record-setting performances in four events: the first varsity four, second varsity four, first varsity eight, and second varsity eight. In each of these races, no competitor finished within five seconds of Stanford's winning time.
The third varsity eight opened the day with a decisive 5.593-second victory over Notre Dame, setting the tone for the regatta.
The second varsity four began the Cardinal’s record-breaking streak, finishing in 6:58.444, 7.310 seconds ahead of No. 9 California.
The first varsity four and second varsity eight followed with victories of 5.980 and 6.350 seconds, respectively.
The first varsity eight sealed the sweep with a commanding 9.573-second margin over No. 13 Virginia.
Coaching Prowess Celebrated Nationally
Farwell Director of Women’s Rowing Derek Byrnes and his staff racked up the coaching honors after the program’s second national title in three seasons. The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association named Byrnes the Region 3 Coach of the Year while selecting Alben Family Associate Head Coach Molly Hamrick and assistant coaches Antonella Kugler, Molly Milligan, and Maegan Neihart as the Region 3 Staff of the Year and Division I Staff of the Year.
Eight Consecutive Season Boasting Five CRCA First Team All-Americans
For the seventh consecutive season, five Cardinal women's rowers have been named 2024 CRCA All-America Athletes, the College Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) announced Friday. Luise Bachmann, Matilda Drewett, Célia Dupré, Iris Klok, and Honor Warburg each earned first-team All-America honors. It marks the fourth time in program history Stanford has placed five rowers on the first team. Bachmann became a three-time All-American, joining an elite group of just eight Cardinal rowers to achieve the honor three or more times. Klok and Dupré earned their second career selections, while Drewett and Warburg were honored for the first time. All five rowed in Stanford’s varsity eight, which finished as the national runner-up and was named the ACC Crew of the Year following its dominant record-setting performance at the conference championship.
Regular-Season Dominance
Stanford's spring regular season was one of its most dominant in recent history. All NCAA Championship boats finished undefeated in the 2025 regular season, including a victory at then-No. 1 Texas back on April 26 in which the Cardinal recorded winning margins of at least five seconds in each NCAA Championships scoring race.
Other highlights from the regular season included a season-opening sweep of then-No. 3 Tennessee on the Vols’ home racing course and impressive race victories over ACC foes then-No. 10 Virginia and then-No. 11 Syracuse at Redwood Shores.
Excelling On The Water and In The Classroom
The Cardinal’s 2025 season was capped off with academic honors for Stanford’s rowers. 20 members of the program were named National Scholar-Athletes, excelling both on the water and in the classroom.
In order to qualify for the honor, athletes needed to maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher, be of at least sophomore standing academically, and row in an NCAA or IRA boat for a minimum of 75 percent of the season's races or must have competed in an NCAA boat at their conference championship.
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English |
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Economics |
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Senior rower Luise Bachmann was named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honoree in the at-large division, honoring athletes in 22 NCAA sports for their work in the classroom, in addition to on their respective playing surfaces.
After a legacy-defining 2025 season, the future looks bright for Stanford women’s rowing with 18 members of this year’s NCAA boats returning to The Farm for the 2026 season. The Cardinal also welcomes a class of 14 incoming freshmen that includes five international transplants and nine U.S.-based rowers.