Portland qualified three boats for the grand finals at the 2026 West Coast Conference Rowing Championships, according to a May 15 announcement from the team. The event took place at Lake Natoma and was hosted by the Sacramento State Aquatic Center.
The competition matters as it determines conference rankings and showcases collegiate rowing talent among both member schools and affiliates. Advancing to the grand finals is considered a significant achievement for any program.
During Friday’s heats, Portland’s second varsity eight and first varsity four each finished third in their respective races, while the second varsity four placed second. These results secured all three boats a spot in Saturday’s grand finals. The first varsity eight narrowly missed qualification, finishing fourth in its heat and moving on to compete in the petite final instead.
Head coach Gulliver Scott said, “The WCC is a competitive conference and all of our crews were in close, exciting races. We showed real progress by advancing three of four boats to grand finals, and I’m proud of the effort and performances we saw today.”
The championships feature ten teams this year: six West Coast Conference members—Gonzaga, Portland, Saint Mary’s, San Diego, Santa Clara, Seattle U—and four affiliate programs including Creighton, Oregon State, Sacramento State and Washington State. All races are streamed live on ESPN+, with updates available through tournament central pages provided by organizers.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s schedule, Portland’s qualified boats will race for conference titles while their first varsity eight competes for placement in the petite final.
