Women's Rowing: 2026 Year in Review

STANFORD, Calif.  – Stanford women’s rowing’s 2026 campaign continued its tradition of national dominance. The Cardinal posted its sixth consecutive top-two finish at the NCAA Championship regatta, headlined by its fourth straight national title in the Second Varsity Eight boat. Stanford also won its fifth consecutive conference title and second straight Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) team crown in back-to-back regatta sweeps, becoming the first ACC team since Virginia (2015–16) to sweep all races two years in a row.

Stanford wrapped the year with a runner-up team finish at the NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships at Lake Lanier. The highlight was the Second Varsity Eight’s fourth consecutive national title, achieved in record-setting fashion as Stanford crossed the finish line in 5:52.905, more than 18 seconds ahead of the previous record.

Stanford captured its fifth consecutive conference title on May 16, sweeping the 2026 ACC Women’s Rowing Championship at Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, N.C. The third varsity eight opened the day with a nearly nine-second victory over California. The second varsity four finished in 7:04.730, winning by 10.76 seconds ahead of Syracuse. The varsity four set a new ACC record in the heats (6:52.47), then earned a 12.1-second win over Virginia in the grand final. The second varsity eight posted another open-water win, topping Virginia by 5.72 seconds. The varsity eight sealed the sweep with a 5.15-second margin over Virginia.

Following their dominant performance, Stanford’s varsity eight crew was named ACC Crew of the Year. Farwell Family Director of Women’s Rowing Derek Byrnes received ACC Coach of the Year for the second straight year. Senior Annika Jeffery, juniors Célia Dupré and Matilda Drewett, and sophomore Ella Casano were named to the All-ACC First Team; senior Nora Goodwillie earned All-ACC Second Team honors.

Stanford athletes collected multiple national and conference honors: five earned All-ACC Rowing, five were CRCA/Pocock First-Team All-Americans, 19 were CRCA Scholar-Athletes, and 24 earned Academic All-ACC honors. For the sixth season in a row, a Cardinal was named Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as senior Carolyn Kennedy, coxswain of the NCAA-winning Second Varsity Eight, earned the ACC’s 2026 honor with a 3.952 GPA.

Two members earned the ACC’s Top Six for Service Award: Nora Goodwillie and Katherine Mote. Goodwillie led Student-Athletes for Sustainability, organizing workshops, clothing drives, and cleanups. Mote co-directed Stanford’s service-focused student-athlete group, supporting Team IMPACT and planning AB Trees for childhood literacy.

Stanford’s regular season featured dominance over top-ranked opponents. The Cardinal swept No. 4 Tennessee, posting decisive margins in five races. At the Big Ten Invitational, Stanford captured victories in nearly every NCAA Championships event, dropping only one race but sweeping the rest with double-digit margins, including wins over Michigan, Rutgers, and Washington. Facing No. 2 Texas at Redwood Shores, Stanford prevailed in three of four races, highlighted by a 12-second win in the second varsity four and narrow victories in the varsity four and eight. The regular season concluded with a sweep of No. 6 California at the Big Row, including an 18-second win in the second varsity eight. The Cardinal showcased depth and speed throughout, setting it up for its highly successful postseason run. 

With all but six rowers returning from the 2026 NCAA Championship lineup, Stanford is poised for another outstanding campaign in 2027, continuing its legacy of excellence on the water and in the classroom.

Awards and Honors

CRCA All-Americans

All-ACC

ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year

CRCA Scholar-Athlete

ACC Top Six for Service Award

All-ACC Academic Rowing Team