2025 BIG ROW (WOMEN + MEN)
RESULTS
This past weekend featured high-stakes racing and promising progress as Stanford Rowing took to the water in two major events: the storied Big Row against Cal on the choppy waters of Redwood Shores and the Lightweight Women’s debut appearance at the Women’s Sprints on Lake Quinsigamond in Massachusetts. From rivalry tradition to national-level preparation, Cardinal boats showed both dominance and determination across the board.
Big Row – Tradition, Headwinds, and Cardinal Strength
With strong headwinds and choppy water slowing times by nearly 30 seconds across the board, this year’s edition of the Big Row was as much about grit and execution as speed. But even in less-than-ideal conditions, Stanford’s crews delivered performances that underscored both dominance and development.
Stanford Women Sweep Cal in Commanding Fashion
The #1 Stanford Women showed their class and depth on home waters, delivering a clean sweep over Cal in all three races — V8+, 2V8+, and V4+. The Cardinal met or exceeded performance expectations based on cMax predictions, reinforcing their status as one of the nation’s most formidable squads. Each boat brought precision and power to the course, staying aggressive from the first strokes despite the wind’s resistance.
The varsity fours led off the day with emphatic performances: the 2V4+ clocked a 7:51.8, even beating Cal’s 1V4+ time of 7:53.5, and marking Stanford’s second-largest margin of victory in the event this season — only surpassed by their race against Virginia. The 1V8+ followed with a 15-second margin, while the 2V8+ claimed the biggest gap of the day at 18.4 seconds. The 3V8+ wrapped things up with a solid 2.7-second win, sealing the sweep.
Stanford now shifts its focus to the ACC Championships on May 16–17, hosted by Clemson at Lake Hartwell. Syracuse, the defending champion, was swept by Stanford earlier this season.
Read Stanford’s full Women’s Big Row recap here.
Race Results:
Varsity 8+
Stanford: 6:32.0
California: 6:47.0
2nd Varsity 8+
Stanford: 6:50.1
California: 7:08.5
Varsity Four
Stanford: 7:38.7
California: 7:53.5
2nd Varsity Four
Stanford: 7:51.8
California: 8:10.5
3rd Varsity 8+
Stanford: 7:11.8
California: 7:14.5
Stanford Men Battle a Veteran Cal Crew in Valuable Test
On the men’s side, #6 Stanford faced a motivated #2 Cal squad looking to rebound from last week's last-second loss to Washington — and a team brimming with Olympic-cycle veterans. Stanford, meanwhile, continues to build with a core of underclassmen and adjusted its 1V8+ lineup this week with a new stroke seat as minor athlete recoveries were managed with the postseason in mind.
Despite those headwinds — literal and figurative — the Cardinal held their own against the nation’s #2-ranked crew. “Credit to Cal for an impressive performance today,” said Ted Sobolewski, Stanford’s Farwell Family Director of Men’s Rowing. “It’s tough to walk away knowing we’re not there yet. At the same time, I have perspective on where this team is in our build, and I’m proud of the way the guys have handled a challenging couple of weeks.” Stanford has been managing injuries to three varsity athletes, including the 1V8 stern pair — a challenge for a team still developing depth — but younger rowers stepped up with maturity and resilience. As Sobolewski put it: “We learned a lot in the process. I anticipate we’ll be back at full strength for the MPSF and run-up to the IRA.”
The 1V8+ closed the regular season with a 7–3 dual record, and the 2V8+ finished 6–4.
And, noted by the color schemes on display at the event, all teams honored former coxswain Jill Costello, who passed away from lung cancer in 2010 at the age of 22. Her legacy continues to inspire the rowing community and deepen the meaning behind the Big Row each year.
Race Results:
Varsity 8+
California: 5:52.2
Stanford: 6:02.1
2nd Varsity 8+
California: 5:58.2
Stanford: 6:08.1
