WORCESTER, MA – The University of Rochester rowing team concluded its 2025-26 season on Sunday afternoon, rowing at the National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC) along Lake Quinsigamond.
 
The NIRC regatta hosts the entirety of the NESCAC and NEWMAC conferences, plus the majority of the Liberty League. With all the nationally ranked crews in the country competing except #15 Catholic, it's a showcase of Division III rowing. 
 
The Women's 1st Varsity 8+ entered ranked #13 in the CRCA Polls, and seeded 14th for the regatta, meaning that in the morning heats they had to beat #11 Hamilton to earn a spot in the Petite final.
 
While the Yellowjackets gave the Continentals a race, but eventually finished fifth of six in the heat, clocking in with a time of 7:37.07, thus relegating the Yellowjackets to the third final. #2 Bates, #8 William Smith, #5 Smith College and Hamilton took the top four spots in the heat, with Mount Holyoke ending sixth.
 
Racing in lane 0 of the seven-boat third level final, Rochester had a strong start but crossed the 500-meter mark just behind perennial Liberty league powerhouse Ithaca with who they have raced well all year, also sitting neck-and-neck with WPI.
 
In the first meeting of the year back in April, UR led Ithaca but lost when IC mounted a strong attack at the 1000-meter mark. At New York States and again at the Liberty League Championships Rochester was able to get ahead early and hold of the Bombers late push. 
 
But on Sunday, it was Ithaca with an early lead. Led by senior stroke Jinx Allison the Yellowjackets held pace at 36 strokes per minute and slowly worked back to level with Ithaca. At the halfway mark, URochester mounted a strong push and edged ahead of Ithaca, with both crews leaving WPI and the rest of the field behind. At the finish it was UR 7:36.86, half a boat length ahead of Ithaca at 7:38.44, followed by WPI, Connecticut College, St. Lawrence, Mount Holyoke and UNH.
 
The UR 2nd Varsity 8+, finished a solid fourth in the preliminary heats in 8:09.17, earning a spot in the petite final. Entering the race as the 12th seed, UR did one better in the final earning 11th in the overall standings, rowing to a time of 8:11.73.
 
The performance of the eights netted the Rochester women a total of 68 points for the regatta, good for 11th overall among the team standings among 19 competing institutions. 
 
URochester also had a varsity four entry that finished in eighth place overall, rowing 9:51.35 in the heats and 10:28.53 in the petite final.
 
UR will graduate eight seniors out of the day's crews, coxswain Mykaila Meunier, Allison, Kennedy Leininger, Sophie Weissman and Ava Prevey-Sullivan will graduate from the 1V, Lillian Zullow and Elizabeth Carleton from the 2V and Anjali Ramdin from the varsity four.
 
The Yellowjackets had strong performances from younger oarswomen, including seven first years. 

According to Interim Head Coach Ethan Curren, "The team is really excited about our results this spring. They have proven they can race with the top crews in the country, and they are already looking forward to next year."
 
Boat Lineups:
1V – Meunier, Allison, Leininger, Weissman, Prevey-Sullivan, Julia Tricomi, Erin Seitzer, Quinn Seawright, Sophia Fietkiewicz.
2V – Asha Limaye, Katelyn Wilmarth, Sabrina Butori Valdivia, Carleton, Rachel Ruminer, Marin Ievers, Hayes Keith, Zullow, Leah Gillette.
V4 – Ella Peddicord, Kelsie McConnell, Alivia Sochia, Anjali Ramdin, Jessica Zheng.