CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia rowing team opens its 2026 fall season at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston on Sunday (Oct. 18).
The 61st edition of the Head of the Charles will feature approximately 12,000 athletes in 73 events. Tens of thousands spectators are expected to visit the Charles River over the three-day event, which began on Friday, Oct. 16.
The Cavaliers will send coxswain Brie Joe, stroke Paula Lutz, 7-seat Skylar Morrison, 6-seat Flynn Greene, 5-seat Elsa Hartman, 4-seat Lila Henn, 3-seat PJ Balazy, 2-seat Emma Alimbau-Borrás and bow Maddie Agudelo to race in the Women’s Championship 8+ at 2:43 p.m. The UVA crew will start 25th in the field of 32.
"We bring a seasoned crew to the Charles, with many returning from last year’s NCAA Championships and successful summer campaigns with their national teams," Virginia head coach Wesley Ng said. "Selection was thorough and difficult, but the competition raised the quality of our daily practices and pushed our standards higher. It’s not as popular to invest in fall racing right now, but we continue to value the growth that comes from preparing to compete and testing ourselves against great competition. To open our season against crews featuring current and former world champions and Olympians is a rare privilege and I know this group is proud to represent UVA and their teammates on this stage."
The Head of the Charles course is 5,000 meters along the Charles River, featuring seven bridges, multiple turns and passing in a head-race format. In head races, each crew starts single file about 10-15 seconds apart and the results are based on time.
UVA’s Varsity Four placed second overall and first among collegiate boats at the HOCR last season.
Fans can follow the Head of the Charles Regatta online at HOCR.org and @HOCR on Twitter.