No. 10 California women's rowing made a strong impression on the first day of the San Diego Crew Classic, competing against top-5 teams Texas and Washington. The Bears finished second or third in all five preliminary races, showcasing their competitiveness. The highlight was the top varsity eight's close finish, where Cal narrowly missed first place behind Washington by just over a second. They aim to build on this performance in the grand finals on Sunday morning.

By the Numbers
  • Cal's top varsity eight finished with a time of 6:36.847, just behind Washington鈥檚 6:35.693.
  • In the 2V8+, Cal finished in 7:04.622, three seconds behind Washington's 7:00.571.
State of Play
  • Cal's 3V8+ secured second place with a final time of 7:24.513, pulling ahead of Washington in the final stretch.
  • The competitiveness within the races indicated Cal's strong positioning among elite teams, keeping pace with Washington and Texas.
What's Next

The Bears will return Sunday at 9:23 a.m. PT for the grand finals, where they will seek to improve upon their preliminary performances and challenge for top honors against formidable opponents.

Bottom Line

California's performance at the Crew Classic highlights their capability to compete against elite rowing programs, setting the stage for an exciting showing in the finals. Maintaining this momentum could signal an important turning point for the season.