After winning the Dale England Cup at home for the ninth consecutive season, Indiana rowing returned for the Big Ten Championships. However, the momentum from the victory could not carry over into the postseason regatta, as the Hoosiers finished seventh against conference opponents Sunday.
Indiana racked up 143 points throughout the two days of rowing at the Indianapolis Rowing Center on the Eagles Creek Reservoir in Indianapolis. No. 4 Washington took home first place for the second straight season after accumulating 350 points and winning six grand finals.
Due to adverse weather conditions in the Indianapolis area Saturday, preliminary races were moved to Friday.
The Cream and Crimson were led by a third-place finish from their Varsity Eight crew. The boat — which was coxed by junior Rebecca Baker and stroked by junior Laura McCabe — crossed the finish line with a time of 6:58.023, just behind Rutgers and No. 16 Ohio State.
The result advanced the boat to the grand final on Sunday. However, Indiana could not garner a similar result. The Hoosiers fell behind the competition early, finishing sixth with a time of 6:43.900. Washington was victorious in the V8 category with a time of 6:31.017.
Even though the race did not result in a win, Indiana’s V8 collected accolades Sunday. Junior Lilly Murphy was named first team All-Big Ten, while McCabe and junior Nico Daly picked up second team All-Big Ten nods.
In the Second Varsity Eight category, the Hoosiers could not advance to the grand final after placing fifth in their heat. Indiana finished with a time of 7:33.650, over five seconds slower than Minnesota. The 2V8 improved in the petite final after crossing the finish line in third with a time of 7:02.879.
The Third Varsity Eight was the only other Indiana eight that made a grand final. The Hoosiers finished third in their heat race with a time of 7:59.891. Even after amassing a faster time of 7:50.489 in the grand final, Indiana finished in sixth place. The 3V8 was almost 13 seconds slower than that of fifth-place Ohio State and just over 24 seconds slower than first-place Rutgers.
Indiana’s Fourth Varsity Eight placed into the petite final after finishing fourth in their heat. The Hoosiers finished in front of Wisconsin and then defeated the Badgers again in the petite final with a first-place time of 7:22.913.
In the coxed four categories, Indiana’s Varsity Four made the grand final after crossing the finish line in third place in their heat. Even though faster river conditions were present Sunday, the V4 lost time during the final. The Hoosiers finished in sixth with a time of 8:06.083, just under six seconds slower than their first race.
Indiana’s Second Varsity Four rounded out the regatta with a fifth-place finish in their preliminary race. The Hoosiers posted a time of 8:24.586 but finished more than 15 seconds slower than Wisconsin. In the petite final, the 2V4 gained a spot by moving in front of Michigan State after finishing with a time of 8:36.448.
With a seventh-place team finish, Indiana concluded its 2026 season Sunday. The Hoosiers competed in six regattas in the spring; however, they missed out on the NCAA Rowing Championships.
