National Champions!
UW Makes History
In May 2015, Washington’s historically rich men’s rowing program reached new heights by becoming the first program ever to win five consecutive Intercollegiate Rowing Association’s men’s varsity eight national titles, while also sweeping all five heavyweight championship races for just the third time in regatta history.
The Huskies won the varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity eight, freshman eight and varsity four, marking the team’s third five-race sweep in the last four years (the UW also did it in 2012 and 2013). No other program has ever accomplished a five-race sweep in the history of the IRA Regatta, which was first run in 1895. Including heats and semifinals, Washington won 14 out of 14 races at the IRAs.
Also, for the unprecedented ninth straight year, Washington won the James Ten Eyck Trophy, given to the overall points champion. The Ten Eyck, first awarded in 1952, has been won by the Huskies a total of 12 times, including every years since 2007.
A Message from the Men's
History Author
My goal was to write a factual history that also provides an insight into the people that have shaped the sport at Washington.
The history that is written here has been researched via a number of sources: the individual sources used in any specific year or decade are documented at the end of each section. Every effort has been made to corroborate factual data via newspapers, the University yearbook the Tyee, publications on rowing, the internet, and the various writings found in the archives of the VBC.
Also, a note of thanks to those who helped out with this project. Bob Ernst, Ellen Ernst (women’s history author), all our friends at MSCUA, Stan Pocock, Bob Moch, Irma and Al Erickson (who let me dig through Dick’s attic), Paul Yount, Lisa Center and the media department at the Washington Athletic Department, and everyone who took the time to answer questions – thank you!
Eric Cohen, ’82, Washington Rowing Historian
