Yale University claimed the top spot in this week’s USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Poll, while Western Washington University and Trinity College topped the Division II and III polls, respectively.

Yale earned 13 of 22 first-place votes to top this week’s Division I poll. California dropped to second position, receiving the remaining nine first-place votes. Washington State ranked third, followed by Tennessee and Princeton.

For the seventh consecutive week, Western Washington was a unanimous choice for the top spot in the Division II poll, receiving all four first-place votes. Dowling College ranked second, while Mercyhurst College ranked third.

For the second week in a row, Trinity College received six of nine first-place votes to earn the top spot in the Division III poll. Williams College received the other three first-place votes to rank second. Bates College, The United States Coast Guard Academy and St. Lawrence University rounded out the top five.

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, NIKE, Inc., and Rosetta Stone; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; its Official Registrar is RegattaCentral; 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 Previous Week

1. Yale University (13) 431 2

2. University of California (9) 427 1

3. Washington State University 359 4

4. University of Tennessee 348 5

5. Princeton University 335 7

6. Michigan State University 319 6

7t. Harvard University 300 12

7t. University of Virginia  300 3

9. Stanford University 268 8

10. Brown University 257 10

11. University of Michigan 245 9

12. University of Southern California 192 11

13. Oregon State University 159 14

14. The Ohio State University 153 13

15. University of Washington 152 15

16. University of Minnesota 93 16

17t. Clemson University 72 17

17t. Dartmouth College 72 19

17t. Notre Dame University 72 18

20. University of California at Los Angeles 29 20

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Northeastern University 24, University of Louisville 10, Bucknell University 1, Gonzaga University 1 and University of Wisconsin 1.

Women’s NCAA Division II Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points Previous Week

1. Western Washington University (4) 20 1

2. Dowling College 16 2

3. Mercyhurst College 12 5

4. Philadelphia University  8 3

5. Nova Southeastern 4 4

Women’s NCAA Division III Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points Previous Week

1. Trinity College (6) 177 1

2. Williams College (3) 174 2

3. Bates College 160 3

4. United States Coast Guard Academy 143 4

5. St. Lawrence University 138 5

6. University of Puget Sound 135 7

7. William Smith College 121 8

8. Ithaca College 116 6

9. Tufts University 106 11t

10. Mt. Holyoke College 102 9

11. Wesleyan College 79 10

12. Wellesley College 78 11t

13. Simmons College 70 NR

14. Washington College 69 14

15. Smith College 57 13

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of Mary Washington 24 and Colby College 6.

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Washington Tops Men’s Eight Poll; Princeton Tops Lightweight Women’s Poll

The University of Washington once again topped this week’s USRowing Men’s Varsity Eight collegiate coaches’ poll, while Princeton University earned the No. 1 ranking in USRowing’s Women’s Varsity Lightweight Eight poll.

Washington earned 14 of 18 first-place votes to keep the top spot in the men’s varsity eight poll. Brown University ranked second, followed by Wisconsin, Harvard and Princeton. Wisconsin received the remaining four first-place votes.

Princeton received eight of 11 first-place votes to earn the top spot in this week’s women’s lightweight eight poll. Stanford ranked second, followed by Radcliffe, Georgetown and Central Florida. Stanford received the other three first-place votes.

The next men’s lightweight eight poll of the year will be released May 14.

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, NIKE, Inc., and Rosetta Stone; its Official Patron is Concept2; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Timer is Powerhouse Timing; its Official Registrar is RegattaCentral; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. USRowing also receives generous support from the National Rowing Foundation.

Men’s Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points Previous Week

1. University of Washington (14) 355 1

2. Brown University 338 2

3. University of Wisconsin (4) 308 3

4. Harvard University 305 4

5. Princeton University 289 5

6. University of California 264 6

7. Columbia University 245 7

8. Northeastern University 232 8

9. Stanford University 223 9

10. Syracuse University 193 11

11. Cornell University 177 13

12. United States Naval Academy 161 12

13. Yale University 159 10

14. Oregon State University 107 14

15. Georgetown University 98 16

16. Trinity College 89 15

17. Boston University 71 17

18. University of Virginia 48 18

19. Gonzaga University 47 19

20. University of Michigan 28 20

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: George Washington University 9, University of Pennsylvania 9, Dartmouth College 8, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 4, Orange Coast College 4, University of Southern California 3, Purdue University 2, The Ohio State University 2, University of California at San Diego 1 and University of San Diego 1.

(This weeks men’s varsity eight voters: Craig Amerkhanian, Topher Bordeau, Michael Callahan, Chris Clark, Rex Clothier, Brooks Dagman, Dan Gehn, Steve Gladstone, Greg Hartsuff, Brooks Jones, Curtis Jordan, Anthony Kilbridge, Greg Myhr, John Pojednic, David Reischman, Tom Sullivan, Steve Todd, Mike Zimmer)

Women’s Lightweight Varsity Eights

Team (1st-Place Votes) Points Previous Week

1. Princeton University (8) 217 1

2. Stanford University (3) 211 2

3. Radcliffe 197 3

4. Georgetown University 182 4

5. University of Central Florida 165 5t

6. University of Wisconsin 164 5t

7. Lehigh University 129 8

8. Virginia Tech 125 9

9. Loyola Marymount University 122 7

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 117 10

11. University of California 114 11t

12. University of Buffalo 93 13

13. Bucknell University 81 11t

14. Duquesne University 75 14

15. Temple University 71 15

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of Dayton 23, Penn State University 18, Santa Clara University 17, The Ohio State University 14 and Pacific Lutheran University 10.

(This weeks women’s lightweight eight voters: Al Acosta, Sara-Mai Conway, Seth Davis, Carlo Facchino, Claire Kostrzewski, Tone Lawver, Elizabeth Meltzer, Erik Miller, Kristopher Muhl, Rich Wendling, Dan Wolleben)

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