IRA Programs Headline Final Regular Season USRowing Coaches Poll

May 18, 2017

Release courtesy of USRowing Communications Department

PRINCETON, NJ –

After some competitive racing on both the East and West coasts this weekend, there were many shifts, both big and small, in the eighth 2017 USRowing coaches poll.

A big win was seen for the now top-ranked University of Washington’s men’s heavyweights as they conquered previous leader and the rival University of California. California had topped the leaderboard for the entire season before their loss to Washington at the Pac-12 Championship. The University of Washington received all but one coaches vote this week.

Yale University received the last coaches vote with a remarkable 4/10ths of a second win at the 2017 Men’s Sprints (EARC) over fourth-place Harvard University and a fifth-place Princeton University. This marked Yale’s third consecutive win at EARC and ninth win in the cup’s history.

In the lightweight men’s poll, Cornell University held onto its top spot with an undefeated season over second-ranked Harvard University, whose second varsity boat took first at the 2017 Men’s Sprints. Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale University rounded out the top five for the final week in the coaches poll.

The Stanford University lightweight women dominated the competition at the Pacific Coast Rowing Championship, winning all of their races by a margin of at least 19 seconds. These victories earned Stanford all first-place votes.

The second-place University of Wisconsin also had a strong showing at the Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia and took first place in the lightweight four and second in the lightweight eight and open four. Princeton University, Harvard-Radcliffe, and the University of Tulsa finished their seasons in third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Men’s Heavyweight Eight

Rank Team Previous Rank
1 University of Washington (11) 2
2 University of California, Berkeley 1
3 Yale University (1) 3
4 Harvard University 4
5 Princeton University 5
6 Boston College 9
7 Dartmouth College 6
8 Northeastern University 7
9 Brown University 11
10 Cornell University 13
11 Syracuse University 8
12 University of Wisconsin 12
13 Stanford University 10
14 University of Pennsylvania 14
15 George Washington University 17
16 Columbia University 15
17 United States Naval Academy 16
18 Oregan State University 19
19 Georgetown University 18
20 Florida Institute of Technology 20

Voting Coaches: Todd Kennett (Cornell), Mark Davis (GWU), Michael Callahan (Washington), Jim Barr (Holy Cross), Paul Cooke (Brown), Gabe Winkler (Oregon State), Greg Hughes (Princeton), Mike Irwin (Saint Joseph’s), Geoff Bond (Penn), Wyatt Allen (Dartmouth), Philip Schmehl (Marietta), Zach Johnson (UC San Diego)

Others Receiving Votes: Drexel University, Hobart College, Saint Joseph’s University, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Clara University 

Lightweight Men’s Eight

Rank Team Previous Rank
1 Cornell University (7) 1
2 Harvard University 2
3 Princeton University 4
4 University of Pennsylvania 5
5 Yale University 3
6 Columbia University 7
7 University of Delaware 8
8 Georgetown University 9
9 United States Naval Academy 6
10 Dartmouth University 10
11 Temple University 11
12 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 12
13 Mercyhurst University 13
14 Purdue University 14
15 University of California, Santa Barbra NR

Voting Coaches: Sean Healey (Dartmouth), Nich Lee Parker (Columbia), Shawn Banal (Navy), William Boyce (Harvard), Colin Farrell (Penn), Princeton (Marty Crotty), Lee Rumpf (Georgetown)

Others Receiving Votes: University of California, Berkeley, Sonoma State University, Sacramento State University, University of Pittsburgh

Lightweight Women’s Eight

Rank Team Previous Rank
1 Stanford University (5) 1
2 University of Wisconsin 3
3 Princeton University 4
4 Harvard-Radcliffe 2
5 University of Tulsa 8
6 Boston University 5
7 Georgetown University 7
8 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6
9 Bucknell University 11
10 Villanova University NR
11 University of California, Berkley 9
12 Oklahoma State University 14
13 Perdue University 12
14 La Salle University NR
15 University of Oregon 15

Voting Coaches: Malcolm Doldron (BU), Sarah Baker (Harvard-Radcliffe), Claire Martin-Doyle (MIT), Paul Rassam (Princeton), Dusty Mattison (Wisconsin)

Others Receiving Votes: Pennsylvania State University, Clemson University

2017 Past Polls