Texas Rowing’s First Varsity Eight defeated No. 1 Stanford at Redwood Shores on April 25, maintaining an undefeated record for the season.
The event was significant as Texas managed to win one out of four races against the top-ranked Cardinal, finishing second in the other three. This matchup served as a key benchmark for both teams ahead of future competitions.
“We expected there would some hard-fought races today, and that was certainly the case,” said Texas head coach Dave O’Neill. “Stanford got the better of us in the first three races, but it was great to get the win in the First Eight. This was good benchmark for where we stand, and we’ll see each other again at NCAAs.”
The First Varsity Eight secured victory by nearly three seconds with a time of 6:19.20 compared to Stanford’s 6:22.10. O’Neill said, “Our First Eight has been consistently good day-after-day, so the key for was to go out and do what they do every day. I give a lot of credit to our stern pair of Lucy Searle and Imy Grey. They’re absolutely relentless and focused every stroke. It’s fun to watch them race.” The Second Four finished runner-up with a time of 7:18.10 while Stanford won in 7:30.50.
O’Neill also commented on other crews’ performances throughout the event: “The Second Four gave a terrific effort, but we were overmatched by a very strong Stanford crew… We should only improve from here.” The First Four finished less than a second behind their opponents with O’Neill saying he was impressed by Alex Rollins at stroke seat.
Looking ahead, O’Neill concluded, “We have some work to do and need to get ready for the SEC championship in two weeks… we’re looking forward to the challenge.” Texas will compete next at the SEC Championship on May 10.
