University of Tennessee Athletics
Tennessee Sweeps SEC Awards, Nine Lady Vols Earn All-Conference Honors
May 21, 2026 | Rowing
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Adding to a historic year, Tennessee Rowing has swept the 2026 SEC individual awards. Head Coach Kim Cupini was named the SEC Coach of the Year, winning the award for the second year in a row. Meg Flanagan was recognized as the SEC Rower of the Year, while Frida Werner Foldager captured SEC Freshman of the Year honors. The conference announced these honors in a release on Thursday.
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All nine members of the Tennessee 1V8 boat were also named to the 2026 All-SEC Rowing Team. Flanagan and Werner Foldager were joined on the team by Alexandra Axten, Taryn Graves, Nicole Campbell, Alex Pidgeon, Hannah Richardson, Hannah Smith, and Maylie Valiquette.
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Cupini captures Coach of the Year accolades after another historic season on Rocky Top. Tennessee is coming off the heels of winning the SEC Championship, its first conference title since 2012 when the program was a member of Conference USA. Tennessee holds the number one spot in the CRCA poll, the first time in program history that the program has been ranked number one in the nation. UT earned its 12th bid into next week's NCAA Championships, with all three championship boats securing top eight seeds for the third consecutive year. The 1V8 boat heads into the championship event as the number one seed, while the 2V8 is the eighth seed and the 1V4 the five seed.
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The three championship boats for the Lady Vols head to NCAAs with a combined record of 47-8, with wins over nine different ranked opponents. Four of those wins have come over top eight programs, with Tennessee owning head-to-head victories over Texas, Princeton, Virginia, and Yale.
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Flanagan becomes the program's first conference rower of the year since 2010, when Laura Glenn claimed Conference USA Rower of the Year honors. This accolade adds to a long list of honors for the senior rower. The two-time CRCA All-American continues a storied career representing the Lady Vols. The Blenheim, New Zealand native was a CRCA Athlete of the Year Finalist in 2024 and now earned all-conference honors three years in a row. This season, Flanagan has helped lead a 1V8 crew that is one of the best in the nation. Flanagan has been in the stroke seat for the 1V8 since it began its unbeaten run since the Rocky Top Invite on April 3.
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Werner Foldager Becomes the first Lady Vol to win a conference freshman or newcomer of the year award since 2012, when Kayla Lucier took home Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors. Werner Foldager rows in the 1V8 and is the lone freshman represented in the boat. She has been in the boat since its run beginning with the win at the Rocky Top Invite. This isn't the only conference honor received by the Roskilde, Denmark native this season. Earlier this year, she was named the conference's freshman of the week back on April 10.
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All nine members of the 1V8 boat were recognized on the All-SEC Team following winning the gold medal at the conference championships. This continues a dazzling season for the 1V8 crew, which currently holds a record of 18-1. The boat has won all of its races since April 3, an unbeaten run that has seen the crew defeat nine ranked teams, including four over programs ranked in the top eight nationally. At the SEC Championships, the 1V8 crew handed the boat from Texas its first loss of the season en route to the win.
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The season for the Lady Vols continues next week as they compete at the NCAA Rowing Championships. This year's championship event is held at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, running from May 29-31.
SEC Coach of the Year
Kim Cupini, Tennessee
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SEC Rower of the Year
Meg Flanagan, Tennessee
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SEC Freshman of the Year
Frida Werner Foldager, Tennessee
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2026 Rowing All-SEC Team
Lizzie Hall, Alabama
Alaina Ronning, Oklahoma
Brooklyn Holland, Oklahoma
Leah Brannon Reeves, Oklahoma
Frida Werner Foldager, Tennessee
Maylie Valiquette, Tennessee
Nicole Campbell, Tennessee
Hannah Smith, Tennessee
Hannah Richardson, Tennessee
Alex Pidgeon, Tennessee
Alexandra Axten, Tennessee
Meg Flanagan, Tennessee
Taryn Graves, Tennessee
Maya Meschkuleit, Texas
Marg van der Wal, Texas
Lucy Searle, Texas
Phoebe Wise, Texas
Abby Dawson, Texas
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All nine members of the Tennessee 1V8 boat were also named to the 2026 All-SEC Rowing Team. Flanagan and Werner Foldager were joined on the team by Alexandra Axten, Taryn Graves, Nicole Campbell, Alex Pidgeon, Hannah Richardson, Hannah Smith, and Maylie Valiquette.
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Cupini captures Coach of the Year accolades after another historic season on Rocky Top. Tennessee is coming off the heels of winning the SEC Championship, its first conference title since 2012 when the program was a member of Conference USA. Tennessee holds the number one spot in the CRCA poll, the first time in program history that the program has been ranked number one in the nation. UT earned its 12th bid into next week's NCAA Championships, with all three championship boats securing top eight seeds for the third consecutive year. The 1V8 boat heads into the championship event as the number one seed, while the 2V8 is the eighth seed and the 1V4 the five seed.
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The three championship boats for the Lady Vols head to NCAAs with a combined record of 47-8, with wins over nine different ranked opponents. Four of those wins have come over top eight programs, with Tennessee owning head-to-head victories over Texas, Princeton, Virginia, and Yale.
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Flanagan becomes the program's first conference rower of the year since 2010, when Laura Glenn claimed Conference USA Rower of the Year honors. This accolade adds to a long list of honors for the senior rower. The two-time CRCA All-American continues a storied career representing the Lady Vols. The Blenheim, New Zealand native was a CRCA Athlete of the Year Finalist in 2024 and now earned all-conference honors three years in a row. This season, Flanagan has helped lead a 1V8 crew that is one of the best in the nation. Flanagan has been in the stroke seat for the 1V8 since it began its unbeaten run since the Rocky Top Invite on April 3.
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Werner Foldager Becomes the first Lady Vol to win a conference freshman or newcomer of the year award since 2012, when Kayla Lucier took home Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors. Werner Foldager rows in the 1V8 and is the lone freshman represented in the boat. She has been in the boat since its run beginning with the win at the Rocky Top Invite. This isn't the only conference honor received by the Roskilde, Denmark native this season. Earlier this year, she was named the conference's freshman of the week back on April 10.
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All nine members of the 1V8 boat were recognized on the All-SEC Team following winning the gold medal at the conference championships. This continues a dazzling season for the 1V8 crew, which currently holds a record of 18-1. The boat has won all of its races since April 3, an unbeaten run that has seen the crew defeat nine ranked teams, including four over programs ranked in the top eight nationally. At the SEC Championships, the 1V8 crew handed the boat from Texas its first loss of the season en route to the win.
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The season for the Lady Vols continues next week as they compete at the NCAA Rowing Championships. This year's championship event is held at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Georgia, running from May 29-31.
SEC Coach of the Year
Kim Cupini, Tennessee
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SEC Rower of the Year
Meg Flanagan, Tennessee
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SEC Freshman of the Year
Frida Werner Foldager, Tennessee
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2026 Rowing All-SEC Team
Lizzie Hall, Alabama
Alaina Ronning, Oklahoma
Brooklyn Holland, Oklahoma
Leah Brannon Reeves, Oklahoma
Frida Werner Foldager, Tennessee
Maylie Valiquette, Tennessee
Nicole Campbell, Tennessee
Hannah Smith, Tennessee
Hannah Richardson, Tennessee
Alex Pidgeon, Tennessee
Alexandra Axten, Tennessee
Meg Flanagan, Tennessee
Taryn Graves, Tennessee
Maya Meschkuleit, Texas
Marg van der Wal, Texas
Lucy Searle, Texas
Phoebe Wise, Texas
Abby Dawson, Texas
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Players Mentioned
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