Women's Rowing 5/16/2022 5:36:00 PM Chris Brannick

UCO Heading Back To Nationals

Central Oklahoma Will Compete For Fourth Consecutive NCAA DII National Championship May 27-28 In Sarasota, Florida

INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA announced Monday the field for the 2022 NCAA Division II Rowing Championships and Central Oklahoma was the first school announced.

Central Oklahoma, winners of the 2018, 2019, and 2021 national championships, will head to Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Florida May 27-28 for the chance to win a fourth-straight title.

"We're grateful for the opportunity," UCO head rowing coach Brian Ebke said. "This is what it's all about. This is what we've been working toward all year long. Last year and the other years are just that. This year and this team has a chance to write their own part of history and we're looking forward to it."

Central Oklahoma will be joined by five other schools for two days of racing in Florida at the end of the month. Embry-Riddle of Daytona Beach, Florida, which competed at Nathan Benderson Park for the Sunshine Conference Championships last month, will make its second straight nationals appearance.

Thomas Jefferson University of Philadelphia will also join the squads in Florida. The Central Athletic Collegiate Conference member will make its fourth appearance at nationals.

Mercyhurst, which overtook Central Oklahoma for the No. 1 position in the CRCA national rankings earlier this season, ending UCO's four-year run at the top spot, will also join the mix in Florida. Mercyhurst earned national runners-up last season behind the Bronchos.

UCO is one of three schools from the West region heading to the national championships. Western Washington and Seattle Pacific will also make the trip across the country in two weeks.

Western Washington won the GNAC title last weekend in front of second-place SPU and UCO.

Central Oklahoma did win the Varsity 4+ title at the GNAC Championships last weekend in Dexter, Oregon. The Bronchos aim to carry that momentum into Sarasota in two weeks.

The schedule for this season's NCAAs will begin with heat racing on Friday, May 27.

UCO's eights are scheduled to race against Seattle Pacific and Mercyhurst in Heat A. The fours will race against Mercyhurst and Western Washington in Heat B.

The winners of Heat A and Heat B for both the eights and the fours will advance to Saturday's Grand Final. The others will race again Friday evening for a spot in the championship.

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