The For Stars Network Staff is pleased to announce various selections surrounding the eleven Division 1 Women’s Rowing Conferences straight from the desk of our CEO/Founder, Hudson Forster.
With the continuous shifts and dynamics between Power 4 Conferences and the armadas of the Atlantic 10 Conference, Colonial Athletic Association, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Mid-American Conference, Patriot League, and West Coast Conference, crews coast-to-coast are navigating their strengths and potential weaknesses through their Winter Training Trips to get the juices flowing and bodies prepped for their Spring 2026 Campaign. More on that note, Forster tells us that “these winter training trips are genuinely opening doorways to glory and teams are as dialed as ever.”
These conferences are scaling year after year and it just explains the complexity between how competitive and unique most of these conferences truly are to the core.
Here are his picks for each Conference Champion, Wildcards, as well as additional write-ups of storylines and previews surrounding the Caliber of each conference.
Beforehand, be sure to browse our previous editorial selects for 2026 surrounding Women’s Division 1 Rowing:
- FSN “Way Too Early” Top-25 Rankings
- FSN’s Freshman Phenom Coxswains
- FSN’s Freshman Phenom Rowers
- FSN’s Top-10 Under The Radar Rowers
- FSN’s Pre-Season Top-75 Rowers
- FSN’s Top-10 Breakout Coxswains
- FSN’s Top-10 Coxswains
ACC
Storyline: Back-To-Back
The Golden Bears might have the most dialed in roster since their peak under Dave O’Neill in the 2000’s, and the climate of the ACC may bring you a series of unwarranted emotions and highs and lows that could shape the climax of the 2026 Regular Season. Ranked the No. 1 Team in the FSN “Way Too Early” Rankings, Stanford, has an abundant amount of elite talent after winning the NCAA Championship, albeit losing the Varsity Eight to No. 4, Yale. The Card have a high probability of going Back-To-Back in 2026 to win their third National Championship in a span of three years.
We know that Al Acosta’s crew from California, coming in at No. 8 during the Pre-Season, have the fuel and engine room accompanied by first class 9th Seats, including No. 6 Ranked Coxswain, Julia Fullington, and FSN 2026 Watchlist Contender, Kira Obsitnik, but again, retaining the No. 1 Ranked Coxswain in all of Division 1 Women’s Rowing, Honor Warburg (Seattle, WA), Stanford has the ropes covered; however, there could always be questions, and we know that. Could Cal & Virginia battle it out for an absolute nail biter at the Conference Championship? Will Texas clinch a comeback on Stanford’s home waters, April 25th, for the Card to reevaluate their power and fluidity? Yes, and to their credit, Stanford is highly successful, and very well could go for a two-peat in Georgia near the end of May, but again no team is truly exempt from questions.
Virginia is on the come up after a bit of a rough stint from when longtime Cavalier Head Coach, Kevin Sauer, decided to departure from his time at the mantle in Charlottesville, but with Wes Ng taking over from his time in the “City of Brotherly Love” the Hoos are skyrocketing and displaying success early on. With the trio of Jenna Hajji, Sheila Joyce, and Paige Loh, the Cavs are facing a year without three of their former dominant role players, but with retaining Ireland’s, Flynn Greene, and talented, Skylar Morrison, Ng’s program has massive potential. Looking towards the middle of the pack, Syracuse has impact players some highlighted in our Pre-Season Top-75, and Duke’s Chloe Zollman out of Newport Beach, CA, the Blue Devils have a fairly difficult ability to see just how far their ceiling will go, but again, they’re chasing the victory at Lake Wheeler over ACC-foe, UNC, so if Duke can hold onto their nucleus and vision for 2026, they might reach levels higher than 2025. Clemson is equipped with a deep Senior Class, and underclassmen with high potential.
