GAINESVILLE, Ga. -- The Women's Crew team competed at the NCAA DIII Championships on Friday, May 29th, with the 1V8+ and 2V8+ both placing 7th overall. 

How it Happened
Morning Heats
The racing started early, as the Loggers were scheduled in one of the first races of the morning. The schedule of the day consisted of heats in the morning, with the eight NCAA qualifying teams split into two even heats. The 2V8+ got on the water first, going up against Trinity College (CT), Williams College, and Wellesley College, placing fourth in the heat. The top three schools from each heat advanced to the Grand Final, and despite having a really solid race, the Loggers just missed out on the qualifying mark. They rowed a mark of 7:27.6, and finished 24 seconds behind third-place Wellesley. Despite the time, the team was still able to advance to the Petite Final. 

The 1V8+ raced just behind the 2V8+, competing in heat two of the 1V8+ races. Despite finishing fourth in their heat, they still had one of their best races of the season. They came withing 15 seconds of eventual national champion Tufts University, and was just behind both William Smith College and Williams. This was the closest gap a Northwest DIII school has come to the national champion since 2016, and the Loggers finished with the 6th best time in qualifying. Despite having a top time, only the top three in each heat advanced to the Grand Final. The Loggers battled hard, proving that they could keep up with the top times in the nation. 

Petite Finals
Both the 1V8+ and 2V8+ rowed well in the Petite finals, both taking seventh place at the NCAA Championships. After getting off to a slow start, the 2V8+ boat slowly crept their way back into the race. By the 500m mark, the Loggers cuaght a groove, and were ahead by just under three seconds. They kept extending their lead, holding off Catholic University to take home the Petite Final trophy. They improved on their time by four seconds, Rowing a 7:23.1 to place seventh overall.

The 1V8+ followed suit in a tight race, leading by just under a boatlength through the first 500m. By the time the halfway mark rolled around, the Loggers were in control, extending their lead to five seconds. They finished with a time of 6:47.3, taking home the Petite Final victory and securing seventh place at the NCAA Championships. The Loggers finished with 26 points, beating out Catholic who finished with 21. Tufts took home the National Title for the third consecutive year after winning both the 1V8+ and 2V8+ titles. 

Coach's Thoughts
"We had a tremendous weekend of racing and learning at the NCAA's," said Logger head coach David Hammond. "Our adaptability was pushed with a consistently changing schedule due to storm cells, but the crew once again rose to the occasion to turn it on and perform when we needed to. While both crews were disappointed not to make the grand finals, to have disappointment in spite of the massive successes we had shows the high goals and expectations of these scholar-athletes. We were the youngest crew at the regatta and learned a ton of lessons that will serve the rowers well as we continue to grow as individuals, boats, a team and a program in the pursuit of being the best we can be, in and out of the racing shell."

What Happens Next
The Loggers wrapped up their season, but return a solid core for next year. With a young crew, they look to build on their success and come back even stronger in 2027.