SEATTLE – The West Coast's most celebrated collegiate rowing regatta, the Washington-Cal Dual, is set for this Saturday morning, April 21, at Redwood Shores, Calif.
 
The women's races match the top two teams in the nation, according to the most recent USRowing/CRCA rankings, as the Huskies enter as the No. 1 team and Golden Bears are No. 2. On the men's side, it's Cal that enters the weekend ranked No. 1, while Washington is No. 3.
 
Last season, Washington's women swept all three grand finals to win the NCAA championship, while Cal finished second. At the Intercollegiate Rowing Association championship regatta, the UW men finished second in the varsity eight grand final and won the James Ten Eyck overall points championship, while Cal was fifth in the V8+ grand final and fourth in the Ten Eyck standings, one point away from third-place Harvard.
 
"We're looking forward to the weekend," Washington men's coach Michael Callahan said. "It's going to be calm in the 70's with a south wind wrapping around to the southwest. I've been emphasizing a healthy layer of sunscreen with the team. The racing will be hot!"
 
Last year in Seattle, the Huskies and Golden Bears split their eight men's and women's races. The Golden Bears won both varsity eight races while Washington won both second varsity eight events. The Huskies also won the men's 3V8 and the women's varsity four while Cal took the men's freshman eight and the women's 3V8.
 
This year, the Huskies and Bears will contest 10 races in total: the men's and women's first, second and third varsity eights, the varsity four and the freshmen eight.
 
"It's really great to get to take all five of the Pac-12 lineups," UW women's coach Yasmin Farooq said. "It's fantastic experience for our walk-ons and younger rowers."
 
"We really respect one another," Farooq added. "Two of our rowers and two of Cal's were teammates in the USA women's eight at Under-23s last year. These two teams will push each other really hard. Hopefully that brings out the best in both of us and results in really good racing."
 
"California is the number one team in collegiate rowing," Callahan continued. "Rowing against them on their home course is a challenge for us.  This is an opportunity to celebrate the hard work we've put into our training."
 
UW MEN vs. CAL
The Washington-California men's varsity eight dual series dates back to 1903, with 106 meetings between the two schools. At stake is the Schoch Cup, named after Delos Schoch of Washington's class of 1936. Washington holds a 73-32-1 record in the dual meeting, having won eight in a row prior to California's victories the last three seasons.
 
Washington's varsity eight has been nothing short of dominant over the last seven years, winning five IRA national championships in a row from 2011-2015. The Huskies have also won 10 of the last 11 James Ten Eyck trophies, given to the overall points winner at the IRAs. Cal won it in 2016, breaking an unprecedented nine-year run by the UW, who took it back in 2017. No other program has ever won the Ten Eyck more than four years straight.
 
Washington's second varsity eight series with Cal dates back to 1939, with the UW winning 49 of 72 races. The Huskies won seven straight from 2009-2015, before the Golden Bears won in 2016. Washington won the 2V last year.
 
The UW's freshman eight race began in 1939, with Washington wining 56 of 75 races, including a dominating win in 2011. The Huskies' longest winning streak in the freshman eight was 15 consecutive from 1966 through 1980.
 
UW WOMEN vs. CAL
Washington and California have a women's varsity eight rivalry that dates back to 1977. The Huskies will race for a chance to claim the Simpson Cup, which was donated by longtime Washington supporters Hunter and Dottie Simpson, whose daughter Anne rowed at Cal. Washington leads the series 23-18, and at one point won 22 of 23 races from 1981-2003. The Huskies' last victory in the varsity eight came in 2013. California has won 13 of the last 14.
 
The second varsity eight series against California began in 1975, with Washington winning 28 of 39 races. The Golden Bears won in 2004, snapping an 11-race UW win streak that was the Huskies' longest in the series.
 
In the third varsity eight (formerly the Novice Eight), the Huskies hold the 26-13 edge, dating back to 1977. The UW won 11 in a row from 1990-2011.  Cal won that race last year in Seattle.
 
CAL DUAL FULL SCHEDULE
April 21, 2018
9:00 a.m.: Women's Freshman 8+
9:12 a.m.: Men's Third Varsity 8+
9:24 a.m.: Women's Third Varsity 8+
9:36 a.m.: Men's Varsity 4+
9:48 a.m.: Women's Varsity 4+
10:00 a.m.: Men's Freshman 8+
10:12 a.m.: Women's Second Varsity 8+
10:24 a.m.: Men's Second Varsity 8+
10:36 a.m.: Women's Varsity 8+
10:48 a.m.: Men's Varsity 8+
 
LIVE STREAM AND OTHER COVERAGE
For all of the latest information on race coverage – any live video that might be available, etc. – please check the UW Rowing twitter account.
 
NEXT UP
After a week off, the Huskies host the annual Windermere Cup/Opening Day Regatta, on May 5. The UW women will take on the Dutch National Team, which finished sixth at World Championships last year, while the men play host to the reigning collegiate champions from Great Britain (Oxford Brookes University) and Canada (University of British Columbia).
 
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.