SARASOTA, Fla. – The Washington women's rowing team came three seconds and one team point of claiming the 2021 NCAA Championship Sunday. The Huskies, on the verge of a third NCAA sweep in the last four championships, and despite finishing in a three-way tie with Texas and Stanford atop the team points standings, finished third overall due to the tie-breaker: the order of finish in the varsity eight final.
Washington won national titles in both the second varsity eight and in the varsity four.
The Huskies, Longhorns and Cardinal each finished the regatta with 126 points, based on finishes in the three grand finals: the varsity eight, second varsity eight and the varsity four. Those three programs finished in the top three in each final, with Washington winning two.
But in the varsity eight grand final, the start of which was delayed for two hours due to lightning, Texas caught Stanford in the final 500 meters and won the race, with the Huskies finishing third. That resulted in the three-way tie on points. The NCAA tie-breaker is each team's finish in the varsity eight, giving the team championship to Texas and second place to Stanford.
"I'm really proud of the effort of all three of our boats," said Yasmin Farooq, who has four top-three finishes in four NCAA regattas as Washington's head coach. "At end of day, the varsity eight race should be what determines the national championship."
UW women win Second Eights & Varsity Four; Takes Third Overall At NCAAs
3rd in varsity eight grand final costs Huskies the title
