REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – The No. 4-ranked Washington women's rowing team capped off a nearly perfect weekend Sunday, adding three more victories to its spring season résumé against some of the top competition in the country. The Huskies ultimately finished 11-for-12 at the Pac-12 Challenge against a field that included five of the top ten teams in the nation.

"Our three goals coming into this regatta were to have great teamwork, execute a disciplined race plan, and learn from each race as we went along," said head coach Yasmin Farooq. "I'm really proud of all four boats for doing exactly that.

In the Sunday morning session, Washington defeated the No. 7-ranked University of Virginia in all three races – the first and second varsity eights and the varsity four – but fell to No. 1 California in the second varsity four. The Huskies' 2V4+ had beaten Cal's on Saturday, but the Bears got the win on Sunday.

The Huskies have won 17 of 18 races this season after winning all races against USC in the Las Vegas Invitational and collecting 14 more this weekend at Redwood Shores and Saturday's Husky Open. 

Washington began the day Sunday with an 11-second victory over Virginia in the varsity eight. Last season, the Virginia Cavaliers finished in third place at the NCAA Championships and finished fifth in the varsity eight grand final.
 
Following the varsity eight race, the Huskies picked up two more wins against the Cavs in the second varsity eight and the varsity four.  Each of the Huskies' wins were with open water. Washington finished the morning with a defeat in the second varsity four from the defending national champion, California.

"It was a really good first weekend of racing, but we know each of these teams will be much faster by the end of May," added Farqooq. "So, we have to continue to strive to do that as well."

This weekend the Huskies set multiple records on the course of Redwood Shores. The team set new course records on Saturday in the V8+ (6:12.38), the 2V8+ (6:16.46) and the V4+ (6:58.77). The previous V8+ record was set by Cal in 2015 6:13.0. Washington V4+ is the first four to go sub 7:00 at Redwood Shores.

"This weekend was the ultimate team effort," said junior Karle Pittsinger . "We came in not knowing what to expect from the competition, but decided to simply trust the training. Every boat executed the plan to row low and powerful, but more importantly we rowed as a unit."

"Coach Yaz often tells us to be "Machine Like", firing our legs down at the same time," said Pittsinger.  "I think the real "Machine" is the support behind Washington rowing. All parts of the "machine" put in their part at the PAC 12 Challenge, from the trainers to coaches and finally the athletes. We are proud of our performance this weekend, however the search for boat speed doesn't have an expiration date." 

Next Saturday, April 8, the UW women will both compete at the Oregon State Classic at Dexter Lake in Oregon, where they'll face UCLA, Oregon State and Washington State.
 
Click HERE for a full recap of Day 1.
 
RESULTS:
 
Sunday Morning Session:
Women's Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:22.24; 2. Virginia 6:33.49
Women's Second Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:21.33; 2. Virginia 6:38.13
Women's Varsity 4+: 1. Washington 7:00.01; 2. Virginia 7:26.28
Women's Second Varsity 4+: 1. California 7:11.67; 2. Washington 7:13.92
 
Saturday Morning Session:
Women's Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:21.6; 2. Ohio State 6:31.4
Women's Second Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:23.3; 2. Ohio State 6:40.3
Women's Varsity 4+: 1. Washington 7:09.1; 2. Ohio State 7:23.3
Women's Second Varsity 4+: 1. Washington 7:16.7; 2. California 7:23.0
 
Saturday Afternoon Session:
Women's Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:12.38; 2. Michigan 6:14.99
Women's Second Varsity 8+: 1. Washington 6:16.46; 2. Michigan 6:31.35
Women's Varsity 4+: 1. Washington 6:58.77; 2. Michigan 7:18.57
Women's Second Varsity 4+: 1. Washington 7:09.68; 2. Stanford 7:25.75
 
Follow Washington Rowing on Facebook, Twitter (@UW_Rowing) and Instagram at @washingtonrowing for updates and information.
 
About Washington Rowing
Rowing at University of Washington was established in 1901 with support from the local business community. In 1903, Washington entered its first intercollegiate race and defeated California, starting their storied "Cal Dual" rivalry. From this beginning, UW crews became the champions in the nation, winning the Gold Medal in the Olympics in 1936 as described in the New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat. UW has continued its tradition of winning championships and Olympic medals, and today is one of the best university rowing programs in the world. With its state-of-the-art training facility located on the UW campus right on the shores of Lake Washington, surrounded by mountains and in close proximity to the iconic Montlake Cut, Washington Rowing attracts the best men and women student-athletes from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. More information at GoHuskies.com, WashingtonRowing.com and @UW_Rowing.