Forster’s Pick: Stanford
Confidence Meter: High
Stanford will be the favorite for 2026, and it’s not even a question. Their ability to sustain through high-caliber perennial powerhouses, with the likes of Texas, Tennessee, and Ivy League’s Princeton and Yale, the Card just have the tools laid out evenly, if that makes sense. My gut is telling me that Stanford very well could go undefeated, but the Longhorns look speedier than 2025, and the Lady Vols are stacked more than ever. No major role players are on the IR, so the need for spares shouldn’t be a big concern for Byrnes. The Card have magnificent combos that could keep the team afloat even more than last year, including the decorated duo from the Red, White, and Blue — Goodwillie and Simone.
Wildcard: California + Others
The Golden Bears might have the most dialed in roster since their peak under Dave O’Neill in the 2000’s, but Al has steadily but surely built a phenomenal squad of driven, passionate, and focused young women to drive their team to new heights this season. The team from Berkeley is fairly under-reported in the grand scheme of things, but again, their Senior Class has skill, so it will be exciting to see where they land in the ranks by March. As outlined in the Storyline, Virginia is a silent, but deadly program, and has been locked in the erg room putting pedal to metal like never before. The results will prove it in March, at least that’s what I reckon.
Atlantic 10
Storyline: Monotony
Rhode Island is going for their third-straight Atlantic 10 Conference Championship in May. With Hailey Pardi’s standing ovation out of pure thrill in Stroke Seat once their bow crossed the finish line for glory, her celebration nearly summed up all of the emotions for the squad. The team has had a steady success streak in the last decade, winning each year, albeit GW’s victory in 2023 and UMass’ in 2017. Could a team like Duquesne, St. Joe’s or La Salle from the Schuylkill spark a “strength in numbers” mentality and bring their “A-Game” — I think it’s a plausible stance.
Forster’s Pick: Rhode Island
Confidence Meter: High
For all the reasons outlined above, the Rams are the clear favorite for 2026. Again, this conference has remained so consistent, that even the idea of wildcards in this conference could be out of the conversation. Ultimately, the team is established and has clear proof that they are not going home without Gold in hand, so with that being said, my money is on Rhody.
Wildcard: George Washington
The Revolutionaries, and please, let me be clear — that is their set nickname coined by the University, have a fair chance to win Conference Champs with their last victory in 2023, but who knows, maybe UMass can open up some eyes in five months.
Big Ten
Storyline: Depth
The Entire League — Their whole enterprise of the B1G has strength beyond compare, with even Iowa’s Jeff Garbutt, noting on last year’s Season Preview, coining it as a “super conference… with seven teams in their conference that could potentially qualify for NCAA’s and when you think about that, that’s like a third of the NCAA field could be rowing at the Big Ten Championship.” With an eye-opening statement like the one from the South Jersey native, again, just reinforces the core strength. There are no membership changes in 2026, and the teams remain the same, at least since their realignment less than a few years old. UCLA has a new coach in from Berkeley, Vanessa Tavalero, driving the Bruins to a new standard. Rutgers is coming off of their historical victory across the pond at Henley Royal Regatta, winning the Island Challenge Cup, and retaining almost a handful of athletes from their boat, which makes the squad promising. We can always expect a masterclass from Justin Price’s crews. Michigan lost Gabbie Graves in the boat, but she’s now picked up the megaphone in exchange for wearing the Maize and Blue, with the team securing the No. 10 Freshman Phenom Rower in the Class of 2029, Novella Rusman out of Canada, even seeing exposure to stroking their Varsity as a Freshman during the Fall. USC lines up in the Top-25 during the Pre-Season, No. 22, respectively, over the Buckeyes, and have a solid Senior Class with strong underclassmen propelling the Trojans well, and could very well go 33-1 against City Rivals, UCLA, the first week of March. I would be remiss if I went without mentioning the Huskies, being so dominant in recent years, putting their best foot forward year after year, but with some major losses including Olivia Hay, Allison Jakeway, and Grad Transfer, Megan Lee out of Duke, but again, players like Zola Kemp, Aisha Rocek, and Jessica Weir, the Huskies have high hopes.
