HENDERSON, Nev. – The No. 1-ranked Washington women's rowing team passed its toughest test of the season to date, winning all three races against No. 3 Texas and No. 10 Michigan Saturday morning on Lake Las Vegas.
 
The defending NCAA champion Huskies won the varsity eight, second varsity eight and varsity four – the same three events that are held at the national championship regatta. Last season, when the UW swept all three races to win the title, Michigan finished third overall and Texas fourth.
 
The Longhorns and the Wolverines are the two highest-ranked teams that the UW has faced so far this year, after having won against No. 13 USC and No. 15 Washington State.
 
Saturday morning, the Huskies opened the regatta with a win in the varsity four, under the direction of coxswain Madison Mariani and stroked by Julia Paulsen. The UW boat (6:50.59) beat Texas (6:52.48) by about a length, with Michigan (7:00.77) coming in third.
 
In the second varsity eight, Washington rowed to the victory with about two seats' worth of open water separating the Huskies, coxed by Marley Avritt and with Valentina Iseppi in the stroke seat, from the other two. Washington posted a time of 6:11.40. The Wolverines (6:15.77) edged the Longhorns (6:17.39) to take second.
 
The Huskies wrapped up the day with a win in the varsity eight. With senior Phoebe Marks-Nicholes at the controls and Brooke Pierson stroking, the Washington eight raced to the win in a time of 6:02.60, winning by open water over second-place Texas (6:08.01) and third-place Michigan (6:10.11).

"Going into this race we had the mentality of making a step in speed and in technique," said senior Brooke Mooney, the six seat in the varsity eight. "We knew racing two top-10 teams would be a fight until the very last stroke.  From the first stroke, we were committed to each other and executing what we wanted to do."
 
Up Next
Next Saturday, April 21, the UW men and women travel to Redwood Shores for the annual Cal Dual.
 
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.
 
UW Lineups vs. Texas & Michigan
 
Varsity 8+
Shell: Spirit O
Cox: Phoebe Marks-Nicholes (Seattle, Wash./Ballard)
Stroke: Brooke Pierson (Oak Harbor, Wash./West Potomac (Va.))
7: Tabea Schendekehl (Dortmund, Germany)
6: Brooke Mooney (Peru, Vt./Vermont Academy)
5: Sofia Asoumanaki (Athens, Greece)
4: Marlee Blue (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy)
3: Elise Beuke (Sequim, Wash./Sequim)
2: Jessica Thoennes (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista)
Bow: Katy Gillingham (Seattle, Wash./Holy Names Academy)
 
Second Varsity 8+
Shell: Jean La Fromboise
Cox: Marley Avritt (Newport Beach, Calif./Newport Harbor)
Stroke: Valentina Iseppi (Gardone Riviera, Italy)
7: Calina Schanze (Behlendorf, Germany)
6: Carmela Pappalardo (Salerno, Italy)
5: Karle Pittsinger (Lake Chelan, Wash./Lake Chelan)
4: Klara Grube (Lübeck, Germany)
3: Jennifer Wren (Seattle, Wash./Bishop Blanchet)
2: Emma Vagen (Kent, Wash./Kentwood)
Bow: Anna Thornton (Nottingham, U.K.)
 
Varsity 4+
Shell: EOC '96
Cox: Madison Mariani (Snoqualmie, Wash./Mount Si)
Stroke: Julia Paulsen (Seattle, Wash./The Bush School)
3: Sara Clark (Newport Beach, Calif./Corona del Mar)
2: Anna Porteous (Kingston upon Thames, U.K.)
Bow: Skylar Jacobson (Lakewood, Wash./Steilacoom)