SARASOTA, Fla. – The No. 1-ranked Washington men's rowing team won three of four races, including both the first and second varsity eights races, to win the Benderson Cup Saturday. The Huskies beat four top-10 ranked teams to earn the Cup for the second year in a row.
 
Washington won the first and second varsity eights, as well as the fourth varsity eights, while finishing second in third varsity eight race to wrap up the two-day regatta at Nathan Benderson Park.
 
On Friday, the Huskies won four out of four dual races vs. No. 3 Harvard. The Crimson were in the field of five for Saturday's racing, along with No. 5 Yale, No. 6 Brown and No. 9 Northeastern.
 
Saturday, In the varsity eight race, Washington grabbed the early lead, trying to avenge a loss in the same event last year. Harvard, the team that beat the Huskies in 2024, kept pace, closely trailing the Huskies in the first quarter of the race. 
 
But, UW maintained and then added to its lead into the home stretch, leaving Harvard to fight Brown for second place. 
 
The Huskies completed the regatta with a win in a time of 5:31.58. Brown held off the Crimson to finish second, just over two seconds back of the UW crew.
 
The second varsity eight race was a challenge for the Huskies as Harvard and Yale, rowing on either side of the UW crew, moved into the top-two spots off of the starting line. 
 
By the 1,000-meter mark, Harvard had taken the lead and UW had moved into second. In the later portion of the 2,000 meters, Washington took command, leaving the two old Ivy League rivals to battle for second.
 
Washington won the second varsity eight race in 5:36.42, while Harvard edged out Yale for second, about two seconds back of the Huskies and just 0.42 seconds ahead of the Elis.
 
In the third varsity eight race, UW and Harvard jumped out to the front of the five-boat pack, with the Crimson leading early on. By the midway point, Washington had crept into the lead, but Harvard rowed into the lead in the final 500 meters.
 
The Crimson won the race in 5:39.80, 0.76 seconds and about two seats in front of Washington. Those two were well ahead of the rest of the field, with Brown, Northeastern and Yale claiming third, fourth and fifth, in that order.
 
Washington's all-freshman crew won the fourth varsity eight race. In that one, it was Yale that took a clear lead from the starting docks, but all four crews (Northeastern did not enter the 4V8+ race) remained in contention.
 
By 1,000 meters, Washington had taken the lead and Harvard started to challenge both Brown and Yale. The Huskies crossed the line in 5:50.95, a little over a second-and-a-half in front of Harvard, while Brown rowed through Yale for third place.
 
Next up, the Huskies will travel to the Bay Area next Saturday to race vs. Stanford for the Paup Cup at Redwood Shore.
 
WASHINGTON LINEUPS
 
Varsity Eight
Shell: Chuck Holtz III
Cox: Nick Dunlop
Stroke: Ryan Smith
7: Harry Fitzpatrick
6: Ben Shortt
5: Sam Ford
4: Logan Ullrich
3: Jonathan Wang-Norderud
2: Giuseppe Bellomo
Bow: Blake Vogel
 
Second Varsity Eight
Shell: Carl Lovsted
Cox: Kieran Joyce
Stroke: Ryan Martin
7: Klas Ole Lass
6: Quinn Hall
5: Povilas Juskevicius
4: Ian Burnett
3: Lyle Donovan
2: Marius Bjørn-Hansen Ahlsand
Bow: Finn Griskauskas
 
Third Varsity Eight
Shell: Jacobi
Cox: Nikita Jacobs
Stroke: Rory McDonnell
7: Hector Guimet
6: Marc Tennesen
5: Alex Gonin
4: Ewan Morrow
3: Matteo Belgeri
2: Parker Raines
Bow: Ethan Walsh
 
Fourth Varsity Eight (Freshman Eight)
Shell: John Nordstrom 
Cox: Anjali Pamurthy
Stroke: Tobias Bosnes
7:Will Milne
6 Devan Godfrey
5: Lucas Andersen
4: Jed Grieve
3: Marley Kingsmith
2: Crosby LaMotte
Bow: Colin Phariss