It was 100 years ago this June that the Washington men's rowing team headed east and claimed the program's first ever Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championship. Today, the Huskies received their official invitation to compete for their 20th.
 
The IRA released its final list of entries for the 2023 IRA National Championship Regatta, and the Huskies will send four crews to Mercer Lake in West Windsor, N.J., where they'll row Friday-Sunday, June 2-4. The UW will compete in all four heavyweight categories: the first, second and third varsity eights, and the varsity four.
 
Washington will row in the following heats on June 2, the first day of the regatta (schedules subject to change):
 
8:40 a.m.  ET/5:40 a.m. PT – Varsity 8+, heat four
Lanes 2-7: Oregon State, Georgetown, Washington, Syracuse, Penn, Colgate
 
9:20 a.m. ET/6:20 a.m. PT – Second Varsity 8+, heat two
Lanes 2-6: Oregon State, Northeastern, Washington, Yale, Navy
 
10:10 a.m. ET/7:10 a.m. PT – Third Varsity 8+, heat one
Lanes 2-7: Northeastern, Princeton, Washington, Harvard, Cornell, Santa Clara
 
11:20 a.m. ET/8:20 a.m. PT – Varsity 4+, time trial
 
Semifinals in the three eights races will be run between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. ET on Sat., June 3, while the varsity eight finals will be held later that morning, culminating with the grand final at 11:40 a.m. ET.
 
On Sunday, the heavyweight grand finals are scheduled for 9:20 a.m. ET (3V8+), 9:50 a.m. ET (2V8+) and 10:40 a.m. ET (V8+). See the links at the top right of this page for more.
 
First held in 1895, the IRA regatta was held on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for most of its early history, including 1923, when head coach Rusty Callow '15 led the Huskies to their first national title. Washington had made its first-ever trip to IRAs 10 years earlier, in 1913, when they finished third in the varsity eight final.
 
In 1923, the Huskies, who had finished second to Navy in the '22 final, earned a measure of revenge, beating the Midshipmen in the three-mile final, completing the race in 14 minutes, 3.2 seconds. The UW won again in '24.
 
Over the 100 years, the Huskies have won 19 national championships in men's rowing, which is awarded to the winner of the IRA varsity eight grand final. The most recent UW title was won in the 2021 regatta.
 
In addition to the 19 Varsity Challenge Cup (national champion) wins, the Huskies have also won the Kennedy Challenge Cup (second varsity eight) 30 times; the Stewards Cup (formerly freshman eight; now third varsity eight) 29 times; the Eric W. Will Trophy (varsity four) 13 times; and both the Freshman Four and Third Varsity Eight (prior to Stewards Cup changing) once each. Washington has won the James Ten Eyck Memorial Trophy, for overall points, on 17 occasions.