CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 8 Virginia used three second-place finishes to place second overall at the 2026 ACC Rowing Championship on Saturday (May 16) on Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, N.C.
Virginia placed second in the Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four, third in the Third Varsity Eight and fourth in the Second Varsity Four to secure its third consecutive runner-up finish at the ACC Championship.
"The ACC Championships showcased the depth and speed of our conference, and I’m proud of the way our team prepared and competed," Virginia head coach Wesley Ng said. "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."
No. 3 Stanford won its first ACC Championship with 132 points. Virginia finished second with 118 points followed by California (108), Syracuse (103), Miami (77), North Carolina (75), Duke (69), SMU (47), Notre Dame (37), Louisville (35), Clemson (29) and Boston College (25).
Stanford dominated the championship by winning all five events for the second straight year. The Cardinal topped the Cavaliers in the premier race, the Varsity Eight, with a time of 6:10.230. UVA turned in an outstanding second-place finish with a time of 6:15.380 to secure second in the team standings. California (6:19.390) finished third followed by Syracuse (6:19.830), Miami (6:26.650) and Duke (6:33.260).
UVA’s Second Varsity Eight raced to the runner-up finish behind Stanford 6:17.090-6:22.810. Syracuse placed third at 6:27.260 followed by California, (6:32.020), Miami (6:32.990) and Duke (6:41.390).
The Cavaliers’ Varsity Four placed second behind Stanford (7:00.490) with a time of 7:12.590. California (7:14.690) finished third followed by Syracuse (7:17.650), North Carolina (7:28.090) and Notre Dame (7:31.570).
UVA’s Third Varsity Eight finished third behind Stanford (6:31.160) and California (6:40.010). North Carolina (6:40.500), Syracuse (6:44.960) and Miami (6:59.560) rounded out the top six.
The Cavaliers’ Second Varsity Four placed fourth. Stanford (7:04.730) won the race followed by Syracuse (7:15.490), California (7:18.320) Virginia (7:19.550), North Carolina (7:29.800) and Notre Dame (7:40.610).
"Our 2V8+ and V4+ also beat their seed and earned hard-fought silver medals with lineups that blended youth and experience," Ng added. "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."
Virginia’s Elsa Hartman, Flynn Greene and Paula Lutz were named All-ACC First Team, while coxswain Brie Joe was named to the second team for the second consecutive season. UVA’s Georgia Allen earned ACC Newcomer of the Year honors.
The NCAA Rowing Championships are set for May 29-31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, hosted by Lake Lanier Olympic Park and University of North Georgia. The NCAA DI Rowing Selection Show is set for Tuesday, May 20 at 5 p.m. on NCAA.com.
"Having 35 of our 40 athletes leave Lake Wheeler with medals highlights the collective preparation of our entire program," Ng said. "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."
2026 All-ACC Rowing Team
ACC Coach of the Year: Derek Byrnes, Stanford
ACC Newcomer of the Year: Georgia Allen, Virginia
ACC Crew of the Year: Stanford Varsity Eight
First Team
Ella Casano, Stanford, Coxswain
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, Coxswain
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
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
Third Varsity Eight Grand Final
1. Stanford, 6:31.160, 2. California, 6:40.010, 3. Virginia, 6:40.040, 4. North Carolina, 6:40.500, 5. Syracuse, 6:44.960, 6. Miami, 6:59.560
Second Varsity Four Grand Final
1. Stanford, 7:04.730, 2. Syracuse, 7:15.490, 3. California, 7:18.320, 4. Virginia, 7:19.550, 5. North Carolina, 7:29.800, 6. Notre Dame, 7:40.610
Varsity Four Grand Final
1. Stanford, 7:00.490, 2. Virginia, 7:12.590, 3. California, 7:14.690, 4. Syracuse, 7:17.650. 5. North Carolina, 7:28.090, 6. Notre Dame, 7:31.570
Second Varsity Eight Grand Final
1. Stanford, 6:17.090, 2. Virginia, 6:22.810, 3. Syracuse, 6:27.260, 4. California, 6:32.020, 5. Miami, 6:32.990, 6. Duke, 6:41.390
Varsity Eight Grand Final
1. Stanford, 6:10.230, 2. Virginia, 6:15.380, 3. California, 6:19.390, 4. Syracuse, 6:19.830, 5. Miami, 6:26.650, 6. Duke, 6:33.260
Virginia Lineups
Varsity Eight: Coxswain: Brie Joe*, Stroke: Paula Lutz, 7-seat: Skylar Morrison, 6-seat: Elsa Hartman, 5-seat: Flynn Greene, 4-seat: PJ Balazy, 3-seat: Riley Richardson*, 2-seat: Madeleine Agudelo and Bow: Lila Henn
Second Varsity Eight: Coxswain: Ashlyn McGinn, Stroke: Emma Alimbau-Borrás, 7-seat: Georgia Allen, 6-seat: Claudia Kerry-Roger, 5-seat: Sophia Cavalieri, 4-seat: Katie Rapaglia*, 3-seat: Savannah Fox, 2-seat: Ayla O’Neill and Bow: Ava Cathey
Third Varsity Eight: Coxswain: Clementine Riegelhaupt, Stroke: Elena Bloom, 7-seat: Emeline Daley, 6-seat: Claire Lingle, 5-seat: Hannah Hill, 4-seat: Skylar Gash*, 3-seat: Gianna Vigliotti, 2-seat: Catherine Chénier-Gagnon and Bow: Anna Schrieber, Spares: Nuria Revilla, Elizabeth Kelly, Hannah Hill
Varsity Four: Coxswain: Samara Coakley, Stroke: Reilly Katz, 3-seat: Ava Gormley, 2-seat: Lindsay O’Neil* and Bow: Dylan Bentley
Second Varsity Four: Coxswain: Sami Goldman, Stroke: Enya Gilroy, 3-seat: Eva Morton*, 2-seat: Sarah Rapaglia and Bow: Mira Meek
*Boat Captain
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.