Princeton, Western Washington and Williams College Top Preseason Women’s Rowing Polls

Princeton University claimed the top spot in the preseason USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Poll, while Western Washington University and Williams College topped the Division II and III polls, respectively.

In Division I, Princeton earned 12 of 24 first-place votes to take the top position in the preseason rankings. California earned five first-place votes to garner the second spot in the poll, while Virginia earned seven first-place votes to rank third. Yale University and Brown University rounded out the top five.

Western Washington was a unanimous choice for the top spot in the Division II poll. Dowling College ranked second, while Nova Southeastern ranked third.

Williams College received four of seven first-place votes to take the top spot in the Division III poll. Ithaca College ranked second, followed by Colby College, Trinity College, and Tufts University. Ithaca received the other three first-place votes.

The first regular season poll will be released on March 28. The first USRowing men’s collegiate poll, which is not affiliated with the CRCA, also is scheduled to be released on March 28.

USRowing is a nonprofit organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for the sport of rowing in the United States. USRowing’s Official Sponsor is Johnson & Johnson; its Official Suppliers are Hudson Boat Works and NIKE, Inc.; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation. The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s official partner is www.row2k.com.

Women’s NCAA Division I Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes), Points

1. Princeton University (12), 455

2. University of California at Berkeley (5), 440

3. University of Virginia (7), 392

4. Yale University, 367

5. Brown University, 362

6. The Ohio State University, 358

7. University of Washington, 322

8. Washington State University, 279

9. University of Tennessee, 236

10. University of Southern California, 228

11. University of Notre Dame, 214

12. Stanford University, 209

13. University of Minnesota, 184

14. Michigan State University, 174

15. University of Michigan, 141

16. University of Wisconsin, 140

17. University of California at Los Angeles, 136

18. Harvard University, 99

19. University of Louisville, 88

20. Northeastern University, 54

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Dartmouth College 45, Boston University 33, United States Naval Academy 25, Clemson University 19, University of Central Florida 16, Duke University 9, Oregon State University 6, Columbia University 5, and University of Iowa 4.

Women’s NCAA Division II Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes), Points

1. Western Washington University (3), 15

2. Dowling College, 12

3. Nova Southeastern, 7

4. University of California at San Diego, 6

5. Florida Tech, 5

Women’s NCAA Division III Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes), Points

1. Williams College (4), 137

2. Ithaca College (3), 117

3. Colby College, 108

4. Trinity College, 106

5. Tufts University, 104

6. United States Coast Guard Academy, 103

7. Bates College, 96

8. University of Puget Sound, 94

9. Smith College, 86

10. William Smith College, 78

11. Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 63

12. Mt. Holyoke College, 60

13. Lewis & Clark College, 51

14. Vassar College, 44

15. Hamilton College, 43

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Wellesley College 27, Washington College 15, Wesleyan University 12, Connecticut College 7, Pacific Lutheran University 7, and University of Mary Washington 7.

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