Forster’s Pick: Rutgers
Confidence Meter: Moderately High
I’ll be honest, I’ve been a prominent fan favorite of Rutgers the last several years, and the team still ceases to amaze me year after year, but after their dynamic Sunday Showdown in the UK this past Summer, my money is on the Scarlet Knights. Although the team lost major role players, including the likes of Lauren Anderson, Elli Arbogast, 9th Seat, Victoria Grieder, Ruby Hatfield, Hannah Heideveld, and Kate Pitzel who sat Seven Seat in the crew that won in the Grand Final, there are too many superstar returners to have any ounce of doubt in their abilities to outshine their competitors this season. Their speed unfortunately fell short at Conference Champs in 2025 to Washington, but was a Big Ten staple, and will continue to be under the leadership of Justin Price.
Wildcard: Washington + Others
There were tons of rowing fans who gave their two cents to the FSN Team in outrage through Direct Messages, along with a plethora of emails to show for it, but certainly it was a reminder that even the longtime powerhouses can be overlooked. Ohio State last won NCAA’s in 2015, and are one of the only five teams that have gone Back-To-Back at the National Championship, but haven’t had the recent success to give me any indicators that the Buckeyes could be up for a Wildcard Shoutout just yet, I mean, the conference is just stacked beyond compare. Michigan is loaded with six players inking their way into FSN’s Top-75 during the Pre-Season and bringing in the No. 8 Ranked Freshman Phenom Coxswain, Zulema Zunzunegui, out of Newport Beach, CA, to Ann Arbor.
Big 12
Storyline: The Sunshine State
In a nutshell, last season was record-breaking for the Knights and I firmly believe it was a testament to the confidence and non-egotistical, Head Coach, Mara Allen, who spent years under the tutelage of Texas’ Dave O’Neill both as an athlete at Cal and coach on the Forty Acres. Mara’s standard hasn’t shifted since she began her journey as a Division 1 Head Coach, and the results are to show for it, because now we all know that undoubtedly, UCF means business. Tweets were shared last season from fans after the Knights won their Conference Championship at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, FL, coining the 2025 Squad as their Dream Team, and it’s not even an outlandish take; although, who’s to say that 2026 can’t be even better. The Knights clock in at No. 15 on the FSN Pre-Season Rankings, consistent with their placement last year, but again, I’m more than interested in seeing how the team matches up against Harvard along with Ohio State and UNC on April 5th in Columbus.
Forster’s Pick: UCF
Confidence Meter: Very High
I’m more than confident in Allen’s crews to come out on top this season and I know the morale of the team is high. With Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas all shifting towards the near year-old SEC Rowing Conference, UCF had a hefty leap in placement at Conference Champs, with the Longhorns reigning for years under Dave O’Neill, and even Mara Allen playing a role in their success, but again, the Knights tested Tulsa and Kansas, and seeing the Varsity cross the finish line genuinely put a smile on lots of coaches in the sport who believe in Mara’s ability to elevate a program in ways that should not be overlooked.
Wildcard: Tulsa + Others
The Hurricanes and Jayhawks will be battling it out to the end, and I’m calling it here. By relieving Carrie Cook-Callen, and hiring Andrew Derrick, the Former Head Coach for Gonzaga, Kansas is on the rise with a coach like that at the helm. If Andy keeps the meter at a high level like he did while being a trustworthy contender as a WCC Champion, the Jayhawks could very easily take their near ten second loss to Tulsa from last year in the Varsity and make it a nail biter.
CAA
Storyline: Who Will Challenge Northeastern?
Head Coach, Joe Wilhelm, doesn’t get much publicity surrounding his program, but has proven success, even if it’s merely in the CAA, and could very well just race in their own event. When you line up over the last decade and win year after year, with the streak morphing into a dynasty at this point, you have to give the Husky Coach some credit, I mean it’s only justified. Delaware is out and off onto their first season in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) even though their sports teams are split up into various conferences as affiliates including the A-10 and ASUN. Drexel could be a player this year, and after talks with Director of Rowing, and Head Coach, Paul Savell, who was a longtime coach for the Men’s Team, there are some serious competitors for the Dragons like Taylor Powell and Colette Zidek, regular contributors in the Varsity and nominated by The FSN Team to the network’s 2nd Annual Watchlist in 2025.
