Rochester's First Varsity 8 earned a silver medal in its race at the Head of The Genesee Regatta on Sunday afternoon.[read more]

The regatta is a fixture on Meliora Weekend.

“I am excited that women’s rowing is our 23rd varsity sport,” said Athletics Director George VanderZwaag. “This is a club program with a strong history at the University. We have a terrific rowing venue on the Genesee River. We feel fortunate to have the University’s support in adding to our varsity program offerings in this way.”

By moving to varsity status, the women’s rowing team will become eligible for the NCAA Division III Rowing Championship in the spring, 2010 semester. As a club sport, women’s rowing was not eligible to participate in the NCAA Championship. Men’s rowing is not recognized as an NCAA sport, and therefore, does not have an NCAA Championship. “This longstanding dream of achieving varsity status for women’s rowing would not have been possible without the dedicated Rochester alumni, friends, and parents constituting the Friends of UR Crew,” said Dr. Edward Fox ’91, ’95 MD, President of the Friends of UR Crew.

Rochester’s rich rowing tradition includes the founding of the Bausch & Lomb Regatta in 1989. The regatta attracted some of the finest rowing programs – on both an intercollegiate and club basis – from the United States and Canada. The regatta was directed by George Angle, a former University vice-president. A trophy was created in Angle’s name to be presented to the winner of the men’s varsity eight division. A women’s trophy, named after Elizabeth Wilson, was added. Stonehurst Capital LLC succeeded Bausch & Lomb as the regatta sponsor. The event is now part of the River Romance Weekend. It was sponsored by LeChase Construction Company in 2007. It has been renamed as the Head of the Genesee and will be held on October 11 as part of Meliora Weekend.

In its final season rowing as a club sport, the women’s team had a strong spring season. The Varsity 8 plus coxswain finished first at the University Athletic Association championships. The same shell finished third in the Grand Final of the New York State Collegiate Rowing Championships and third in the Grand Final of the Division II/III at the Dad Vail Regatta. The team earned a bronze medal for the Dad Vail finish, its first Dad Vail medal since the early 1990s.

Rochester completed its spring rowing season with a fourth place finish in the Grand Final of the American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. That is the national championship for collegiate club rowing programs.