2020-21 Season In Review
Jun 10 | Rowing
SMU women's rowing capped a record-breaking 2020-21 season with the highest Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) national ranking in program history (No. 10), first ever American Athletic Conference (AAC) Championship and first bid to the NCAA Championships.
NCAA Championships
The Mustangs finished 11th overall at the 2021 NCAA Rowing Championships May 28-30 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., marking the highest finish in AAC rowing history. The previous highest NCAA finish by a conference program was 17th by Louisville in 2014.
The Mustangs placed 13th overall in the first varsity eight after winning the C final with a time of 6:31.748, the highest finish in the event in conference history.
After becoming the first ever AAC to advance to a petite final, the second varsity eight placed second with a time of 6:32.107 mark for eighth overall. This boat grabbed the highest finish in any event in conference history.
SMU's varsity four finished 15th overall after placing third in the C final with a time of 7:32.187.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Prior to the NCAA Championships, SMU won its first ever AAC Championship on May 16 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Mustangs had a clean sweep, winning all four races at Melton Hill Lake.
The Mustangs began the day winning a photo-finish race over UCF in the second varsity four. SMU edged out the Knights by two tenths of a second, finishing at the 7:38.019 mark.
In the first varsity four, SMU finished over four seconds ahead of second place UCF to take the first 24 points of the AAC Championship standings ahead of the Knights and Sacramento State.
The second varsity eight then beat out UCF by five seconds with a time of 6:37.136 to take a 72-60 points advantage over UCF heading into the final and determining race.
In the last competition, the first varsity eight followed suit and took down the defending conference champion UCF Knights by three seconds, finishing in 6:35.916.
The Mustangs won the team championship with 140 points, over runner-up UCF (120). SMU earned eight all-conference selections while the coaching staff, led by head coach Kim Cupini, was named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year. The first varsity eight was also crowned the AAC Boat of the Year for the second time running.
Juliet Traylor, Madison van Meel, Jasmine Brake, Colombe De Rouvroy and Colleen Gillis were named to the all-conference first team while Megan Scott, Lauren Poland and Trevor Rose earned second team honors.
LONGHORN INVITATIONAL
Entering the Longhorn Invite on April 24 in Austin, Texas at No. 14 nationally, SMU finished ahead of No. 10 Alabama in the first, second and third varsity eight. The results propelled the Mustangs to their then-highest national ranking the following week at No. 11.
CARDINAL INVITATIONAL
In their first multi-team race since Feb. 2020, the Mustangs headed into the Cardinal Invite in Oak Ridge at No. 20. The first varsity eight and both varsity fours came away with second-place finishes on day one over No. 12 Wisconsin, while the second varsity eight finished first, over both the Badgers and No. 16 Alabama. On day two, the first eight finished under three seconds behind No. 3 Michigan, while all four crews finished ahead of (RV) Louisville.
IOWA DUAL
SMU opened the season at No. 20 in the preseason national poll, first taking on No. 8 Iowa in Merritt Island, Fla. The Mustangs swept the Hawkeyes, winning by four seconds in the first varsity eight, eight seconds in the second varsity eight and 15 seconds in the varsity four.
SEASON AWARDS
SMU garnered two AAC Boat of the Week awards (March 24, April 27), eight selections to the 2021 ARI Recruiting DI All-Conference Team and seven honorees on the CRCA Scholar Athletes list.
Victoria Franklin was also honored at the 2021 Pony Awards with the Perseverance Award.
2021 ARI RECRUITING DI ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Juliet Traylor
Madison van Meel
Jasmine Brake
Colombe De Rouvroy
Colleen Gillis
Megan Scott
Lauren Poland
Trevor Rose
CRCA SCHOLAR ATHLETES
Victoria Franklin
Erin Pierce
Sasha Radovanovic
Trevor Rose
Megan Scott
Madison Stafford
Hallie Wilson
2021 CRCA USROWING/POCOCK NATIONAL RANKINGS BY WEEK
March 3 - 20
March 17 - 14
March 24 - 13
March 31 - 13
April 7 - 13
April 14 - 13
April 21 - 14
April 28 - 11
May 5 - 11
May 12 - 12
May 19 - 12
June 2 - 10
NCAA Championships
The Mustangs finished 11th overall at the 2021 NCAA Rowing Championships May 28-30 at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla., marking the highest finish in AAC rowing history. The previous highest NCAA finish by a conference program was 17th by Louisville in 2014.