Forster’s Pick: Northeastern
Confidence Meter: Very High
It’s all spelled out above, and I know that at this point, saying that any other team has the ability to outrace Northeastern is ludicrous. Their winning streak is astonishing and I’m beyond confident that the Huskies will add another trophy to their mantle in May.
Wildcard: Drexel
I noted it above, but again Drexel has talent, and once Savell puts all the pieces together with his crew to really see their full potential, if he hasn’t already found the remedy already, the Dragons can clutch up more than they have in recent years. FSN 2025 Honoree, Colette Zidek, may in fact be the team’s MVP, but we all know that it doesn’t just take one person to win a rowing race, especially in the NCAA.
Ivy League
Storyline: Decorated Leaders
The strength of the coaches in the Ivy League is unparalleled and all have been fairly consistent. There’s eight teams, so let’s go down the line. Starting off with Brown’s Tessa Gobbo, under the tutelage of longtime rowing coaches Phoebe and John Murphy, and then being a role player on their coaching staff prior to their retirement and then appointed as the Head Coach for Bruno, she has kept the engine running which is impressive.
Columbia’s Emerson Curry, has talented athletes, including FSN Top-75 superstar, Bryn Dittrich, shifting in and out of the Top-25 throughout recent years, but has yet to slip through the cracks.
Cornell’s Steve Coppola, a 2008 Bronze Medalist at the Summer Games, has had some ups and downs with the Big Red being in a highly competitive conference; however, his impact to the program doesn’t waver one sliver.
Dartmouth’s John Graves, is emerging as a fairly young superstar in the College Rowing Coaching Sphere, with his team landing at No. 12 in the FSN Pre-Season Poll. He has a quartet of dynamic players including FSN Top-75 rowers, Caroline Krantz, Áine Ley, Annika Nelson, and Caroline Phipps, along with Charlotte Pulkkinen and Alexa Schlembach, and landing No. 4 Freshman Phenom Coxswain, Olivia Cabrera out of Rye, New York, that just won a Youth National Championship, and Portal Pickup, Maude Smith-Monross from Cal, the Big Green are in good hands. Graves’ crews will give the Crimson a run for their money in 2026.
With that being said, Harvard’s Claire Ochal coming in from ACC Staple, Syracuse, has completely reshaped Crimson into the Ivy League fold, and it’s a testament to her commitment to the program, uplifting her players to a high standard and bringing in solid recruits to show for it, including California’s Isabelle Goldstein who was coined the No. 3 Freshman Phenom Coxswain by FSN this Fall.
Penn’s Bill Manning, who’s been a coach in Philly for Penn AC has kept the Quakers in the Top-20 since the departure of the now-Head Coach of Virginia, Wes Ng, but again, with his coaching expertise and history of developing stellar crews, the team has a solid future ahead.
The Legendary, Lori Dauphiny out of Princeton, has been one of the most decorated coaches in the sport, and her athletes continue to outperform year after year, considering their battle for glory at the 2025 Ivy League Champions in the Varsity Eight over the NCAA National Championship crew of Yale. Dauphiny has been a consistent leader and nobody can say otherwise.
Yale’s Will Porter is a one of one coach, and there isn’t much else to say besides the fact that he knows the method down pat. Continuously throwing down first class showings both against in and out of conference competition, Porter’s elite, and so are his crews. The Ivy League for Women’s Rowing is not for the weak, and you have to be prepared to bring your gritty mentality to play come race day, but again, we all know that practices are where races are won.
