WINTER PARK, Fla. (March 7, 2026) – The Rollins women's rowing team hosted the 2025 NCAA Division II National Champions, Embry-Riddle, along with Barry and the University of Florida at the Rollins Invitational on Lake Maitland Saturday.
While the Tars did not capture a race win, the results showed significant progress across the board, with a plethora of second-place finishes across events marking a strong step forward for the program. At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Rollins trailed Embry-Riddle's varsity crews by as much as 15 seconds in the eight and 25 seconds in the four. That gap shrank dramatically on Saturday.
The DII Varsity 4+ (line-up) opened racing in some of the best water conditions of the day, and the crews delivered a race any rower or spectator hopes to see. Both boats left the line nearly bowball to bowball, and that's how the race unfolded the entire way down the course.
Embry-Riddle would gain a seat, Rollins would respond. Rollins would inch ahead, and Embry-Riddle would fight back. The race remained so close that athletes did not know the final result until awards were presented. In the end, Rollins finished just 0.9 seconds behind Embry-Riddle, an impressive early-season benchmark against the defending national champions.
"This is a great start against the previous year's NCAA champions," said Coach Pistor. "You never know exactly which athletes they have rowing in which boats this early in the season, so we'll keep working like we're still twenty-five seconds back."
Varsity 4+
The Varsity 8+ (line-up) followed in the second race of the morning and delivered another exciting performance. Embry-Riddle established an early advantage of about half a length before extending it to roughly a full length by the halfway point.
Rollins remained composed and trusted the work they had put in during training. The Tars steadily chipped away at the lead, bringing their boat nearly even before the sprint. Rollins held on through the final strokes, crossing the line just 3.7 seconds behind Embry-Riddle, a significant improvement from last season's margin.
The Tars finished second, 10 seconds ahead of the University of Florida and 47 seconds ahead of Barry in the race.
Rollins also secured solid finishes in the Varsity 4, Second Varsity 4, Third Varsity 4, and Novice 4. Many of those races marked the athletes' second or third time down the course that day, providing valuable racing experience while continuing to build fitness and confidence as the season progresses.
The Rollins Invitational concludes the Tars' home racing schedule for the season, with the remainder of the spring slate taking place on the road.
Next up, Rollins travels to DeLand for the Stetson Showdown, where the Tars will face a diverse field of Division I, II, and III programs including UConn, Jacksonville, Stetson, Wesleyan, Embry-Riddle, and Nova Southeastern. The team looks forward to safe travels, competitive racing, and continuing to represent Rollins with the respect and humility that define the program.
