University of Tennessee Athletics
Friday, May 29
Gainesville, Ga. / Lake Lanier Olympic Park
Heats: 8:30 a.m. ET | Semifinals 4 p.m. ET
University of Tennessee
vs
NCAA Championships
#1 Lady Vols Advance All Three Boats to Grand Finals at NCAA Championships
May 29, 2026 | Rowing
GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- It was a banner day for the top-ranked Tennessee rowing team as all three of its boats earned top three finishes in their semifinal races to advance to the Grand Finals of the NCAA Rowing Championships.
Friday's action at Lake Lanier Olympic Park featured both heats and semifinals on the opening day of competition. All three Tennessee crews posted top three finishes in their respective heats to advance to the AB Semifinals and earn the opportunity to race for spots in the A Finals.
The First Varsity Eight opened semifinal competition with a victory, crossing the finish line in 6:04.129. The crew held off a late charge from Virginia, which finished second in 6:05.573, less than two seconds behind Tennessee. All five programs the Lady Vols defeated in the semifinal are ranked inside the top 10 of the latest CRCA poll, including No. 6 Virginia, No. 5 Princeton (6:05.681), No. 8 California (6:07.145), No. 4 Washington (6:07.279) and No. 10 Rutgers (6:12.177).
The Lady Vols were equally impressive in the morning heats. Tennessee dominated its race, posting a time of 6:03.254 to finish nearly four seconds ahead of No. 11 Syracuse. The victory extended a remarkable stretch for the First Varsity Eight, which has remained unbeaten since April 3.
The Second Varsity Eight secured its place in the Grand Finals with a third-place finish in 6:10.058. No. 3 Texas won the semifinal in 6:06.910, followed by Virginia in second at 6:09.522. Tennessee finished ahead of Washington (6:12.110), California (6:16.114) and Miami (6:27.126). Earlier in the day, the 2V8 earned its berth in the AB Semifinals with a runner-up finish in the heats, crossing the line in 6:08.806 behind Stanford.
After winning its morning heat, the Varsity Four returned in the afternoon and punched its ticket to the Grand Finals with a hard-fought second-place finish in the AB Semifinal. Virginia mounted a late push over the final 500 meters, but Tennessee held off the challenge to secure the top two finish. Stanford's 1V4 got the win in the semifinal, finishing with a time of 6:46.090.
Up next, all three Tennessee crews will compete in Sunday's Grand Finals. The Lady Vol Four will race first at 9:36 a.m., followed by the Second Varsity Eight at 10 a.m. and the First Varsity Eight at 10:24 a.m.
Results
Semifinals
First Varsity Eight (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Tennessee: 6:04.129
2. Virginia: 6:05.573
3. Princeton: 6:05.681
4. California: 6:07.145
5. Washington: 6:07.279
6. Rutgers: 6:12.177
Second Varsity Eight (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Texas: 6:06.910
2. Virginia: 6:09.522
3. Tennessee: 6:10.058
4. Washington: 6:12.110
5. California: 6:16.114
6. Miami: 6:27.126
Varsity Four (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Stanford: 6:46.090
2. Tennessee: 6:53.354
3. Virginia: 6:57.084
4. California: 7:02.236
5. Syracuse: 7:10.778
6. Miami: 7:24.968
Heats
First Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
1. Tennessee: 6:03.254
2. Syracuse: 6:06.330
3. Washington: 6:08.992
4. Michigan: 6:15.586
5. Oregon State: 6:17.756
Second Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
1. Stanford: 6:03.510
2. Tennessee: 6:08.806
3. Syracuse: 6:15.414
4. Ohio State: 6:19.700
5. UCF: 6:20.208
Varsity Four (Heat 4)
1. Tennessee: 6:45.540
2. Rutgers: 6:49.318
3. Syracuse: 6:58.478
4. Oregon State: 7:04.800
5. UMass: 7:21.416
6. Jacksonville: 7:30.026
Boat Lineups
1V8+: Taryn Graves (coxswain), Meg Flanagan, Alexandra Axten, Hannah Richardson, Alex Pidgeon, Nicole Campbell, Hannah Smith, Maylie Valiquette, Frida Werner Foldager
2V8+: Mykayla Fluster (coxswain), Sheya Lavin, Roxy Welford, Olivia Tattersfield, Ellexi Fulton, Emma Flanagan, Ariella Jeffery, Thea Coull, Zoe DeFeo
1V4+: Audrey Bast (coxswain), Stevie Mabey, Megan Wood, Ūla Jonušaitė, Ava Mulholland
Friday's action at Lake Lanier Olympic Park featured both heats and semifinals on the opening day of competition. All three Tennessee crews posted top three finishes in their respective heats to advance to the AB Semifinals and earn the opportunity to race for spots in the A Finals.
