REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – No. 4-ranked California took back the Simpson Cup with a win over No. 7 Washington in the women's varsity eight race this morning at the annual UW-Cal Dual regatta at Redwood Shores.
 
The Huskies' top crew made significant improvement vis-a-vis California in comparison to the two boats' finish at the San Diego Crew Classic earlier this month. Saturday, the Huskies finished 3.8 seconds, after having fallen by more than eight seconds in San Diego.
 
California won all five races Saturday, a year after Washington had won four out of five in the Dual, including the varsity eight race, the winner of which earns the Simpson Cup.
 
"We made progress in a number of lineups since the Crew Classic," said UW head coach Yasmin Farooq, "but congratulations to Cal for winning the day and the Simpson Cup."
 
The varsity eight race was tightly contested in the early-going before the Bears moved into a solid lead in the second 500. The Bears won the race with a time of 6:08.8, while Washington crossed the line in 6:12.6.
 
In the second varsity eight race, Cal took the early lead and successfully held off a strong move from the Huskies around the midway point of the race. The Bears won the race by just shy of a boat-length in 6:20.2. Washington was three seconds back, in 6:23.2.
 
California won the varsity four race with a time of 7:01.9 and took the third varsity eight race, which was a close one much of the way, in 6:33.2. The morning opened with a Bears win the in the fourth varsity eight, where Cal crossed the line in 6:46.9.
 
"We will miss racing against Cal in the Pac-12 championships next year," said Farooq, pointing out that the two schools are moving to different conferences this summer, "but we are proud that the Dual will live on. This is one of the oldest rivalries in women's sports and one that we are committed to keep going."
 
Next up, in two weeks, is the annual Windermere Cup & Opening Day Regatta, when men's and women's crews from Italy and the University of Wisconsin will race the Huskies on Montlake Cut in one of the world's great annual rowing events.
 
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
 
Varsity Eight
Shell: Kit Green
Cox: Grace Murdock (Roswell, Ga./Milton)
Stroke: Elena Collier-Hezel (Buffalo, N.Y./Park School/Michigan)
7: Nikki Martincic (Newtown, Australia)
6: Zola Kemp (Wellington, New Zealand)
5: Angharad Broughton (Cardiff, Wales, U.K.)
4: Olivia Hay (Auckland, New Zealand)
3: Shakira Mirfin (Invercargill, New Zealand
2: Caitlin Bentley (Johannesburg, South Africa)
Bow: Cillian Mullen (Tacoma, Wash./Batavia (Ill.))
 
Second Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Legacy
Cox: Carina Baxter (El Dorado Hills, Calif./Oak Ridge)
Stroke: Mira Calder (Victoria, B.C., Canada/Claremont)
7: Jordan Freer (Lotus, Calif./El Dorado/UCSB)
6: Ava Meuleman (Seattle, Wash./Roosevelt)
5: Christiana Congdon (Stonington, Conn./St. Paul's)
4: Abby Adebiyi (London, England, U.K.)
3: Isabel van Opzeeland (Hoofddorp, Netherlands)
2: Grace Vander Griend (Bellingham, Wash/Sehome)
Bow: Jess Weir (London, England, U.K.)
 
Varsity Four
Shell: Wendell S. Sykes
Cox: Olivia Murdock (Roswell, Ga./Milton)
Stroke: Paris Burbine (Alpharetta, Ga./Cambridge)
3: Cait Whittard (St. Catherines, Ont., Canada)
2: Sofie Sand (Rochester, Wash./Rochester)
Bow: Grace Epp (Redmond, Wash./Redmond)
 
Third Varsity EIght
Shell: Dottie Simpson
Cox: Camille Randall (Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep)
Stroke: Carmel Bollag (Seattle, Wash./University Prep)
7: Caitlin Hane (Irvine, Calif./University)
6: Alex Dessart (Bronxville, N.Y./Bronxville)
5: Eliza Perry (Bellingham, Wash./Sehome)
4: Victoria Gevaudan (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic)
3: Brianna Hoffman (Poulsbo, Wash./North Kitsap)
2: Margaret Young (San Anselmo, Calif./Archie Williams)
Bow: Allison Jakeway (Maple Ridge, B.C., Canada)
 
Fourth Varsity Eight
Shell: Title IX Sisterhood
Cox: Elisabeth Wu (Seattle, Wash./Shorecrest/Wisconsin)
Stroke: Isabelle Tinsley (Venice, Fla./College of Florida Collegiate School)
7: Claire Surbeck (Bellevue, Wash./International School)
6: Cami Martin (Seattle, Wash./Nathan Hale)
5: Izzy Peters (Bellingham, Wash./Squalicum)
4: Danielle Lohrenz (Excelsior, Minn./Minnetonka)
3: Fiona Rosales (Oakland, Calif./Oakland School for the Arts)
2: Maddie Ohm (Chicago, Ill./Lyons Township)
Bow: Luella Bowersock (Austin, Texas/Austin)