CAMBRIDGE, MA (October 18, 2026) -- The Tufts University women's rowing program continued its long run of dominance at the most famous rowing head race in the world, as the Jumbos were champions of the Women's Collegiate Eights for the fourth straight season.
No school has won the Yaz Farooq Trophy, presented annually to the winner of the Women's Collegiate Eights, four times in a row until this victory by the Jumbos. Only Tufts and Bates College (2017-19) had won three consecutive years.
The Jumbos 1V8+ won by over 21 seconds over the next closest boat in a dominating performance, while the Tufts 2V8+ was fourth overall and the 3V8+ took home 17th place in a field of 29 boats Sunday on the Charles River.
Tufts top boat rowed to a time of 16:26.462, which was over 23 seconds faster than last year's title win by the Jumbos. The field as a whole was much faster this season, as only one boat was sub-17 minutes in 2025 while seven boats slipped under the threshold this season. The time for Tufts was its fastest during any of the championship victories over the last four seasons.
The Jumbos 1V8+ boat of coxswain
Mackenna Billington,
Sonja Wartman,
Sam Dodds,
Aubyn Mackey,
Sonia Haynes,
Sydney Barr,
Claire Carson,
Janna Moore and stroke Saskia Pettit posted a first split of 3:40.317. The boat then rowed past the Weld mark at 9:00.177, and a time of 13:37.068 at the CBC.
The 2V8+ boat of
Olivia Langton,
Anna Lavin,
Isla Ramsden,
Sheelyn Pharr,
Apolline Hazard,
Celia Carson,
Alexis Arroyo,
Ava Chan and coxswain
Maddie Rosato was fourth overall with a time of 16:53.635. The time would have been the winning time in 2024 and the second-place time last year, as the group was just over a second behind Middlebury College for the third spot.
Tufts third varsity was 17th overall with a time of 17:44.757, as the boat of coxswain Ava Nguyen,
Nazira Collins,
Fiona Smirl,
Sloan Steinman,
Nora Redding,
Hudson Saunders,
Hazel Krumm,
Frances Rechtin,
Hazel Patton and coxswain
AJ Nguyen.
The Head of the Charles Regatta (HOCR) is the world's largest three-day rowing race, held annually on Boston's Charles River since 1965. It features a "head race" format where nearly 12,000 international athletes compete against the clock rather than side-by-side.
The 61st annual regatta covers a challenging three-mile course known for its sharp bends and narrow bridges.
--JUMBOS--
