RowingRelated

Crews to keep an eye on this spring at the junior level The following is our look at the best junior sweep teams across the country, with a view toward who will be gunning for the top of the podium at the national level in June.

The fall racing season is winding down in 2015, and we're drawing ever closer to winter training. So, what better time than now to reflect on the fall's best performances, and take a closer look at some of the top teams heading into the 'long, dark tea-time of the soul?' Here are the top men's and women's crews at the college level, according to our power rankings.

RR junior rowing rankings Here at RowingRelated, we're all about knowledge. And, what better way to put a little of it to use than to make some brash picks and predictions? So, for the first time, we're putting together the official RR rankings for junior men's and women's rowing programs, based—for the most part—on sweep rowing results in the big boats, following the college model. This will naturally change and adapt in the future—it's not a perfect system. But it's a start. Here are our picks for Spring 2015. Attention, go.

The UCSB men on the Crew Classic podium, 2013 (Photo: B. Kitch) Without a doubt, the top-end speed in men's club rowing has been improving over the past few years, not least because of the development of the ACRA league. What will 2015 hold? Here are our picks for the long haul.

Washington hoists the Pac-12 varsity eight trophy, 2014 (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2015 IRA field looks very familiar, though the power struggle at the top may just yield different results this time around. The margins were slimmer last season for the Washington Huskies, but the Ten Eyck results were just the same. Can anyone stop the Huskies this spring?

Pac-12s 2014 (Photo: B. Kitch) Spring racing season is upon us. Yes, the ice is melting (finally), and crews are back on the water in gearing up for another great year. Before we kick things off in earnest at Crew Classic, however, we'd be remiss if we didn't share our thoughts on just how this year's NCAA Rowing field stacks up. Here are the first official RowingRelated NCAA Rankings for 2015.

Early morning at Conibear Shellhouse (Photo: B. Kitch) The 2014-2015 season is already shaping up to be every bit as interesting as last year, and we can't help but be excited about all that's to come. So, just because we all need something to read over the Thanksgiving holiday, we're kicking off the rowing 'hot stove' league with a look back at the fall, and the teams that made an impression heading into winter. Disclaimer: This contains opinions, and this is in large part based on fall results, which can be tricky to interpret, or downright misleading, depending on how coaches and programs approach the longer distance racing, and which teams show up at what races. Let's take a look, shall we? Heavyweight Women The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off their fourth straight Head Of The Charles victory as fastest collegiate eight, and have another talented roster, including Sam Casto (who just pulled a big erg at East Coast Fall Speed Order, and finished in ...

Yesterday, we took a look at our preseason top 20 Division I NCAA teams. Today, it's time to turn our attention to the top IRA and ACRA programs so far in the 2013-2014 campaign. And so, without further ado, here's out take on varsity, lightweight, and club crews to watch this season. (And, for the most part, we're sticking to our guns from our fall 2013 predictions— read them here .) IRA Programs Heavyweight Men 1. California The Golden Bears have six of the eight oarsmen on this year's team returning from the 2011 IRA winning frosh eight, which was the last crew to defeat Washington in any event at the IRA. They will be led by talented Serbians Luka Dordevic , Igor Lucic , Ivan Ostojic and Jovan Jovanovic . British athletes Stephen Tuck , James Scott , Edward Williams and Morgan Hellen , Aussies Louis Snelson , Michael Bernerius and Aaron Wright , Americans Richard Walter and U23 silver medalist and USC transfer Carter Crowe , and seniors Christian Reyno...

It's that time of year again! Yes, the ice is melting, and crews are back on the water in anticipation of what will undoubtedly be another great season of racing. In fact, we're just three weeks away from kicking things off in earnest on the west coast at the 41st San Diego Crew Classic ! But who will be the crews to watch when we're all lined up on the stake boats? Here are our thoughts on the matter. 1. Virginia  As usual, the Hoos will have some very impressive depth with former junior national team athletes likely to be sitting on the sidelines when the team competes at the NCAA Championships in late May. They will be led by British U23 silver medalist Fiona Schlesinger , German U23 bronze medalist Constanze Duell , former U.S. junior national teamers Elle Murray , Hemingway Benton , Chandler Lally , Lizzy Youngling and Brandy Herald . We also expect their freshmen and transfers to have a major impact on the team this spring, led by Kiwi U23 national team veteran,...

Defending NCAA Champions University of Virginia will be taking on a very tough schedule this Spring in hopes of defending the program's first ever NCAA team championship. In the first CRCA coaches poll of 2011, which was released last week, Virginia debuted at #1. Although Virginia has very good top end speed in the Varsity 8 on a yearly basis, the hallmark of their program is their depth. Last year they were extremely deep, making the grand final at NCAAs in every event and dominating the Varsity 4+, setting a course record in the process. They simply have more quality depth than any other program in the country. At the South-Central Sprints Regatta in 2010, they won every event except the Novice 8 (which they only lost by 6 one-hundredths of a second) and placed 1st and 2nd in the Open 4+. Credit to the coaching staff/duo of Kevin Sauer and Steve Pritzker who have done a tremendous job developing a perennial powerhouse. One thing is for sure, there must be a lot of intense se...