No. 13 Virginia rowing kicked off its spring season with gusto in the Big Ten-ACC Dual this weekend at Griggs Reservoir in Columbus, Ohio. The Cavaliers walked away with five wins in their contests against No. 10 Michigan and No. 15 Ohio State.
Virginia sent six total crews to compete in its season opener against the Wolverines and Buckeyes — the varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight, varsity four, second varsity four and third varsity four. The Cavaliers’ third varsity eight changed their rowers in three-seat, two-seat and bow seat in between racing Ohio State and Michigan, but the other lineups were constant over the weekend.
Facing off against the Buckeyes, Virginia came out on top in three of its six races. Notably, the Cavaliers’ second varsity eight raced a time of 6:50.9, over 12 seconds faster than their Ohio State counterparts. Over the entire weekend, this crew remained the only undefeated Virginia boat after clocking in faster than the Wolverines as well, with a 7:06.9 finish before Michigan's 7:14.8.
The first varsity eight did fall short against the Buckeyes, though, by a margin of just under two seconds — roughly one boat length — clocking in at 6:46.4 against Ohio State's 6:44.5.
But Virginia's squad showcased their resilience after that tough loss as they flew off of the starting blocks next to the Wolverines’ first varsity eight. In their final contest of the weekend, the Cavaliers finished the 2k course in 6:59.8, exactly five seconds faster than the Michigan crew's 7:04.8.
“The 2V raced two mature pieces, resulting in open-water wins, while the 1V rebounded in the afternoon with an improved performance versus Michigan,” Coach Wesley Ng said. “I’m proud of their response.”
Each of the first and second varsity fours put up hard fights against these Big Ten opponents as well — bearing similar results. Virginia's first varsity four was able to beat the Buckeyes’ crew by over seven seconds, crossing the finish line at 7:58.0. However, the crew fell short against the Wolverines where they finished behind the Michigan boat with a time of 8:12.0, 10 seconds behind their opponents.
Similar showing came from the Cavaliers’ second varsity four, with a victory over Ohio State and then falling behind the Wolverines. The second varsity four had 13 seconds of water over the Buckeyes when they crossed the finish line in 8:00.3, but just couldn't push past Michigan's power as they came in just shy of eight seconds slower than the Wolverines, with a time of 8:10.0.
Virginia proved that it is still one of the premier programs in the country with its first official 2k racing. While a team always strives for improvement, being able to hold consistent from year-to-year is a strength in and of itself, and could prove to be a springboard for the Cavaliers.
“Hard-fought racing today with Ohio State and Michigan,” Ng said. “Our programmatic depth and skill were challenged in every 2k, and as a season opener, it was incredibly valuable. Performances at this time of year are highly variable, and we must keep developing speed and consistency.”
However, the results were nowhere near a decisive indicator on how this season will progress. In last year's Big 10-ACC regatta against Ohio State and Michigan, then-Coach Kevin Sauer's last season kickoff, the Cavaliers also dominated five of their 10 races. However, the 2024 season also marked the end of Virginia's 13-straight ACC Championship titles as they placed second to Syracuse and 13th in the National Championship.
The Cavaliers will have their work cut out for them when they return to the racecourse on April 12 to face off against two new ACC rivals — No. 2 Stanford and No. 8 California — at the Redwood Shores Regatta in Redwood Shores, Calif.
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