#3 Lady Vols Capture 2026 SEC Rowing Championship

Sunday, May 10

Oak Ridge, Tenn. / Melton Hill Lake

9 a.m. ET

University of Tennessee

SEC Championships

Tennessee Rowing Celebrates 2026 SEC Championship

May 10, 2026 | Rowing

Results Photo Gallery

OAK RIDGE, Tenn. -- Coming down the last 250-meters, the Lady Vols first varsity eight boat had the advantage over Texas with an SEC Championship on the line. The 1V8 crew would hold off a late charge from the Texas Crew, as they secured the win and the SEC title.

This is the first SEC title for the Tennessee rowing, and its first conference championship since 2012 when the team was a member of Conference USA.

"Phenomenal to see that from the team", said head coach Kim Cupini. "Texas coming in was the number one team in the country and had that undefeated eight. So to see the varsity eight clinch like that was awesome. I have to take my hat off to the full team to get enough points to win the SEC Championship and bring that championship home, especially here at home in Tennessee. So, I was super impressed and super proud of them."

The overall point total came down to the final race of the morning, with Tennessee and Texas battling it out throughout the competition. In the end, Tennessee edged out Texas by a score of 79-75 to capture the conference crown.

Overall, the Big Orange collected four wins in the competition. Including the victory in the 1V8, The Lady Vols got wins in the 2V4, 3V8, and 3V4.

The 1V8 crew got the win over Texas to close the day, holding off the late comeback from Texas with a time of 6:06.939. The win continues a stretch for the 1V8 crew where they have won each of its races since the Rocky Top Invite. This marks the eighth ranked opponent that the Tennessee first varsity eight crew has defeated this season. The win also handed Texas' 1V8 boat its first loss of the season. Closing out the race was Oklahoma in third with Alabama in fourth.

Tennessee picked up a crucial win in the championship battle in the 2V4. After falling behind early, Tennessee's second varsity four squad made an impressive comeback in the final 500 meters to pass Texas and get the win. The win helped set the tone for a historic day on the water for Tennessee.

"I think the boats on the water saw that", said Cupini. "I think to be able to race from ahead and pull off the win, but also to be able to race from behind in the event and win is incredible. The second four, we were going crazy on that. It was a group that just got together the other day. They row together a lot as a team and as a group, but that lineup hasn't been together so to see them pull that off and get the win was incredible. To get enough points to win the team [championship] and beat a team like Texas when they're number one in the country was awesome."

Tennessee swept the third varsity events on the day, with both the 3V8 and 3V4 boats scoring dominant wins in a field that featured top ranked Texas, No. 13 Alabama, and Oklahoma. The UT third varsity four got the championships started by crossing the line with an almost five-second advantage ahead of Texas. In the second race of the day, the Lady Vol 3V8+ crew put together a gold medal performance finishing nearly eight seconds ahead of the Texas crew with a time of 6:29.409.

The Longhorns would edge out Tennessee in the 1V4+ and 2V8+ races. In the 1V4+, The Lady Vols came up short, finishing nine seconds off the Longhorns in the contest. It was a closely contested event in the 2V8+, which saw Tennessee just miss out on the gold as Texas won by a four-second margin.

Up next, Tennessee turns its sights to the 2026 NCAA Championships May 29-31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Ga. The Lady Vols will await their seeding later this month, with the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Selection Show airing on Tuesday, May 19 at 5 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.

Team Standings
1. #3 Tennessee – 79 points
2. #1 Texas – 75 points
3. #13 Alabama – 34 points
4. Oklahoma – 32 points

Race Results
1V8+
1. #3 Tennessee: 6:06.939
2. #1 Texas: 6:08.400
3. Oklahoma: 6:23.646
4. #13 Alabama: 6:24.228

2V8+
1. #1 Texas: 6:18.810
2. #3 Tennessee: 6:22.968
3. #13 Alabama: 6:40.405
4. Oklahoma: 6:54.082

1V4+
1. #1 Texas: 7:06.227
2. #3 Tennessee: 7:13.742
3. #13 Alabama: 7:29.310
4. Oklahoma: 7:43.115

2V4+
1. #3 Tennessee: 7:12.677
2. #1 Texas: 7:14.285
3. #13 Alabama: 7:36.224
4. Oklahoma: 7:40.473

3V8+
1. #3 Tennessee: 6:29.409
2. #1 Texas: 6:37.105
3. #13 Alabama: 6:53.101
4. Oklahoma: 7:12.007

3V4+
1. #3 Tennessee: 7:16.747
2. #1 Texas: 7:21.558
3. Oklahoma: 7:40.496
4. #13 Alabama: 7:45.998

Boat Lineups
1V8+: Taryn Graves (coxswain), Meg Flanagan, Alexandra Axten, Hannah Richardson, Alex Pidgeon, Nicole Campbell, Hannah Smith, Maylie Valiquette, Frida Werner Foldager

2V8: Mykayla Fluster (coxswain), Sheya Lavin, Roxy Welford, Olivia Tattersfield, Ellexi Fulton, Ariella Jeffery, Emma Flanagan, Ūla Jonušaitė, Thea Coull

1V4+: Patricia Menendez (coxswain), Paris Thornburg, Stella Mirkovic, Grace Armstrong, Elizabeth Peberdy

2V4+: Audrey Bast (coxswain), Stevie Mabey, Sydney Harris, Zoe DeFeo, Ava Mulholland

3V8+: Lily Sica (coxswain), Tiara Dye, Megan Wood, Stella Kreft, Eléa Dalla Costa, Riley Parbon, Maddie Becker, Bridget Sisul, Kathryn Burton

3V4+: Marissa Garcia (coxswain), Maiya Birdling, Tegan Negus, Katie Dahl, Sarah Shepherd