Story Link
Austin, Texas – Texas’ first Texas Rowing Trekking West to open the season with the historic San Diego Crew Classic from March 29th to 30th. The race will take place on a 2,000-meter course at Fiesta Bay Crown Point Shores in Mission Bay Park, San Diego. The regatta is widely considered America’s best spring regatta, featuring junior, college, adaptive and master races.
The first eight of Texas is one of 11 boats invited to race for the prestigious university’s signature Jessop Whittier Cup. This field is Washington, No. 8 in California. 20 Notre Dame, No. 23 Southern California, No. 24 includes Washington State, UCLA, San Diego, UC San Diego, Sacramento and Santa Clara.
The second eight will compete for the Jackie Unstitt Hangnestrophy in Women’s College 2V, while the four will compete for the College 4+ Karen Plumlee Courtney Cup in Women’s College 4+. The Longhorns will also race the third eight boat in the women’s open 8+ Curly Copley Cup.
“We’re certainly excited to be able to start an official race in San Diego this weekend,” Texas head coach Dave O’Neill said. “The team has trained hard, and this is a great test in many ways. It’s definitely going to be tougher races and we need to be ready.”
“This year’s team is relatively young. There are only two athletes returning from the first eight of last year, and each crew has a lot of freshmen. But I’ve been really impressed with the attitude and effort throughout the year.
Last season, the Longhorns won three Grand Finals, finishing fourth in the San Diego Crew Classic. Texas recorded a compelling victory at the Jesop Whittier Cup Invitational at 6:23.272. The Texas 4 won their third straight title in the Karen Plumlee Courtney Cup, securing the Longhorns’ open water victory in the 7:28.046 hour. The Horns also won the Jackie Unstitted Hannestrophy after II 8 crossed the line at 6:46.080. UT recorded runner-up in Open Eight’s Carley Copley Cup, with a time of 7:03.117.
When: March 29th-30th
Location: Fiesta Bay Crown Point Shore, Mission Bay Park, San Diego, California
Results | Please look | Regatta info | Rowing Fact Book
Race Schedule
Saturday, March 29th
I EIGHT: Women’s University Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational
11:52 AM CT/9:52 AM PT – Thermal 1 of 2
II 8: Women’s University 2V Jackie Unstitted Hannestrophy
1:04 pm ct/11:04 am pt – 2 of 2 fever 1
4: Women’s University College 4+ Karen Plumleigh Cortney Cup
12:48 pm ct/10:48 am pt – 2 of 2 fever 1
III 8: Women’s Open Carley Copley Cup
2:16 pm ct/12:16 pm pt – 1 of 1 fever 1
Sunday, March 30th
I EIGHT: Women’s University Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational
Last – 11:30am CT/9:30am pt
II 8: Women’s University 2V Jackie Unstitted Hannestrophy
Final – 12:22 PM CT/10:22 AM PT
4: Women’s University College 4+ Karen Plumleigh Cortney Cup
Last – 12:14pm CT/10:14 AM pt
III 8: Women’s Open Carley Copley Cup
Last – 1:26pm CT/11:26 AM pt
Look at the longhorn
The defending NCAA national champions, Texas Longhorns, who have won nine straight conference titles, will also return CRCA first-team Marg van del Wall in 2024, and first-team All-Big 12 Abby Dawson, who led Texas I8 to last season’s NCAA victory. Four rowers from the UT’s four-man crew member are returns at Najayarossk, Phoebe Robinson, Katherine Nordheim and Lucy Saar. Coxwain Amy Warner, who supported the Longhorn II 8 in the national runner-up finish, is back with Sue Holder, Paula Becker, Rhiannon Luke, Ally Alton, Phoebe Wise and Tallinkoyers.
Athlete watching
Texas’ Abby Dawson and Marg van der Wal landed in CRCA’s 2025 athletes and monitored the list on February 26th. Dawson, a junior from Groningen in the Netherlands and a junior from London, won a thrilling victory (6:09.920) for the first eight of UTs to win the 2024 NCAA title. The duo also supported the 2024 Big 12 Championship for the first Varsity 8+, which won at 6:08.714. Vandelwal and Dawson have played an integral role in Texas’ I8 in three of the last four seasons, unbeaten and integral. Additionally, the first eight of last season won two Big 12 boat honors this week. On the Longhorn invitation on April 27, 2024, UT’s first eighth inning won by 6:00.969 hours, defeating top-ranked Stanford, Virginia No. 12 and Ohio State No. 14. Texas’ first eight came out with a dominant victory at No. 9 Michigan State on April 13, 2024, after crossing the finish line at 6:08.10. Texas’ I8 won the first Big 12 Boat of the Week honors following the 2024 San Diego Crew Classic, finishing first in the Heat (6:27.626) and Finals (6:23.272) to win the Jessop-Whittier Cup Invitational.
Texas at the top
Longhorns opened the 2025 campaign, which ranked number one in both the Pocock CRCA and Junior Rowing News Presason polls. This marks the 8th year when Texas ranked in the top four in the first poll, and the 10th time of UT winning the top eight preseason rankings.
Population polls from Pocock CRCA Coach
Texas Stanford Tennessee Princess WashingtonYal BrownCaliforniaRutgersMichiganSyracusePembraginiaDukeOhioIndianaOregonAlabamaNotreDameGonzagaHarvardUSCWashingtonUCF
Championship Bloodline
Texas has registered top-8 results, including top-4 finishes in each of the past nine NCAA Championship regattas. The Horn won three of the last four NCAA crowns.
2024 – National Champion (Boat National Title: I 8, 4)
2023 – 4th (Boat National Title: 4)
2022 – National Champion (Boat National Title: I 8)
2021 – National Champion (Boat National Title: I 8)
2020 – No regatta
2019 – 2nd
2018 – 3rd
2017 – 4th
2016 – 8th
2015 – 7th
Defending Conference Champion
2025 will be his first season as a member of Texas Southeastern Conference. The Longhorns enter the season as a nine-time defending conference champion after leaving the Big 12 with nine straight conference titles. Overall, Texas won 13 of the 15 Big 12 Conference Championships held, finishing second in 2013 and fourth in 2014.
