2026 Liberty League Rowing Championship Results
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – William Smith College earned its first Liberty League Women’s Rowing Championship title since 2016 and tenth overall as the Herons swept the Varsity Eight races on Saratoga Lake’s Fish Creek Friday morning.
The Herons claimed gold in the First Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight, and Third Varsity Eight. They also produced a second-place finish in the Open Four.
The Liberty League team championship title is based on a first-place finish in the Varsity Eight race. To earn the NCAA automatic qualifier on the women's side, teams must also have a Second Varsity Eight boat entered.
With the V8+ victory along with the 2V8+, the Herons also earned the league’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Rowing Championships. The 2026 NCAA Rowing Championships for all three divisions will be held May 29 and 31 in Gainesville, Georgia, at Lake Lanier Olympic Park.
The championship opened with two varsity eight heats with all eight league teams having boats entered in the V8+ and only seven lanes available on Fish Creek. The winners and top three finishers from each heat advanced to the Final and the remaining two moved on to the Petit Final. William Smith cruised to a nearly 20-second victory (19.504) to earn the top spot in the Final with a time of 7:10.840. Skidmore (7:30.344) and RIT (7:43.732) also advanced to the final. In the second heat, Rochester and Ithaca battled it out for top honors of heat two and the second seed with less than a second separating the two boats at the finish. The Yellowjackets narrowly edged Ithaca, crossing the finish line in 7:21.100 to the Bombers’ 7:21.974. St. Lawrence (7:49.689) also advanced to the final.
In the six-boat V8+ Final, the Herons improved upon their heat time by over 18 seconds en route to winning their first V8+ race at the Liberty League Championship since 2016, clocking a time of 6:52.172 and finishing over nine seconds ahead of runner-up Skidmore. Skidmore crossed the finish line in 7:02.001 and Rochester rounded out the top three teams at 7:09.694. Ithaca finished fourth with a time of 7:13.984, and the Bombers were followed by RIT (7:19.485), and St. Lawrence (7:38.803).
In the 2V8+, William Smith demonstrated their depth with an 18 second victory among the seven-boat field. The Herons jumped out to a big lead and finished the race with a time of 7:15.818. Rochester (7:34.263) was second and Ithaca (7:47.687) rounded out the top-three boats. Skidmore (7:58.726), St. Lawrence (8:02.580), RIT (8:12.542), and Union (8:29.204) finished fourth through seventh, respectively.
In the two-boat Third Varsity 8+ between William Smith and Ithaca, the Herons were again triumphant, winning with a time of 7:29.311. Ithaca clocked a time of 7:42.974 for second.
It was a close race in the Women’s Open 4+ with RIT coming out on top and earning a 4+ race victory at the conference championship for the second straight year. The Tigers with a time of 8:26.894 finished just over five seconds ahead of William Smith at 8:32.605. Ithaca (8:56.229) and Rochester (9:37.921) rounded out the four-boat field.
Women’s Varsity Eight – Heat 1
1. William Smith – 7:10.840
2. Skidmore – 7:30.344
3. RIT – 7:43.732
4. St. John Fisher – 8:54.018
Women’s Varsity Eight – Heat 2
1. Rochester – 7:21.100
2. Ithaca – 7:21.974
3. St. Lawrence – 7:49.689
Women’s Second Varsity Eight
1. William Smith – 7:15.818
2. Rochester – 7:34.263
3. Ithaca – 7:47.687
4. Skidmore – 7:58.726
5. St. Lawrence – 8:02.580
6. RIT – 8:12.542
7. Union – 8:29.204
Women’s Third Varsity Eight
1.William Smith – 7:29.311
2. Ithaca – 7:42.974
Women’s Open Four
1. RIT – 8:26.894
2. William Smith – 8:32.605
3. Ithaca – 8:56.229
4. Rochester – 9:37.921
Women’s Varsity Eight – Petit Final
1. Union – 7:43.884
2. St. John Fisher – 9:14.731
Women’s Varsity Eight – Grand Final
1. William Smith – 6:52.172
2. Skidmore – 7:02.001
3. Rochester – 7:09.694
4. Ithaca – 7:13.984
5. RIT – 7:19.485
6. St. Lawrence – 7:38.803