Forster’s Pick: Yale
Confidence Meter: Moderately High
I stated it above, but the Bulldogs are elite and we all know that. Their team’s talent pool is dominant, depth in the coxswain seat is strong, and again, having Will Porter at the helm, I’m more than confident in Yale winning the Conference Championship. Hope Galusha is the No. 4 Ranked Coxswain in Division 1, Christina Bourmpou, Imogen Cabot, Harriet Drake-Lee, Maeve Heneghan, Nicole Martinez, Alexa von der Schulenberg, and Lindsey Williams, I believe have either landed on the FSN Watchlist in recent years or were featured in our Player’s Top-75, so I’m confident that the team has the skills to win.
Wildcard: Princeton + Others
Princeton has depth and the ability to succeed, but it’s tough to say that the Tigers have enough strength to win Conference Champs, even though they outraced the Bulldogs last season. There’s too many solid returners for Yale, that I don’t believe Princeton can overpower this season to be honest; however, I am not as confident as I am for the other conferences. Brown clocks in at No. 6, in front of Harvard at No. 7, and it’s going to be epic to see both of those teams get after it this Spring.
MAAC
Storyline: Will Jacksonville Properly Reload?
The Florida crew needs to get after it early on this Spring in order to prove that their speed hasn’t drifted off, and it’s still promising for them to be considered for a MAAC Championship. Up until last year, if you told me that another team would win the Conference Champs besides the Dolphins, I wouldn’t believe you. Jacksonville has won the MAAC Rowing Championship seven of the last ten years. Mike Lane’s crews keep the vibes at an all-time high, and it’s the nature of the team culture, but it’s important to note, that he doesn’t sugarcoat anything. He’ll give you the kick in the butt when necessary and commend you for your accomplishments, which is a great quality for a coach. Seeing Lane’s crews come in third at last year’s Championship was a shock not just to us here at FSN, but for the greater-rowing world, so let’s see what may happen in 2026.
Forster’s Pick: Jacksonville
Confidence Meter: Moderate
Again, I’m not as confident that Jacksonville will reign MAAC like I’ve been in recent years, but again, I trust Mike Lane enough to be really upfront with his team, that now is the time to prepare for a competitive schedule ahead, even if that’s racing Top-20 programs during the regular season. Taking in Michigan State Transfer, Kendyl Baron, who’s shown promising signs of development this Fall, and Sophomore, Amy Downing, who Lane believes is totally crushing it. Time will tell in five months.
Wildcard: Fairfield
Fairfield was one of the early surprises last year and nearly shocked the scene in New Jersey. They ended up bowing out in the MAAC Championship last year to win it, which was monumental for that small of a program, but Dave Patterson’s crews took a leap and stayed in front. I’m getting a solid sense that the momentum is still present within the team, and I believe it was truly the start of something pivotal for the future of the program making rowing history in 2025.
MAC
Storyline: Let’s See…
I’m just waiting for Delaware to make an impact after moving out of the CAA, so as the title states, “let’s see” what happens. Runners-up in the CAA last year, the Blue Hens had a near nine-second deficit, to Northeastern, who has stayed in the CAA, but with Delaware coming to play and going up against schools like Eastern Michigan, Temple, and UMass, they have an awfully good chance to come out on top in 2026. Temple looks strong and the Owls’ Coaching Staff personnel have solid remarks to tell me about their star players, so just be aware to bring your butter popcorn on May 16th.
Forster’s Pick: Delaware
Confidence Meter: Moderately High
I’ll tell you this: the hype is there for the Blue Hens, and I’m all for it. I want to make it known, and if there’s one thing about me, I’m not going to put my money behind a team without seeing the proof in the pudding, but the team has the potential evidently. This selection might be the most difficult choice I’ve had to make out of all the eleven conferences for Women’s D1. There’s new opponents for the team, with unfamiliar faces that will have a high likelihood to provide new thrills and obstacles to overcome, which is why I’m moderate to highly confident in their ability to come out on top.
Wildcard: Temple
The team from Philly has talent and I know will be a solid competitor for teams in the newly-formed MAC for Rowing. I mentioned it above — the Owl Coaching Staff tells me that there’s a lot of power in-house, but bias will always play a role with Head Coaches so keeping an eye out for that characteristic isn’t nothing new under the sun.
