WORCESTER, MA (May 11, 2025) – The Tufts University women's rowing team dominated the National Invitational Rowing Championships (NIRC) on Lake Quinsigamond today, repeating as NESCAC and NIRC Points Trophy champions.
The Jumbos won grand finals in the first, second, third and fourth varsity eights today and accumulated a team points total of 195.00 overall. In the Points Trophy standings, which represent overall team performance, Tufts was well ahead of second-place Wesleyan University (172.00) and third-place Williams College (171.00). The NIRC Points Trophy victory is the third in a row for Tufts.
New this year, the NESCAC Championship was determined by results from the first and second varsity NIRC races. The Jumbos won grand finals in both events, tallying a team score of 56 that beat out second-place Wesleyan (48) and third-place Williams (47). Tufts had won its first-ever conference title last year.
In first varsity racing, Tufts won its heat with a 6:35.556 mark over the 2000-meter course. They were in front of Ithaca (6:39.282) in the first heat. In the grand final, Tufts came across the finish line in a 6:34.623 time that was first out of 18 teams overall and best among eight conference squads. Williams was second in 6:37.157, a length behind the Jumbos. Wesleyan was close behind in third (6:37.757) and Bates was right there as well in fourth (6:37.900).
The Jumbo 1V8 lined up with coxswain
Hannah Jiang,
Rose Tinkjian,
Sami Haynes,
Stella Shen,
Reilly Uiterwyk,
Lucy Howell,
Emma Lyle,
Josie Monroe and
Sydney Barr.
The Tufts second varsity won the second heat by a good margin, timing 6:45.129 to Wesleyan's 6:53.044 in second place. The Jumbos were the fastest of 18 teams overall and seven in NESCAC with their grand final time of 6:46.031. Wesleyan was the runner-up in 6:48.237, with Trinity close behind at 6:48.857.
Coxswain
Maddie Rosato with
Julia Zipoli,
Sophie Cumming,
Sophia Brackett,
Zenani Himlin-Mayekiso,
Alicia Coble,
Brooke Thompson,
Lecia Sun and
Natalie Graham were the Jumbo 2V8.
For the third varsity heats, Tufts won the first by a seven-second margin over Williams (6:59.662 to 7:06.194). The finish was closer in the grand final, with the Jumbos' 6:43.300 edging Williams' 6:45.838. Bates was the third-place team in a 6:54.422 mark.
The Jumbo third varsity roster was coxswain
Alex Boyer with
Erica Wayland,
Alex Timoney,
Sheelyn Pharr,
Nazira Collins,
Georgia Butler,
Katherine Tombaugh,
Ava Elliot and
Molly Heeney.
Tufts had the top two eights in a straight fourth varsity final. The Jumbo 4V8 won with a 6:56.947 finish, then Tufts' fifth varsity was next in a 7:00.000 mark. The Jumbo boats were 10 seconds ahead of everyone else, with Bates' third-place team recording a 7:10.071 time.
The winning 4V8 for Tufts was coxswain
Elizabeth Chin with
Ashley Brzezenski,
Sanjana Rao,
Nora Redding,
Claire Carson,
Eva Swei,
Aubyn Mackey,
Alice Wall and
Cecelia Wilson.
Tufts' runner-up 5V8 included coxswain
Rose Lavin with
Fiona Smirl,
Nosara Maxwell,
Hannah Schiller,
Lyra Bornholdt-Collins,
Ella Tuck,
Maddy Wood,
Sabina Murray and
Elise Justman.
In addition to a third straight NIRC Points Trophy title, and a second NESCAC Championship in a row, today also marks the third straight NIRC victories for the third and fourth varsity boats and the second consecutive NIRC first varsity win for the Jumbos.
By winning the NESCAC title, Tufts earns an automatic berth into the 2025 NCAA Division III Championship which will be held May 30 through June 1 in West Windsor, New Jersey. The full field of NCAA qualifying teams will be announced on Tuesday.
--JUMBOS--
