It was a memorable weekend for the Massachusetts rowing team, as it completed an outstanding run by sweeping all five events in the Minutewomen’s first-ever Mid-American Conference Championships on Ford Lake in Michigan.
UMass earned its first conference title and qualified for the upcoming NCAA Championships, set to take place in less than three weeks. Sunday’s conference title is the teams first since 2017 and the 17th conference title in program history.
Despite facing multiple interruptions throughout the day due to heavy storms and two lightning pauses, the Minutewomen crew finished first in all grand finals races in a competition hosted by Eastern Michigan.
UMass’ effort earned them a total of 48 points, leaving their closest competitors, Delaware and Temple, behind at 39 and 38 points, respectively. Rounding out the rest of the rankings were High Point, Eastern Michigan and Toledo. Each team ended the championship with 29, 26 and 18 points, respectively.
The closest race of the day came in the third varsity eight, where coxswain Mia Bierowski guided the Minutewomen to a narrow but decisive victory. UMass crossed the finish line in 6:57.0, edging the Eagles by less than two seconds after Eastern Michigan posted a time of 6:58.8. The race showcased the composure and resilience of the Minutewomen crew under pressure, especially after weather interruptions repeatedly disrupted the flow of the regatta.
UMass’ varsity eight delivered another standout performance in what became the first race contested after the initial lightning delay. Led by coxswain Amanda Scally, the Minutewomen surged down the course in 6:37.5 to hold off a strong push from the Rockets, which finished in 6:40.8. The victory set the tone for the remainder of the championships and reinforced their status as the top crew throughout the day.
Another gold medal was won by the second varsity eight because of the impressive last-minute drive led by coxswain AJ Prahl. The team managed to get ahead during the second half of the race and won with a time of 6:49.2, leaving the Blue Hens in second place with a time of 6:52.9 and the Owls behind in third finishing in 6:56.1. This race showed great endurance and coordination on behalf of the team.
The varsity four had their turn to prove themselves once more after the lightning delay. Under the guidance of the coxswain Meghan O’Hern, the crew was able to score a win in this race as well. UMass finished with the time of 7:25.7, which gave them a more than five-second advantage over the second-place finisher, Delaware (7:32.4). High Point finished third behind the Minutewomen in 7:35.6.
Varsity four number two also clinched the title in style. With Sara Lavigna leading the way, UMass won the race in 7:33.0 and made sure that no one could catch up with them. Temple came in second place with its time of 7:40.7.
With their win in the conference championship, the Minutewomen earned the spot in the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Championship held May 29–31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Ga.
In the tournament, UMass will be competing against 21 schools in the country, along with the other conference winners and at-large selections. Those at-large selections will be announced during the NCAA selection show on May 19. The show can be streamed live on the NCAA website at 5 p.m.
Olivia Thibodeaux can be reached at [email protected].
