REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – The No. 4-ranked Washington women's rowing team maintained its terrific start to the season with eight wins in eight races, including three each over No. 2 Ohio State and No. 3 Michigan, Saturday at the Pac-12 Challenge.
 
Washington beat both the Buckeyes and Wolverines in all three NCAA Championship events – the first and second varsity eights and the varsity four – and also won a pair of additional fours (2V4+) races against Cal and Stanford.
 
Last month, the Huskies won all three races against USC at the Las Vegas Invitational and, earlier on Saturday, won all three women's races they entered at the Husky Open, meaning that the UW has yet to have a crew lose an intercollegiate race this spring.
 
The two-day Pac-12 Challenge regatta features three Pac-12 teams – Washington, California and Stanford – taking on three powerful programs from the east – Ohio State, Michigan and Virginia – in a series of three dual meets, along with a few other races between other boats.
 
Last year, Ohio State won the varsity eight grand final, but finished second to California for the team title at the NCAA Championships, breaking a run of three consecutive national crowns for the Buckeyes. OSU also finished second in the second varsity eight at the NCAA Regatta last year. Michigan finished 10th overall at last year's NCAAs, while Washington was fourth.
 
In the morning session, the Huskies opened with a nearly 10-second victory over the Buckeyes, winning in 6:21.6 to Ohio State's 6:31.4. After that, the UW wins were even more impressive as the second varsity eight beat Ohio State by 17 seconds (6:23.3 to 6:40.2) and the varsity four won by more than 14 seconds (7:09.1 to 7:23.0).
 
The Huskies capped off the morning's competition with a second varsity four face against California, beating the Golden Bears in that one, 7:16.7 to 7:23.0.
 
After a five-hour break, Washington went back to work against Michigan. In the tightest race of the day, the Huskies' top varsity eight held on to beat the Wolverines, 6:12.38 to 6:14.99, as both cut significant time off of their races earlier in the day. The 2V8 followed by cutting nearly seven seconds off of its earlier time en route to a 15-second win over the Wolverines, 6:16.46 to 6:31.35. The Huskies wrapped up the sweep of Michigan with another convincing win the varsity four, winning by nearly 20 seconds (6:58.77 to 7:18.57).
 
In their final race of the day, the UW's second varsity four beat Stanford, winning with a time of 7:09.68.

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.

Tomorrow, the Huskies wrap up the weekend with four more races as the first and second varsity eights and the first varsity four take on Virginia while the second varsity four gets a rematch with Cal. The first race of the day, the 1V8 vs. Virginia, is scheduled for 9:20 a.m. PT.
 
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.
 
RESULTS:
 
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
 
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.