BETHEL, Ohio – The Western Washington University rowing program is off to a solid start at the 2024 NCAA Rowing Championships on Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park in Bethel, Ohio.

 

The Vikings Varsity 8+ opened racing Friday morning with the fastest qualifying time in the prelims to advance directly to Saturday's Grand Final. WWU's eight-oared entry battled a stiff morning headwind to complete the 2,000-meter in 7:13.28.

 

The Varsity 4+ placed 2nd in the morning prelim race to narrowly miss an automatic spot in the Grand Final, racing in tough headwind to finish with a time of 8:45.23 behind the heat winner Cal Poly Humboldt (8:37.845).

 

In the afternoon repechage – which was delayed by the wind – the Vikings charged at the finish but placed 3rd to just miss a spot in the Grand Final. WWU had a time of 8:13.922 to just miss out on the second qualifying spot for the final grabbed by Mercyhurst (8:10.66).

 

Saturday's schedule features the Varsity 4+ racing in the Petite Final at 10:04 am ET/7:04 am PT and the Varsity 8+ in the featured race at 10:44 am ET/7:44 am PT. All races on Saturday at the NCAA Championships feature a live webcast and results with direct links available at wwuvikings.com/Live.

 

The 2024 season marks the 20th time in program history WWU will get the chance to row for a national title. Under the guidance of 26th-year head coach John Fuchs and longtime assistant coach and program alum Courtney Moeller, the Vikings are eight-time national champions winning seven consecutive titles from 2005-11 and again in 2017. WWU is competing in the national championships for the third consecutive season, earning runner-up honors in 2022 and finishing 4th last season.

 

Here is a look at the lineups that raced for the Vikings Friday at the NCAA Championships:

 

 

Here is a look at the results from Friday's competition at the 2024 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships. WWU's Varsity Eight advanced directly to Saturday's Grand Final after winning its morning heat in the prelims. The Varsity 4+ placed 3rd in the afternoon repechage and will be the top seed in the Petite Final on Saturday:

 

 

Here is a look at the remaining schedule for the NCAA II Rowing Championships event schedule for the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships on Harsha Lake at East Fork State Park in Bethel, Ohio. The Grand Final for the eights and fours will consist of four boats each, with the petite final two boats:

 

 

Teams will be scored based on placing in the Varsity 4+ and Varsity 8+ race as follows. Ties for team awards will be broken by the place finish in the eights. The top scoring team will be awarded the 2024 NCAA Division II national championship trophy:

 

 

Here are some handy links on how to follow the Vikings at the NCAA Rowing Championships in Ohio:

 

• NCAA Division II Rowing
• Live Results
• Webcast via NCAA.com
• Program
• D2 Rowing History
• Row2k.com Coverage
• 2024 WWU Regatta Results

 

The NCAA Division II Rowing Championships features a six-team field with each program fielding a Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ lineup. This year's field consists of four teams from the West Region, with the entire Great Northwest Athletic Conference represented:

 

 

WWU has advanced to the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships in 20 of the 22 years of the event (20 of 21 in full seasons) and 21 total times to the national rowing regatta (was a combined championship prior to 2002). The Vikings are eight-time national champions, winning seven consecutive titles from 2005-11 and again in 2017. In 19 trips to the DII Rowing Championships, Western has taken home the gold (8 times) or silver (5 times) medal 13 times. Last season the Vikings placed 4th with the Varsity 4+ highlighting the trip to New Jersey (just outside of Philadelphia) with a bronze-medal performance.
 

Here is a look at the national champion and runner-up from each of the 21 years that the NCAA Division II has crowned a national title dating back to 2002. WWU won seven consecutive national titles from 2005-11 and returned to the top of the podium in 2017.

 

 

Here is a look at the final regular-season edition of the Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll for NCAA Division II:

 

 

More information on the WWU Rowing program, including a details schedule, roster and quick facts can be found online at WWUVikings.com/RowViks and via social media on Twitter (@WWU_Rowing), Instagram (@wwuwomensrowing) and Facebook (@WWURowing).

 

Led by head coach John Fuchs (26th season), WWU Rowing is one of the elite collegiate rowing programs in the country, having won eight NCAA Division II National Championships. The Vikings won the 2017 NCAA II title, placed 2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2019 and runner-up again in 2022. WWU has competed in the NCAA Championships in 20 of the 22 NCAA Division II national regattas (including selection in 2024), taking home the gold (8 times) or silver (5 times) medal 13 times in the 21 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium all 18 times. Western won seven consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011.

 

WWU Rowing Inside the Numbers:

20 – NCAA II Rowing Championship Appearances (out of 22)

15 – Individual Championships (Eight-6, Fours-9)

8 – National Championships (2005-11, 2017)

5 – National Runner-Up Finishes

2 – GNAC Championships (in 4-year history of event)