WEST WINDSOR, N.J. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team earned more hardware with a bronze medal team finish at the 2025 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships.

 

The two-day regatta wrapped up Saturday on Mercer Lake with a lengthy weather delay splitting up the Varsity Eight and Varsity Four Grand Finals between the morning and late afternoon.

 

The defending champion Vikings were in the hunt for their 10th national title but finished in third place with 21 team points. Embry-Riddle out of Daytona Beach, Forida won its first national title claiming 26 points, bolstered by a winning performance by the Varsity 8+. Cal Poly Humboldt finished runner-up for the team title with 24 points and Western grabbed a well-deserved podium spot with 21 points.

 

The Varsity 8+ opened championship Saturday for the Vikings racing in the Grand Final after recording the fastest qualifying time in Friday's heats. WWU got off to a great start building a lead through the first 500, 1000 and 1500m of the 2000m race, but Embry-Riddle caught the Vikings down the stretch for a narrow victory of less than a second. Western finished in a time of 6:47.966, with Embry-Riddle just ahead at 6:47.178. The Vikings easily secured the silver finishing nearly three seconds ahead of Cal Poly Humboldt (6:50.074) with SPU in 4th place (7:13.410).

 

Almost 10 hours after the Varsity 8+ Grand Final, the championship regatta resumed with the Varsity 4+ Petite and Grand Final. WWU placed 4th in the four-boat final in a season-best time of 7:45.571.

 

WWU completed another outstanding season with the third-place finish at nationals. Additional season highlights included the Varsity 8+ winning the gold medal at the WIRA and GNAC Championships and the team winning a silver medal at the GNAC Championships. Led by first-year head coach and longtime assistant coach Courtney Moeller, the Vikings competed at the D2 national regatta for the 21st time in 23 years (21 of 22 full seasons).

 

Western Washington won the team bronze medal with a third-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships with 21 team points. The Varsity 8+ tallied 15 points with a silver medal in the morning grand final and the Varsity 4+ earned six points with a 4th-place finish in the delayed afternoon Grand Final. Embry-Riddle won its first national title with 26 team points winning the Varsity 8+ and placing 3rd in the Varsity 4+. 

 

 

Here is a look at the team scoring format and points breakdown for the 2025 NCAA Rowing Championships:

 

 

Here is a look at the final results from the 2025 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships, including racing from Friday's heats and repechage and Saturday's petite and grand finals:

 

 

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

 

 

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 consisted of four teams from the West Region, with the entire Great Northwest Athletic Conference represented:

 

 

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

 

• NCAA Division II Rowing
• Live Results
• Webcast via NCAA.com
• Program
• D2 Rowing History
• Row2k.com Coverage
• 2025 WWU Regatta Results

 

Here is a look at the national champion and runner-up from each of the 23 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 and 2024.

 

 

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 21 of the 23 NCAA Division II national regattas, taking home the gold (9 times), silver (5 times) and bronze (6) medal 20 times in the 23 years the NCAA Division II team title has been awarded, and reached the podium 20 times. Western won seven consecutive DII national championships from 2005-2011.

 

WWU Rowing Inside the Numbers:

21 – NCAA II Rowing Championship Appearances (out of 23)

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

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

6 – 3rd Place Finishes at Nationals

5 – National Runner-Up Finishes

2 – GNAC Championships (in 5-year history of event)