The No. 8 California women's rowing team faced challenging conditions during the opening day of the NCAA Championships in Gainesville, Georgia. Competing twice in one day due to inclement weather, the team saw their first and second varsity eights and first varsity four advance to the A/B semifinals by placing in the top three of their heats. However, both the first varsity eight and the first varsity four finished fourth in their semifinals, narrowly missing the grand finals. The second varsity four also encountered difficulties, finishing fifth in their semifinal. Sunday's finals are set to feature Cal's crews in petite finals.

By the Numbers
  • First varsity eight finished second in its heat with a time of 6:02.932, five seconds ahead of third place Ohio State.
  • First varsity four took second in its heat at 6:50.488, just ahead of Yale.
  • Second varsity eight secured third place in its heat with a time of 6:12.201.
State of Play
  • Both varsity eights and first varsity four advanced to A/B semifinals but fell short of grand finals.
  • The second varsity eight and second varsity four faced challenges in semifinals, finishing fifth in their respective races.
What's Next

Upcoming petite finals will see California compete against teams such as Miami, Princeton, and Brown, with a chance to redeem themselves after semifinal setbacks.

Bottom Line

Despite missed opportunities in semifinals, Cal's strong heat performances indicate potential for success in the upcoming petite finals, making this a pivotal moment for the team to showcase their skills.