The University of Massachusetts rowing team earned a second-place finish in the Varsity 8 event at the 2026 Knecht Cup, according to an April 12 announcement. The competition took place over two days, with several boats from UMass achieving strong results.
The outcome is significant for the Minutewomen as they continue their spring season and prepare for the upcoming Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship. Success at this event demonstrates progress and competitiveness against both conference and non-conference opponents.
On Sunday morning, UMass’s Varsity 8 boat won its semifinal with a time of 7:10.29 before securing second place in the final later that afternoon, clocking in at 6:53.05. This result placed them ahead of Bucknell, Boston College, Temple, and Boston University. Head coach Eric Carcich said, “I was really happy overall with our two days of racing. Our three 8 boats competed well, and our Varsity 4 really battled. We are five weeks out from the MAC Championship and I like where we are at but we know there is still we can gain.”
Other notable performances included the Second Varsity 8 placing third in its semifinal before winning its final race with a time of 6:57.87 against competitors such as UConn and Jacksonville. Both the Varsity 4 (8:18.35) and Second Varsity 4 (8:38.74) secured fourth place finishes on Saturday; notably, the Varsity 4 finished ahead of MAC rivals Delaware, Temple, and Eastern Michigan.
The Third Varsity 8 also contributed to UMass’s results by taking second place in its final with a time of 7:22.46.
Looking ahead, Massachusetts will compete again on Saturday, April 18 against Holy Cross, Boston College, and UConn at Lake Quinsigamond in Worcester.
