Top ranked Golden Bears have done it. For the first time since 2006, the Golden Bears are National Champions!
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS! pic.twitter.com/c1hKO1iG5u
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
It was a fairly dominant showing by the Bears in terms of the final points total, although the margins of the victories are rather slim.
It's a good day to be a Golden Bear #NCAARow pic.twitter.com/6cms6fpMha
— RowingRelated (@rowingrelated) May 29, 2016
Gold River (near Sacrament) is Bear Territory! FYI, next year's NCAA women's rowing championship will take place from New Jersey.
Sacramento is Bear Territory! @CalWCrew knows it & tells the story as they get their National Championship Trophies! pic.twitter.com/NVpLhF2D56
— Leslie Mitchell (@Lesmitch529) May 29, 2016
The women of @CalWCrew accept their NCAA Championship trophy!
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 29, 2016
Well done, ladies! #BackThePachttps://t.co/W21hldX47E
Check out the livethread for the event.
Bears won the Varsity 4 (V4) and 2nd Varsity 8 (2V8) races to open the day.
The V4 are National Champions! Earning 22 points to the team score, #gobears pic.twitter.com/9mmoSk0kOH
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
Bears won V4 with a time of 07:08.410. Washington jumped out to a big lead but the Bears stayed with the Huskies and pulled ahead via a late sprint in the last 500 meters.
V4 Grand Final Official Results:
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
1. Cal 07:08.410
2. Washington 07:09.203
3. Virginia 07:12.071
4. Stanfurd
5. Ohio State
6. Michigan
*****
The 2V8 are National Champions! Earning 44 points to the team total, #GOBEARS! pic.twitter.com/Q2QeV7pZ9H
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
In another very close contest, the Bears won 2V8 with a time of 06:28.064, just ahead of Ohio State's 06:28.900. The Buckeyes were pushing hard late, but the Golden Bears held on for the Gold.
*****
While the Bears didn't make history as the first program to win all three races on the weekend, the Bears fend off Stanfurd for 2nd place to become team National Champions. Bears' 06:21.111 was not good enough to catch Ohio State's 06:19.035. There would be no 4-peat for Ohio State, who did nonetheless repeat as Varsity 8 (V8) champs. Cal did manage to stay ahead of Stanfurd, however, who finished with a time of 06:22.167 in 3rd. Stanfurd had bested the Bears in The Big Row V8 race, but the Bears were faster at the Pac-12 championships.
In the end, the Golden Bears prevailed 129 to 126 over the Ohio State.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! Cal takes the team title for the third time in program history 129-126 over Ohio State! #GoBears
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
The Cal boat rosters are the following:
V8:
Second place in the varsity eight! pic.twitter.com/i2Y1MwkrKy
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
Hannah Christopher (Cox),
Kendall Chase (8),
Rowan McKellar (7),
Inger Kavlie (6),
Dorothee Beckendorff (5),
Charlotte Siering (4),
Mia Croonquist (3),
Jacinta Edmunds (2),
Julia Vander Hoeven (1).
Cal's Varsity 8 receive their 2nd place trophies. @CalWCrew #GoBears pic.twitter.com/0RfCS1Qi1P
— Leslie Mitchell (@Lesmitch529) May 29, 2016
2V8:
Your second varsity eight National Champions!! pic.twitter.com/hkWl3IqnOZ
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
Rachel Lether (Cox),
Charlotte Wesselmann (8),
Roisin Duffy (7),
Sydney Payne (6),
Dana Moffat (5),
Ellen Heile (4),
Charlotte Passot (3),
Katherine Kelly (2),
Sarah Schwartz (1).
Cal's 2V8 receive their National Championship Trophies! @CalWCrew #GoBears pic.twitter.com/bUqJV5QuDu
— Leslie Mitchell (@Lesmitch529) May 29, 2016
V4:
Your varsity four National Champions! pic.twitter.com/xmWfnrjvHZ
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
Riley Brown (Cox),
Eleanor Howe (4),
Hunter Deuel (3),
Kendall Ritter (2),
Francis Wood (1).
Cal's Varsity 4 receive their National Championship Trophies. @CalWCrew #GoBears pic.twitter.com/4BxvByR3zz
— Leslie Mitchell (@Lesmitch529) May 29, 2016
ROW ON YOU BEARS!
Cal Women's Crew captured their 4th national championships in program history, according to CalBears.com. The 1980 championship is awarded by National Women's Rowing Association before crew became a NCAA sport. Bears won back-to-back championships in 2005 and 2006.
In the 2015-16 school year, this was Cal's 3rd team national championships - after the ITA Indoors title by Cal Women's Tennis and the Varsity Cup national championship won by Cal Rugby. This is the Golden Bears' 1st NCAA team championship since the Missy Franklin led Cal Women's Swimming and Diving won the NCAA crown last spring.
This (winning a national championship) was fun, Golden Bears have good shots to take home two more national championships next weekend: the Men's Crew (IRA championship) and Men's Rugby 7s (Collegiate Rugby Championship). If things do go according to plan, I will be on hand to report back for both events.
One final 'GO BEARS!' pic.twitter.com/Fec4qvMz1D
— Cal Women's Crew (@CalWCrew) May 29, 2016
GO BEARS!