By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University women's rowing team heads into the postseason this weekend competing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday in Gold River, California.
The No. 1 nationally ranked Vikings will compete conference foes No. 2 Cal Poly Humboldt, No. 3 Seattle Pacific and No. 5 Central Oklahoma in three races beginning at 10 am on Lake Natoma.
WWU is a two-time champion in the five-year history of the GNAC Rowing Championship, winning titles in 2022 and 2024. The Vikings enter the postseason not only ranked No. 1 in the nation, but also hold the top spot in the competitive West Region.
The GNAC Championships will be held on Lake Natoma for the third consecutive season, with the Vikings returning to the site of their solid performance three weeks ago at the WIRA Championships that resulted in a gold medals for the Varsity 8+ and second Varsity 4+, and podium finishes for all 24 student-athletes.
This marks the sixth edition of the GNAC Championships, with the Vikings winning team titles in 2022 and 2024, a runner-up finish last season and placing 3rd in 2021 and 2023. Racing begins on Lake Natoma with the exhibition 4+ at 10 am, followed by the Varsity 4+ at 10:10 am and the main event Varsity 8+ at 10:20 am. An awards presentation is scheduled to follow at approximately 11:30 on the shores of Lake Natoma just outside of Sacramento. The 2026 GNAC Championships are being staged in conjunction with the West Coast Conference Rowing Championship.
Here are links on how to follow the Vikings at the GNAC Championships:
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Here is a listing of times and lanes for the 2026 GNAC Championships on Lake Natoma in Gold River, California. Live results can be followed via HereNow.com:
|
Time
|
Race
|
Lane 1
|
Lane 2
|
Lane 3
|
Lane 4
|
|
10:00 am
|
Exhibition 4+
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
WWU
|
|
10:10 am
|
Varsity 4+
|
Central Oklahoma
|
WWU
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Seattle Pacific
|
|
10:20 am
|
Varsity 8+
|
WWU
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Central Oklahoma
|
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE
Here is a look at the race times for the 2026 GNAC Rowing Championships:
- 10:00 am: Exhibition Open 4+ Race
- 10:10 am: Varsity 4+ Race
- 10:20 am: Varsity 8+ Race
- 11:30 am: Awards Ceremony
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS HISTORY
This is the sixth GNAC Rowing Championships since the sport was adopted by the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2020. Here is a look at the all-time finishes in GNAC Rowing Championships history:
|
Year
|
Champion
|
Runner-Up
|
3rd Place
|
4th Place
|
Location
|
|
2021
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Western Washington
|
---
|
Lake Vancouver
|
|
2022
|
Western Washington
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Dexter Lake
|
|
2023
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Western Washington
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Dexter Lake
|
|
2024
|
Western Washington
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Lake Natoma
|
|
2025
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
Western Washington
|
Central Oklahoma
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Lake Natoma
|
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS SCORING FORMAT
Teams will be scored based on placing in the Varsity 4+ and Varsity 8+ race as follows. The top scoring team will be awarded the GNAC team title:
|
Place
|
Varsity 8+
|
Varsity 4+
|
|
1st
|
18
|
12
|
|
2nd
|
15
|
10
|
|
3rd
|
12
|
8
|
|
4th
|
9
|
6
|
Here is a look at the tentative lineups for the Vikings at the 2026 GNAC Championships:
The second ordered edition of the NCAA Division II Regional Rowing rankings were released last week with WWU listed No. 1 in the West Region. The Vikings Varsity 8+ is ranked No. 1 and the Varsity 4+ is No. 2. Here is a look at the rankings via NCAA.com:
|
Rk
|
Eight
|
Rk
|
Four
|
Rk
|
Team Ranking
|
|
1.
|
Western Washington
|
1.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
1.
|
Western Washington
|
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
2.
|
Western Washington
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
|
3.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
3.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
3.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
|
4.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
4.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
4.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
Here is a look at the current CRCA Coaches Poll with the Vikings checking in at No. 1 in the week 10 rankings, with WWU receiving all five first-place votes:
|
Rank
|
Team
|
|
1.
|
Western Washington (5)
|
|
2.
|
Cal Poly Humboldt
|
|
3.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
|
4.
|
Embry-Riddle
|
|
5.
|
Central Oklahoma
|
|
6.
|
Thomas Jefferson
|
|
7.
|
Rollins
|
|
8.
|
Nova Southeastern
|
Following the GNAC Championships the Vikings will wait for the NCAA Selection show that airs on NCAA.com on Tuesday, May 19 at 3 pm PT. The 2026 NCAA Division II Rowing National Championships feature a two-day competition May 29-30 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia. The complete 2026 WWU rowing schedule can be found 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 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)
