Virginia was named one of 22 schools to compete at the 2026 NCAA Rowing Championships, according to a May 19 announcement. The national regatta is scheduled for May 29-31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by Lake Lanier Olympic Park and the University of North Georgia.
The selection follows Virginia’s second-place finish at the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship on May 16. The Cavaliers secured runner-up positions in the Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight, and Varsity Four races, finishing behind two-time ACC champion Stanford.
Head coach Wesley Ng said, “The ACC Championships showcased the depth and speed of our conference, and I’m proud of the way our team prepared and competed. Our Varsity Eight flipped the script and exceeded our seed while also narrowing the gap to one of the top crews in the country. They also demonstrated composure in overcoming unique challenges this weekend.” Ng added, “Our 2V8+ and V4+ also beat their seed and earned hard-fought silver medals with lineups that blended youth and experience. Our 3V8+ had the race of the regatta and engaged in a fierce three-way battle and secured bronze just .03 seconds behind silver. Our 2V4+ fought to a determined fourth-place finish, and I know that experience will help drive their growth moving forward.” He continued by saying, “Having 35 of our 40 athletes leave Lake Wheeler with medals highlights the collective preparation of our entire program. Our assistant coaches did a superlative job preparing their crews and we’re grateful for the support surrounding Virginia Rowing. I know the team is excited to be in a position to earn an NCAA bid and that there is still more speed to discover in the next two weeks.”
Several Virginia athletes received honors following their performance: Elsa Hartman, Flynn Greene, and Paula Lutz were named All-ACC First Team; coxswain Brie Joe was named All-ACC Second Team for her second consecutive season; Georgia Allen earned ACC Newcomer of the Year.
In recent years at national competitions, Virginia placed tenth at last year’s NCAA Rowing Championships with its Second Varsity Eight finishing sixth overall.
Looking ahead to late May’s championships at Lake Lanier Olympic Park, Virginia enters seeded No. 6 in Varsity Eight, No. 3 in Second Varsity Eight, and No. 6 in Varsity Four.
