Georgetown women’s rowing opened its 2026 spring season on Sunday, March 22, competing in two separate events at the Occoquan Reservoir in Virginia. The lightweight team took on the University of Wisconsin in a dual race, while the openweight team raced in the annual George’s Cup against George Washington (GW) and George Mason Universities (GMU), hosted by George Mason at Sandy Run Regional Park in Fairfax, Virginia.
Across both competitions, Georgetown delivered a strong early-season performance with multiple race wins and a second-place team finish in the George’s Cup.
Lightweight team wins dual matchup over Wisconsin
The lightweight team claimed victory over Wisconsin, winning two of three races.
The Varsity 8+, the fastest and top boat in collegiate racing consisting of eight rowers and a coxswain who steers the boat, overcame a difficult start caused by oversized lane buoys that disrupted their steering.
“It was super unfortunate,” Cailin Kelly, the coxswain for the Varsity 8+, said in an interview with the Voice. “But I think what was inspiring was the way everyone responded to it. You could feel the energy in the boat, and every single person collectively bought into getting back into the race.”
After trailing early, the Hoyas surged in the middle of the race and pulled ahead in the final stretch to win by 4.5 seconds, finishing in 6:33.8 to Wisconsin’s 6:38.3. In rowing, crews track their position relative to competitors by “seats,” the numbered positions of rowers in the boat, from front to back.
“It was inspiring to see us start one seat down off of the Wisco boat,” Kelly said. “You could tell they were rating higher than us and sticking with us for the first 500 [meters]. We sat on their 6-seat for a bit but once we got to their 4-seat, the boat really dug in and quickly pushed Wisco back. Then we pushed them off and just focused on ourselves.”
In the Varsity 4+, a boat crew featuring four sweep rowers—each handling one oar—and a coxswain. Georgetown fell just short, as the Hoyas finished second in 7:19.1 seconds, 3.1 seconds behind Wisconsin.
The lightweight double, a boat consisting of two rowers with two oars each, secured Georgetown’s second win of the day, finishing in 7:46.2, 2.9 seconds ahead of Wisconsin’s 7:49.1, building on the momentum of the first race and capping off a strong opening performance.
“This was a great race to start off the spring season,” Kelly said. “I feel like this race helped us learn so much as a lineup and how we want to race going forward. I am very excited to see how we can grow not only as a boat but as an entire team.”
Openweight takes second in George’s Cup
In a separate competition, the Georgetown openweight team placed second overall in the George’s Cup, a finishing with 13 points behind GW’s 17. GMU placed third with six points. The race includes both the George’s Cup team points competition and the Class of 1998 Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the Varsity 8+ race.
The event began with the Second Varsity Four. Georgetown opened with a narrow win, beating GW by 1.7 seconds (7:29.2 to 7:30.9).
Georgetown continued with strong depth performances, winning the Varsity Four with a decisive victory in 7:16.9, more than nine seconds ahead of GW.
Georgetown also claimed the Third Varsity 8, finishing in 6:56.7, ahead of GW’s 7:10.6 and GMU’s (8:26.8).
GW took the 2nd Varsity 8+, where Georgetown placed second in 6:56.0 behind GW’s 6:48.7.
The final and most important race, the Varsity 8+, was closely contested, with Georgetown finishing second in 6:30.2, just three seconds behind GW’s winning time of 6:27.2, allowing GW to retain the Class of 1998 Cup. GMU followed in 6:55.9 seconds.
The result continues a recent trend in the rivalry between Georgetown and GW. Georgetown last won the George’s Cup in 2022, and in each of the past four seasons, the teams have been close in overall points, with the Varsity 8+ serving as the deciding boat.
The lightweight team will next compete in the Knecht Cup in Cherry Hill, N.J., from Apr. 11-12, while the openweight team heads to the Philly Invitational in Cherry Hill, N.J., on March 28.
Both teams are building toward a championship season, with the openweight team set to race in the Patriot League Rowing Championships on May 15 before competing in the NCAA Rowing Championships from May 29-31.
The lightweight team will conclude its season at the IRA Championships, also scheduled for May 29-31.
“[One goal for this season is] a medal at IRAs,” Kelly said. “I would also be excited for a team points trophy or placement to reflect the great depth of the team. I feel so fortunate to get to compete with these girls. I know they can win and rise to any occasion.”
