CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – With the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference rowing season on the horizon, the league announced the 2026 Preseason ACC Rowing Watch List for the upcoming season.
The Watch List includes one student-athlete from each program, nominated by their respective schools. The ACC is the only conference that has a preseason rowing watch list.
Duke’s Lena Mills becomes the second two-time Preseason ACC Watch List honoree in league history after being named to the list last season. Mills earned All-ACC Second Team honors following last season’s ACC Rowing Championships.
Last season, Stanford won the 2025 ACC Rowing Championship, sweeping all five events in record-setting fashion. The Cardinal set Grand Final records in every race, headlined by the Varsity Four becoming the first boat to break seven minutes (6:53.204) in ACC Championship history and the Varsity Eight becoming the first boat to break six minutes (5:58.627). The Stanford V8 was named the Crew of the Year following the championship.
Following the conference championships, a league-record four ACC teams advanced to the NCAA Championship field. After intense racing, Stanford captured the ACC’s third NCAA Rowing championship, finishing with 129 points, as the Second Varsity Eight and Varsity Four claimed individual titles.
Tied for the most in the nation, the ACC landed six teams in the first edition of the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Women’s Division I Poll, headlined by Stanford at No. 1. Joining the Cardinal was No. 8 Virginia, No. 10 California, No. 12 Syracuse, No. 18 Duke and No. 21 Clemson.
The 2026 season officially gets underway with the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational, hosted by Louisville on March 14-15, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The 2026 ACC Rowing Championship is scheduled for May 15-16 from Lake Wheeler in Raleigh, North Carolina.
2026 Preseason ACC Rowing Watch List
Molly Devine, Jr., Boston College
Minou Bouman, Sr., California
Rose Imbesi, Sr., Clemson
Lena Mills, Sr., Duke
Macy Whisenand, Sr., Louisville
Naroa Zubimendi Varela, Sr., Miami
Ella Gusick, So., North Carolina
Emma Hospsicker, Jr., Notre Dame
Sophia Dooley, Sr., SMU
Emma Bagrie, Fr., Stanford
Kateryna Ustiuzhanina, Gr., Syracuse
Elsa Hartman, Sr., Virginia