The First Varsity Eight opened semifinal competition with a victory, crossing the finish line in 6:04.129. The crew held off a late charge from Virginia, which finished second in 6:05.573, less than two seconds behind Tennessee. All five programs the Lady Vols defeated in the semifinal are ranked inside the top 10 of the latest CRCA poll, including No. 6 Virginia, No. 5 Princeton (6:05.681), No. 8 California (6:07.145), No. 4 Washington (6:07.279) and No. 10 Rutgers (6:12.177).
The Lady Vols were equally impressive in the morning heats. Tennessee dominated its race, posting a time of 6:03.254 to finish nearly four seconds ahead of No. 11 Syracuse. The victory extended a remarkable stretch for the First Varsity Eight, which has remained unbeaten since April 3.
The Second Varsity Eight secured its place in the Grand Finals with a third-place finish in 6:10.058. No. 3 Texas won the semifinal in 6:06.910, followed by Virginia in second at 6:09.522. Tennessee finished ahead of Washington (6:12.110), California (6:16.114) and Miami (6:27.126). Earlier in the day, the 2V8 earned its berth in the AB Semifinals with a runner-up finish in the heats, crossing the line in 6:08.806 behind Stanford.
After winning its morning heat, the Varsity Four returned in the afternoon and punched its ticket to the Grand Finals with a hard-fought second-place finish in the AB Semifinal. Virginia mounted a late push over the final 500 meters, but Tennessee held off the challenge to secure the top two finish. Stanford's 1V4 got the win in the semifinal, finishing with a time of 6:46.090.
Up next, all three Tennessee crews will compete in Sunday's Grand Finals. The Lady Vol Four will race first at 9:36 a.m., followed by the Second Varsity Eight at 10 a.m. and the First Varsity Eight at 10:24 a.m.
Results
Semifinals
First Varsity Eight (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Tennessee: 6:04.129
2. Virginia: 6:05.573
3. Princeton: 6:05.681
4. California: 6:07.145
5. Washington: 6:07.279
6. Rutgers: 6:12.177
Second Varsity Eight (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Texas: 6:06.910
2. Virginia: 6:09.522
3. Tennessee: 6:10.058
4. Washington: 6:12.110
5. California: 6:16.114
6. Miami: 6:27.126
Varsity Four (AB Semifinal 2)
1. Stanford: 6:46.090
2. Tennessee: 6:53.354
3. Virginia: 6:57.084
4. California: 7:02.236
5. Syracuse: 7:10.778
6. Miami: 7:24.968
Heats
First Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
1. Tennessee: 6:03.254
2. Syracuse: 6:06.330
3. Washington: 6:08.992
4. Michigan: 6:15.586
5. Oregon State: 6:17.756
Second Varsity Eight (Heat 1)
1. Stanford: 6:03.510
2. Tennessee: 6:08.806
3. Syracuse: 6:15.414
4. Ohio State: 6:19.700
5. UCF: 6:20.208
Varsity Four (Heat 4)
1. Tennessee: 6:45.540
2. Rutgers: 6:49.318
3. Syracuse: 6:58.478
4. Oregon State: 7:04.800
5. UMass: 7:21.416
6. Jacksonville: 7:30.026
Boat Lineups
1V8+: Taryn Graves (coxswain), Meg Flanagan, Alexandra Axten, Hannah Richardson, Alex Pidgeon, Nicole Campbell, Hannah Smith, Maylie Valiquette, Frida Werner Foldager
2V8+: Mykayla Fluster (coxswain), Sheya Lavin, Roxy Welford, Olivia Tattersfield, Ellexi Fulton, Emma Flanagan, Ariella Jeffery, Thea Coull, Zoe DeFeo
1V4+: Audrey Bast (coxswain), Stevie Mabey, Megan Wood, Ūla Jonušaitė, Ava Mulholland
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