The William Smith rowing team finished its season with a pair of top-four finishes at the 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Rowing Championships. The Herons’ varsity eight crossed the line in third place and the second varsity eight was fourth in their respective races at Lake Lanier Olympic Park today. The combined results secured William Smith a third-place finish in the team point trophy standings, matching the best finish in program history.
Ranked sixth in the latest coaches’ poll, the Herons outperformed their seeding, moving up to No. 3 in the nation. The varsity and second varsity eights combined for 44 points, just one behind Bates. The second through fifth spots in the team standings were separated by only three points. The third-place finish matched William Smith’s best team result since finishing third nationally in 2002.
Originally scheduled for two days, racing for the Division III national championship was condensed to a single day due to thunderstorms in Saturday’s forecast. Teams battled a mid cross-tailwind that tapered off as the day progressed.
VARSITY 8
William Smith’s varsity eight was powered by coxswain Lizzy Whitney, Linnea Darius, Alessandra Gialanella, Leah Wiebe, Kate Abdalla, Raya Schwartz, Meghan Bartholomay, Aubrey Ryan and Eden Grim.
The Herons advanced to the medal race by finishing second in their morning heat with a time of 6:36.43.
William Smith jumped off the line and battled with Williams and Puget Sound for second place through the first 750 meters. The Herons made their move around the 1,000-meter mark, taking six seats on the Ephs.
Williams called for a sprint with 500 meters remaining but could not close the gap on the Herons for second place.
In the Grand Final, Whitney, Darius, Gialanella, Wiebe, Abdalla, Schwartz, Bartholomay, Ryan and Grim finished third with a time of 6:32.360. The Herons were in second place at the first three split points before Bates called for a sprint and passed William Smith.
It was the Herons’ first NCAA medal since 2013, also a bronze, and the fourth time overall William Smith finished on the podium at nationals.
Senior Kate Abdalla reflected on the day’s performance:
“It’s so exciting and rewarding to see all of our hard work over the past four years pay off in such a dominant way. There’s no other way I’d rather spend my day than celebrating my teammates, and it is a privilege to spend every day rowing with them. Best day ever!”
SECOND VARSITY 8
The Herons’ second varsity eight was powered by coxswain Michaela Greco, Lily Liflander, Olivia Sainsbury, Grace Jung, Paige Barnhart, Alayna Wian, Nora Smith, Ainsley Kimball and Olivia Helms.
Like the varsity eight, the second varsity eight finished second in its heat, stopping the clock at 6:49.557.
The Herons jumped off the line and quickly settled into a strong base pace within the first 500 meters. William Smith gained a half-seat advantage on Bates for second place in the early stages.
The Herons maintained their pace through the middle 1,000 meters and slowly pulled away from the Bobcats.
In the Grand Final, the Herons crossed the line in fourth place with a time of 6:50.064.
William Smith surged off the start, taking a seat lead at the 250-meter mark. Tufts, Trinity and Williams responded, and the Herons settled into a rhythm in fourth place.
William Smith gained open water on the fifth- and sixth-place boats with a strong sprint over the final 600 meters.
COACH’S CORNER
“To come back to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2016 and leave with our first third-place team finish since 2002 is a major accomplishment for our program,” Head Coach Paul Bugenhagen said. “I’m most proud of how they leveraged every lesson from the year to put together their best races in the biggest race of them all. During today’s NCAA Championship racing, they were composed, they were tough, they were precise and, most importantly, they stayed connected to one another in the biggest moments of the season. The heats turned into confidence-building results that both crews used to create momentum into the grand finals. Both boats went down the course with real belief in each other this afternoon, and they put William Smith rowing right back in the middle of the national conversation.
“This team bought into the work required to have a day like today. They created and upheld standards around the high performance we expect from each other, and they kept choosing each other. This senior class has moved the program forward in a meaningful way through their leadership and support for their teammates. Today was a reflection of everything these women have poured into William Smith rowing. Coach Crisonino and I are incredibly proud of this group!”