Patriot League
Storyline: Did Navy Falloff?
Let’s cut right to the chase: Navy was shy of the Top-3 in the Final at the Patriot League Rowing Championship after winning the last seven of the ten Conference Champs. The fact that the team wasn’t even in contention in 2025 is alarming. I won’t doubt the team because I know there is proof in the pudding for the only Division 1 Women’s Rowing military-service academy in the country, and how skilled they have been over the last decade. If Schlosberg’s program can turn things around for the better and get back in the swing of things — no pun intended, then I’m sure the Patriot League will get that much more enticing, because the Terriers have peaked the last few years. I just need to see more of a dogfight at the Conference Championship because it should be the opposite of mundane.
Forster’s Pick: Boston
Confidence Meter: High
I’ve always wondered why people continuously doubt the strength of the Terrier Rowing Programs, but again, that’s just the name of the game. The thing is: everyone knows that their home waterway consists of high-level programs all of which share their own piece of territory on the banks of the Chuck, so laying down impressive results like winning the Patriot League Championship and teams like Northeastern at the top of the CAA leaderboard, Boston is home to the “creme de la crème” of programs in College Rowing, and we can’t leave out Harvard in the Ivy League. I know that the Terriers will band together once again and pull off a win just like 2025, even if that’s with almost an eight-second margin over runner-up MIT, who also are home to Beantown.
Wildcard: Georgetown
This is a program that’s gone a bit under-the-radar, and I am unsure why. One of only a few programs in the D.C. area, the Hoyas are preparing to make their move to a new and improved facility and boathouse. I received confirmation from primary sources that this advancement will most definitely help propel the Women’s Team and the other three programs who share the same boathouse as the team. I had high hopes for Georgetown last season, but unfortunately, the team fell short to BU by ten seconds in the Final, so if Georgetown can overpower Boston U and MIT, then kudos to them for making the leap.
SEC
Storyline: History Meets Rowing Once Again
When news broke in 2024, that the SEC would be officially sponsoring Women’s Rowing, I nearly hit the floor, and I’m not even joking. Having the commitment from the Southeastern Conference was the cherry on top because I have yet to see an organization as determined to elevate the caliber and experience for the student-athletes in our sport, like I’ve seen from the SEC. Right from the jump, I spoke with their Communications Department, and got immediate feedback regarding the vision for the conference and how the athletes were going to really get that true competitive environment in an atmosphere filled with first class racing and high spirits — The 2025 SEC Championships was evident of just that, and the conference officials meant business from Day 1 that they were going to do everything right.
With four teams in the conference — Alabama, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Texas, the success of the SEC is imperative during the Regular Season, as the conference does not receive an AQ, but again Texas and Tennessee are not stepping off the gas this Spring and their vision board is as clear as ever: Get In Front, or in the Longhorns’ case find their base early on, and then step it up throughout their 2nd-3rd Tier of the race.
Alabama is led by Kumari Lewis who served at Pennsylvania under Wes Ng. Sarah Trowbridge is at the helm for the Sooners at Oklahoma, the decorated Kim Cupini, is in her third year as Head Coach for the Lady Vols, and last but not least, one of the most successful in the game, Dave O’Neill with the Texas Longhorns.
You truly can’t compete where you don’t compare, and that’s the motto for the SEC, at least it should be, because as the saying goes: It Just Means More.
Forster’s Pick: Texas
Confidence Meter: High
I had the privilege of voting Texas at the No. 2 Spot in the FSN Pre-Season Media Poll, so yes, I strongly believe in the Longhorns’ capabilities. I enjoy seeing the program race and putting up an absolute masterclass come race day. The squad is dialed every single day, and their team motto is to “Treat Everyday Like It’s NCAA’s” so that’s all you have to know to understand the level each and every day for O’Neill’s program. The Longhorns are Legendary, which speaks volumes to their so-called “Longhorn Legends” including who I believe is the “Face of Women’s Rowing” and Austin, Texas native, Kate Knifton.
