The NCAA Division I Rowing Championship is a rowing championship held by the NCAA for Division I women's heavyweight (or openweight) collegiate crews. It was first held in 1997. In 2002, the NCAA added championships for Division II and Division III. All races are 2,000 metres (6,562 ft) long. The NCAA does not sponsor men's rowing (both heavyweight and lightweight) and women's lightweight rowing championships.
The NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championships have three events (I Eights, II Eights, Fours), and twenty-two teams compete. Eleven teams are selected through automatic qualification based on conference results. An additional eleven at-large teams are selected by the NCAA Rowing Committee. In previous years an additional, four at-large I Eights are selected. As of 2009 all bids must be full teams. Teams are awarded points by their final placing in each event. The NCAA Champion is determined by the team which accumulates the most points. When teams are tied for points after the three events, the NCAA champion is determined by the team with the higher placing in the I Eight event.
At-large participants in the championships are selected by the NCAA Division I Women’s Rowing Committee. The following criteria are used in selecting teams and individual boats:
Regional championship results.
Regional ranking.
Late season performance.
Head-to-head results.
Results versus team already selected.
Results versus common opponents.
Results versus regionally ranked team.
The first women’s collegiate championship was held in 1980 at Oak Ridge, Tennessee. National champions were declared from the varsity eight race. California won the first collegiate championship. Below is a list of Women’s National Collegiate varsity eight champions:
1996 – Brown
1995 – Princeton
1994 – Princeton
1993 – Princeton
1992 – Boston University
1991 – Boston University
1990 – Princeton
1989 – Cornell
1988 – Washington
1987 – Washington
1986 – Wisconsin
1985 – Washington
1984 – Washington
1983 – Washington
1982 – Washington (AIAW champion)
1981 – Washington
1980 – California
(Source: Washington Crew Press Guide)
Prior to 1980, college boats entered the National Women’s Rowing Association National Championships (what is now the USRowing National Championships). Below is a list of NWRA open eights champions from 1971-1979 (no eights prior to 1971). The top college finisher is in parentheses:
1979 – Burnaby BC (top college Yale)
1978 – Burnaby BC (top college Wisconsin)
1977 – Vesper Boat Club (top college Wisconsin)
1976 – College Boat Club (top college Wisconsin)
1975 – University of Wisconsin
1974 – Vesper Boat Club (top college Radcliffe)
1973 – Radcliffe College
1972 – College Boat Club (top college Washington)
1971 – Vesper Boat Club (top college Washington)
1997 — Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Jan Williamson, Tristine Glick, Kari Green, Alida Purves (cox), Head Coach: Jan Harville
1998 — Sabina Telenska, Denni Nessler, Kelly Horton, Katy Dunnet, Annie Christie, Rachel Dunnet, Vanessa Tavalero, Kari Green, Missy Collins (cox), Head Coach: Jan Harville
1999 — Caroline Grogan, Erin Kelley, Amy Meyers, Nina Carter, Kellie Walker, Anda Adams, Rachel Anderson, Portia Johnson, Kate Saul (cox), Head Coach: John Murphy
2000 — Portia Johnson, Rachel Anderson, Anda Adams, Kellie Walker, Jessica Lanning, Liane Malcos, Erin Kelley, Caroline Grogan, Kate Saul (cox), Head Coach: John Murphy
2001 — Annabel Ritchie, Nicole Rogers, Carrie Stasiak, Adrienne Hunter, Rika Geyser, Anna Mickelson, Nicole Borges, Lauren Estevenin, Mary Whipple (cox), Head Coach: Jan Harville
2002 — Lauren Estevenin, Annabel Ritchie, Anna Mickelson, Heidi Hurn, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Kara Nykreim, Yvonneke Stenken, Mary Whipple (cox), Head Coach: Jan Harville
2003 — Sarah Marvel, Courtney Brown, Caryn Davies, Anna Brock, Lis Lambert, Heather Schofield, Caroline Fisher, Tasha Pasternack, Julie Gluck (cox), Head Coach: Liz O'Leary
2004 — Deborah Dryer, Meg Anderson, Catherine Starr, Karen Prazar, Rachel Dearborn, Natalia Obolensky, Marie Walcott, Gillian Almy, Mira Mehta (cox), Head Coach: John Murphy
2005 — Erin Cafaro, Mara Allen, Erin Reinhardt, Iva Obradović, Kim Atkinson, Laura Terheyden, Kaylan Vander Schilden, Jelena Djukic, Remy Hitomi (cox), Head Coach: Dave O'Neill
2006 — Caroline Lind, Kristin Haraldsdottir, Jackie Zider, Devan Darby, Andréanne Morin, Carrie Kruse, Genevra "Gevvie" Stone, Kate Bertko, Elizabeth Agnew (cox), Head Coach: Lori Dauphiny
2007 — Rachel Jeffers, Tess Gerrand, Christine Geiser, Jamie Redman, Taylor Ritzel, Amanda Rich, Alice Henly, Christine Glandorf, Emily Cleveland (cox), Head Coach: Will Porter
2008 — Taylor Ritzel, Christina Person, Tess Gerrand, Jamie Redman, Alice Henly, Maren McCrea, Caroline Nash, Christine Glandorf, Mia Kanak (cox), Head Coach: Will Porter
2009 — Erika Roddy, Di Eaton, Elle Logan, Grace Luczak, Julie Smith, Lindsay Meyer, Michelle Vezie, Adrienne Fritsch, Jenna Levy (cox), Head Coach: Yasmin Farooq
2010 — Taylor Ritzel, Tess Gerrand, Alice Henly, Maren McCrea, Caroline Nash, Catherine Hart, Stephanie Madner, Dara Dickson, Mia Kanak (cox), Head Coach: Will Porter
2011 — Lauren Wilkinson, Kelsey Reelick, Emily Reynolds, Michaela Strand, Heidi Robbins, Kelly Pierce, Molly Hamrick, Ashton Brown, Lila Flavin (cox), Head Coach: Lori Dauphiny
2012 — Keziah Beall, Martha Kuzzy, Kristine O'Brien, Sarah Cowburn, Fiona Schlesinger, Susanne Grainger, Hemingway Benton, Carli Goldberg, Sidney Thorsten (cox), Head Coach: Kevin Sauer
2013 — Agatha Nowinski, Erica Rippe, Paparangi Hipango, Kara Kohler, Jenn Helssen, Kendall Chase, Maggie Simpson, Clair Premzic, Rachel Ersted (cox), Head Coach: Dave O'Neill
