PENNSAUKEN, N.J. – No. 1 Central Oklahoma returns to the NCAA Division II Rowing Championships this week with heat racing scheduled to begin Friday morning.
Central Oklahoma, which won its second GNAC Championship in the last three years two weeks ago in Oregon, returns to nationals for the eighth time with the goal of winning the fourth national title in school history. UCO won three consecutive national championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021. The Bronchos finished fifth at last year's championships.
UCO is joined by Cal Poly Humboldt, Embry-Riddle, Seattle Pacific, Thomas Jefferson, and Western Washington. There will be two heat races for both the Varsity 8+ and Varsity 4+ boats on Friday, May 26, with the winners advancing to the Grand Final on Saturday, May 27. The second and third-place boats in each heat will compete in the repechage races Friday afternoon for the third spot in the Grand Final. Three boats will also compete in the Petite Final on Saturday.
The Broncho eights will race in the second heat at 11:36 a.m. (Eastern) against Thomas Jefferson and Seattle Pacific. The fours will follow in the first heat at 11:48 a.m. against Thomas Jefferson and Seattle Pacific.
Friday's repechage races are scheduled for 4:12 p.m. (eights) and 4:24 p.m. (fours). Saturday's finals begin at 11 a.m. with the V4+ Petite, with the Grand Final scheduled for 11:12 a.m. The V8+ Petite Final is scheduled for 11:48 a.m. and the Grand Final follows at 12 p.m.
Central Oklahoma is racing familiar foes in Jersey. All four schools in the GNAC qualified for the championships. Last week in Oregon, UCO won the title with a second-place finish in the eights and a first-place finish in the fours, earning one more team point than Cal Poly Humboldt. SPU finished third and WWU fourth.
The Bronchos also saw Embry-Riddle in Florida in April at the FIRA Championships. UCO outpaced the aeronautical school in both boats as the two finished 1-2 at the championships. Central has also beaten Thomas Jefferson and SPU at the Knecht Cup in New Jersey in April. At the site of next weekend's championships, UCO's fours won first-place over fourth-place SPU and sixth-place TJU while the eights were second in front of SPU (third) and Thomas Jefferson (fourth).
Central Oklahoma's Varsity 8+ boat has won a national championship in 2017, 2018, 2019, and in 2021. The Varsity 4+ boat claimed national championships in 2019 and 2021.
