By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team had a solid team performance at the WIRA Championships with the Varsity 8+ winning the gold medal in the featured event to earn the title of GNAC Crew of the Week.
The Varsity 8+ recorded the fastest qualifying time on Saturday in 6:48.00 and went even faster in Sunday's Grand Final clocking 6:46.701 to defeat rival Cal Poly Humboldt by over five seconds for the gold medal.
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 2025.
WWU is back in action this weekend (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.
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)
