Women's Rowing 4/6/2025 11:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Gets Fourth In Rugged Home Event

Bronchos Host 5 of Top 7 Programs In DII

OKLAHOMA CITY – Central Oklahoma and four other top-ranked Division II programs battled through tough conditions this weekend to get in three rounds of racing on the Oklahoma River for the UCO Invitational.

Five of the top seven teams in the country met in OKC this weekend and managed two rounds of racing on Friday and one more Saturday morning as each crew dealt with tough wind, rain, and low temperatures.

No. 1 ranked Embry-Riddle (Fla.) earned 62 points racing this weekend, four more than No. 2 ranked Cal Poly Humboldt. No. 4 Seattle Pacific was third with 43 points, No. 5 Central Oklahoma finished fourth with 38 points, and No. 7 Thomas Jefferson (Pa.) was fifth with 19 points.

"What a weekend of racing here in Oklahoma City," UCO interim head rowing coach Jimmy Francis said. "Despite challenging conditions, including strong crosswinds and gusts nearing 47 mph on Saturday, our crews showed grit, discipline, and competitive fire from start to finish. Every race was an opportunity to learn, and our athletes answered the call. From technique under pressure to executing in rough water, our boats proved they belong in the top conversation. We're proud of the progress and excited to keep building. The focus now shifts to preparing for the WIRA in April."

Friday afternoon, Central opened with a second-place finish in the Varsity 8+ race, finishing the 2,000-meter track in 7:11.8 behind Cal Poly Humboldt's 7:04.9 time. The Bronchos were at nearly the same time in the second round, finishing in 7:12.5, which was fourth in that race. UCO's eights posted a 7:26.6 in the third round Saturday morning to finish third.

The Varsity 4+ races saw Central Oklahoma finish fourth (8:09.1) in the first round and fifth (8:04.7) in the second round. On Saturday morning, UCO finished third with a time of 8:21.0 in its final race of the weekend.

Central Oklahoma is scheduled to compete in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships April 26-27 in Sacramento, California, and will return there for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championships May 17. The 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Rowing National Championships are scheduled for May 30-31 in New Jersey.

UCO Invitational
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Oklahoma River
Round 1
Varsity 8+
1. Cal Poly Humboldt, 7:04.9
2. Central Oklahoma, 7:11.8
3. Embry Riddle, 7:12.3
4. Seattle Pacific, 7:13.5
5. Thomas Jefferson, 7:19.7
Varsity 4+
1. Cal Poly Humboldt, 7:52.9
2. Embry Riddle, 7:59.8
3. Seattle Pacific, 8:08.1
4. Central Oklahoma, 8:09.1
5. Thomas Jefferson, 7:07.3
Round 2
Varsity 8+
1. Cal Poly Humboldt, 7:04.0
2. Embry Riddle, 7:07.3
3. Seattle Pacific, 7:08.0
4. Central Oklahoma, 7:12.5
5. Thomas Jefferson, 7:17.5
Varsity 4+
1. Cal Poly Humboldt, 7:43.1
2. Embry Riddle, 7:51.0
3. Seattle Pacific, 7:58.1
4. Thomas Jefferson, 8:01.9
5. Central Oklahoma, 8:04.7
Round 3
Varsity 8+
1. Embry Riddle, 7:20.4
2. Cal Poly Humboldt, 7:23.1
3. Central Oklahoma, 7:26.6
4. Seattle Pacific, 7:41.4
5. Thomas Jefferson, 7:49.6
Varsity 4+
1. Embry Riddle, 8:13.2
2. Seattle Pacific, 8:18.3
3. Central Oklahoma, 8:21.0
4. Cal Poly Humboldt, 9:19.7
5. Thomas Jefferson, 9:36.3

Print Friendly Version