Photo by Drew Gwerder

The Cal Poly Humboldt women’s rowing team capped off an historic 2026 season by earning a national runner-up finish at the NCAA Division II Championships at Lake Lanier Olympic Park on Friday afternoon.

The Lumberjacks placed second in the final team standings with 20 points, finishing behind national champion Western Washington (30 points). 

Humboldt’s varsity eight and varsity four both secured bronze-medal finishes in their respective Grand Finals to propel the program to a runner-up finish on the national stage.

Western Washington claimed their 10th national title after winning both the varsity eight and varsity four races. 

Seattle Pacific finished third with 17 points, followed by Jefferson (16), Embry-Riddle (15) and Rollins (7).

The Lumberjacks’ varsity eight delivered an impressive performance in the Grand Final, crossing the finish line in 6 minutes, 49.8 seconds to finish third and earn 12 team points.

Humboldt improved significantly from its morning performance, shaving four seconds off its earlier time while competing against a loaded championship field. 

Western Washington captured the national title in 6:41.53, while Seattle Pacific took second in 6:44.73.

The Humboldt varsity eight featured coxswain Giania Bogacki, along with Lily Storseth, Leah Dunn, Elsie Stevens, River Walkington, Royce Ankel, Dayanara Anaya, Adelaide Toll and Ellie Walters.

The Jacks varsity four, meanwhile, continued the team’s strong afternoon with a third-place finish in the Grand Final, clocking a time of 7:45.17 to add eight more points to the team total.

Western Washington again took first place in 7:41.58, while Jefferson finished second in 7:43.40.

Representing Humboldt’s varsity four were coxswain Olivia Huynh, along with Laurel Calhoun, Nadia Weise, Emma Wilson and Keziah Rutschow.

“We had great performances from both boats and I’m very proud of this team,” head coach Matt Weise said. “The varsity eight shaved four seconds off its time from this morning and the varsity four held strong against a very competitive field. It was a great way to close out the season of racing on a national stage.”

The national runner-up finish caps another outstanding season for the Lumberjacks, who once again established themselves among the nation’s elite NCAA Division II rowing programs.