The loss of Sue Holderness and Taryn Holderness certainly stings, but with the likes of Abby Dawson, Marg Van der Wal, and Phoebe Wise, I couldn’t be more pumped to see how the squad matches up, even with the No. 5 Ranked, Amy Werner, in the saddle and underclassmen, including Ilva Boone, Holly Davis, and Imy Grey, all of which were nominated on the 2025 FSN Watchlist with high praise from Texas Head Coach, Dave O’Neill, he tells me for FSN. I can’t forget to mention the No. 1 Ranked Athlete out of the NCAA Transfer Portal, Maya Meschkuleit (Yale) who is now filling in the gaps and giving the Longhorns more fuel to the 1-2 punch of Dawson and Van der Wal. The Former UCLA Standout, Chloe Driver made her way to the Forty Acres this Fall and is showing out early. Allie Alton got back from training with Team USA along with Phoebe Wise in the Summer of 2025, and Amelia Gleed, Katherine Nordheim, Lucy Seale, Coxswain, Paris West, have been valuable for the Longhorns in years past, and will bring the speed in 2026.
While retaining the 2025 SEC Rower of the Year, Marg van der Wal, spearheading her way into one of the Longhorns’ best in class, and FSN Top-25 Rower (Not In Order), O’Neill’s standout will be a massive role player for the Texas fold.
Wildcard: Tennessee
I have been a vocal fan of Tennessee since the hiring of Kim Cupini, having the privilege of being her first interview once she accepted the role as Head Coach of the Lady Vols. Everyone knows by now of the haul of athletes that decided to make their way over to Knoxville to continue building what was being laid out in Dallas when Cupini served as the Head Coach for the SMU Mustangs, so it only felt right to connect with her on the mic. Listeners went berserk and the episode reached heights like never before, and the team managed to make headlines taking all three NCAA Boats to the Grand Final for the first time in program history, and becoming the Top 3 team in the nation, which was impeccable. The Vols are stacked beyond measure this season, and have the power stapled in their depth of the Senior Class, with Pre-Season honors for ten athletes who will wear Tennessee Orange in 2026. Their Coxswain Core, though quite young in retrospect, coached by Colleen Gillis, is in my opinion the most proficient in the game, and have the potential to be one of the best we’ve seen since SEC-foe, Texas Longhorns in the early 2020’s. With that being said, I am beyond stoked for the SEC Championships this year.
WCC
Storyline: Who Will Take It?
The 2026 West Coast Conference Championship is up for grabs in all honesty. Oregon State won last season, and Gonzaga the year prior. With recent coaching shifts from the crew out of Spokane, and the leadership roles of Oregon State’s Boathouse, I genuinely couldn’t say which team will most definitely strike Gold in May, but the Beavs have a high probability to go Back-To-Back. It’s safe to assume that they will be in the spotlight all year, retaining Italy’s Giulia Clerici and Rhianna Loughnan of New Zealand, and Linda Weitmann of Austria, three of the best rowers for the Beaver’s fold, with California’s, Taylor Denger on the ropes, all four athletes who received Pre-Season praise from FSN — time will tell where the conference goes in the future with the PAC-12 realignment.
Forster’s Pick: Oregon State
Confidence Meter: High
I believe the team will “keep their mojo” and skill in all seriousness. The Beavers have the ability to keep their momentum so I’m not going to discredit their ability to win this season, I’m just unsure of the likelihood of Gonzaga to honestly clutch up on Race Day, so I have to give them a hat-tip.
Wildcard: Gonzaga
With the departure of Andrew Derrick to coach Kansas in the Big 12, Mark Voorhees, the Former Gonzaga Men’s Rowing Assistant Coach, who has been a Gonzaga staple since his college days in Spokane serving as the Men’s Team Captain and clocking a Top-10 finish at the IRA with his team, Voorhees tells me that he’s more than pumped to see the team show out this year, so I’ll be keeping my eyes and ears up and out for the Bulldogs this season.