GOLD RIVER, Calif. -- The Western Washington University women's rowing program made a national statement at the WIRA Championships with the Varsity Eight winning the Grand Final Sunday on Lake Natoma.

 

Returning to competition for the first time in over a month, the No. 3 nationally-ranked and defending national champion Vikings displayed speed, grit, team depth and a championship mindset with three crews reaching the grand final and the Novice 4+ winning the petite final.

 

The Varsity 8+ took center stage in Sunday's Grand Final completing the 2,000-meter course in improved conditions from Saturday's heat races to clock a blistering-fast time of 6:46.701 for a slight open-water victory over rival Cal Poly Humboldt (6:51.979). The V8+ reached the final after recording the fastest qualifying time Saturday in a time of 6:48.00. The lineup featured All-American coxswain Janisa Cook, stroke Emma Clark, All-American seven-seat Taylor Wall and 2024 NCAA II Rower of the Year Mia Marie Knipe in bow.

 

WWU's Varsity 8+ has now won the gold medal at the WIRA Championships in three of the last four years in 2022, 2024 and now 2025.

 

The Second Varsity 8+ earned a runner-up finish in the Grand Final clocking 7:26.229 placing just behind Division I club program UC Irvine (7:20.229). The Vikings showed off their program depth with the second eight-oared crew placing well ahead of third-place UC Santa Barbara (7:37.12) and GNAC foe Seattle Pacific (7:46.965).

 

The Varsity 4+ battled a tough six-boat lineup in Sunday's Grand Final, placing 4th with a time of 7:56.965. The Vikings qualified for the final by winning their heat in 7:47.833. West Region and GNAC rivals Cal Poly Humboldt (7:41.28) and Central Oklahoma (7:49.799) went 1-2 in the Grand Final with Orange Coast College (7:55.421) edging Western for the bronze medal.

 

WWU's Novice 4+ raced twice on Saturday, placing 3rd in its heat with a time of 8:13.284 to just miss one of the qualifying spots for the Grand Final, and won the Petite Final in the final race of the day with a time of 8:17.567 to defeat runner-up Seattle Pacific (8:23.815).

 

The WIRA Championships featured six of the last seven NCAA Division II national champions going back to 2017 with WWU (2024 & 2017), Cal Poly Humboldt (2023) and Central Oklahoma (2018, 2019, 2021) accounting for the titles during this span.

 

The 9-time national champion Vikings will race again on Lake Natoma just outside of Sacramento on May 17 at the GNAC Championships, with WWU the defending conference champions. 

 

WWU is back in action next Saturday (May 4) competing in the Opening Day Regatta on Montlake Cut as part of the 2025 Windermere Cup hosted by the University of Washington.

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Here is a look at results from WWU's races from the 2025 WIRA Championships.

 

 

Here is a look at the lineups for the Vikings that competed at the 2025 WIRA Championships:

 

 

The Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) is a western regional organization with membership comprised of over 40 rowing programs at all division levels and representing colleges and universities in five western states (and Oklahoma).

 

The second edition of the NCAA Division II Regional Rowing rankings were released last week prior to the WIRA Championships with WWU listed No. 2. The Vikings Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ were both ranked No. 2 to account for the team 2nd-place ranking. Here is a look at the rankings via NCAA.com:

 

 

Here is a look at the week six Pocock CRCA Coaches Poll for NCAA Division II:

 

 

WWU is back in action next Saturday (May 4) competing in the Opening Day Regatta on Montlake Cut as part of the 2025 Windermere Cup hosted by the University of Washington. The complete 2025 schedule is available online at WWUVikings.com.

 

WWU Rowing is one of the elite collegiate rowing programs in the country across all divisions, having won nine NCAA Division II National Championships. The Vikings won the 2024 NCAA II National Title, the 2017 title, placed 2nd in 2018, 3rd in 2019 and runner-up in 2022. WWU has competed in the NCAA Championships in 20 of the 22 NCAA Division II national regattas, taking home the gold (9 times), silver (5 times) and bronze (5) medal 19 times in the 22 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium 19 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)

16 – Individual Championships (Eight-7, Fours-9)

9 – National Championships (2005-11, 2017, 2024)

5 – National Runner-Up Finishes

5 – 3rd Place Finishes at Nationals

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