RALEIGH, N.C. (theACC.com) – Winning all five Grand Finals, Stanford tallied 132 points and claimed its second straight ACC Rowing Championship Saturday, May 16, at Lake Wheeler.
The Cardinal swept all five races for the second consecutive season, earning the maximum 132 points for the Championship. Stanford opened the day with a win by more than eight seconds in the Third Varsity Eight, crossing the line at 6:31.160 ahead of second-place California. Stanford’s winning ways continued in the Second Varsity Four, posting a time of 7:04.730, more than 10 seconds ahead of second-place Syracuse.
In the NCAA boats, the Stanford Varsity Four cruised to a win, finishing at 7:00.490, more than 12 seconds ahead of Virginia, which finished second. The Stanford Second Varsity Eight continued the trend by fending off second-place Virginia by over five seconds.
The Stanford Varsity Eight, which was later named ACC Crew of the Year for the second straight year, raced past the field and finished at 6:10.230. Virginia (6:15.380) placed second and California (6:19.390) finished third.
In the final team standings, Virginia finished as the runner-up for the third consecutive season with 118 points. California turned in its best performance at the ACC Championship, claiming third with 108 points, while Syracuse landed in fourth with 103 points.
Miami (77 points) finished fifth, North Carolina (75) placed sixth and Duke (69) claimed seventh. For the second straight season, SMU (47) finished in eighth place, while Notre Dame (37 – 9th), Louisville (35 – 10th), Clemson (29 – 11th) and Boston College (25 – 12th) rounded out the field.
In addition to the Stanford V8 winning Crew of the Year, Stanford head coach Derek Byrnes was named ACC Coach of the Year, while Virginia’s Georgia Allen was named the ACC Newcomer of the Year.
With the victory, Stanford claims the ACC’s automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Championship. Other teams will await the NCAA Selections announcement on Tuesday, May 19, at 5 p.m. ET to learn whether their seasons will continue. The 2026 NCAA Championship will be held May 29–31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia.
Team Scores
1. Stanford – 132
2. Virginia – 118
3. California – 108
4. Syracuse – 103
5. Miami – 77
6. North Carolina – 75
7. Duke – 69
8. SMU – 47
9. Notre Dame – 37
10. Louisville – 35
11. Clemson – 29
12. Boston College – 25
2026 All-ACC Rowing Awards
ACC Coach of the Year: Derek Byrnes, Stanford
ACC Newcomer of the Year: Georgia Allen, Virginia
ACC Crew of the Year: Stanford Varsity Eight (Coxswain: Ella Casano, Nora Goodwillie, Celia Dupre, Matilda Drewett, Emma Bagrie, Claire Van Praagh, Charlotte Jett, Annika Jeffery, Quincy Stone)
2026 All-ACC Rowing Team
First Team
Ella Casano, Stanford
Annika Jeffery, Stanford
Matilda Drewett, Stanford
Celia Dupre, Stanford
Elsa Hartman, Virginia
Flynn Greene, Virginia
Paula Lutz, Virginia
Ella Wheeler, California
Ellie-Kate Hutchinson, Syracuse
Second Team
Brie Joe, Virginia
Nora Goodwillie, Stanford
Minou Bouman, California
Olivia Roth, California
Acorn Cassidy, Syracuse
Katia Ustiuzhanina, Syracuse
Naroa Zubimendi Varela, Miami
Carmen Sagues, North Carolina
Chloe Zollman, Duke
Third Team
Kira Obsitnik, California
Jovana Stanivuk, Miami
Maya Schultz, North Carolina
Lena Mills, Duke
Kate Kulig, SMU
Emma Hopsicker, Notre Dame
Macy Whisenand, Louisville
Rose Imbesi, Clemson
Lauren Bauer, Boston College