The Mustangs placed 13th overall in the first varsity eight after winning the C final with a time of 6:31.748, the highest finish in the event in conference history.
After becoming the first ever AAC to advance to a petite final, the second varsity eight placed second with a time of 6:32.107 mark for eighth overall. This boat grabbed the highest finish in any event in conference history.
SMU's varsity four finished 15th overall after placing third in the C final with a time of 7:32.187.
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Prior to the NCAA Championships, SMU won its first ever AAC Championship on May 16 in Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Mustangs had a clean sweep, winning all four races at Melton Hill Lake.
The Mustangs began the day winning a photo-finish race over UCF in the second varsity four. SMU edged out the Knights by two tenths of a second, finishing at the 7:38.019 mark.
In the first varsity four, SMU finished over four seconds ahead of second place UCF to take the first 24 points of the AAC Championship standings ahead of the Knights and Sacramento State.
The second varsity eight then beat out UCF by five seconds with a time of 6:37.136 to take a 72-60 points advantage over UCF heading into the final and determining race.
In the last competition, the first varsity eight followed suit and took down the defending conference champion UCF Knights by three seconds, finishing in 6:35.916.
The Mustangs won the team championship with 140 points, over runner-up UCF (120). SMU earned eight all-conference selections while the coaching staff, led by head coach Kim Cupini, was named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year. The first varsity eight was also crowned the AAC Boat of the Year for the second time running.
Juliet Traylor, Madison van Meel, Jasmine Brake, Colombe De Rouvroy and Colleen Gillis were named to the all-conference first team while Megan Scott, Lauren Poland and Trevor Rose earned second team honors.
LONGHORN INVITATIONAL
Entering the Longhorn Invite on April 24 in Austin, Texas at No. 14 nationally, SMU finished ahead of No. 10 Alabama in the first, second and third varsity eight. The results propelled the Mustangs to their then-highest national ranking the following week at No. 11.
CARDINAL INVITATIONAL
In their first multi-team race since Feb. 2020, the Mustangs headed into the Cardinal Invite in Oak Ridge at No. 20. The first varsity eight and both varsity fours came away with second-place finishes on day one over No. 12 Wisconsin, while the second varsity eight finished first, over both the Badgers and No. 16 Alabama. On day two, the first eight finished under three seconds behind No. 3 Michigan, while all four crews finished ahead of (RV) Louisville.
IOWA DUAL
SMU opened the season at No. 20 in the preseason national poll, first taking on No. 8 Iowa in Merritt Island, Fla. The Mustangs swept the Hawkeyes, winning by four seconds in the first varsity eight, eight seconds in the second varsity eight and 15 seconds in the varsity four.
SEASON AWARDS
SMU garnered two AAC Boat of the Week awards (March 24, April 27), eight selections to the 2021 ARI Recruiting DI All-Conference Team and seven honorees on the CRCA Scholar Athletes list.
Victoria Franklin was also honored at the 2021 Pony Awards with the Perseverance Award.
2021 ARI RECRUITING DI ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Juliet Traylor
Madison van Meel
Jasmine Brake
Colombe De Rouvroy
Colleen Gillis
Megan Scott
Lauren Poland
Trevor Rose
CRCA SCHOLAR ATHLETES
Victoria Franklin
Erin Pierce
Sasha Radovanovic
Trevor Rose
Megan Scott
Madison Stafford
Hallie Wilson
2021 CRCA USROWING/POCOCK NATIONAL RANKINGS BY WEEK
March 3 - 20
March 17 - 14
March 24 - 13
March 31 - 13
April 7 - 13
April 14 - 13
April 21 - 14
April 28 - 11
May 5 - 11
May 12 - 12
May 19 - 12
June 2 - 10
Players Mentioned
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