The reigning D1 rowing national champions ramped things up this month before athletes head home for the holidays. The Texas rowing team traveled to Waco on Nov. 10 to compete in the third annual Waco Rowing Regatta. Days later on national signing day, the Longhorns added 15 new rowers who all signed their letters of intent to row at UT.

Since 2022, the Waco Rowing Center has hosted a 5k Head Race for men’s and women’s rowing teams at different levels of competition. Spanning from high schools in Dallas to collegiate level rowers, the race allows a unique opportunity to row on the Brazos River. Additionally, proceeds go toward expanding youth rowing in Waco. Texas rowing has competed in the Regatta every year since its inception. 

For Texas, the tradition has created a precedent of competing in one race during the fall set when the Regatta began. Before 2022, head coach Dave O’Neill would typically wait to compete until the spring, when a majority of their season takes place. 

In fact, the Longhorns don’t race against other collegiate teams in the Regatta. Their heat is composed of all Longhorns. Texas assembles five different boats of eight to compete against each other, each labeled A, B, C and so forth. Much like an intrasquad scrimmage, the match allows the coaching staff to evaluate their team and make adjustments as needed. 

Although Texas did not race other teams, there is still room for comparison. In this case it is the time it took to complete the 5k race. Of all five boats, boat B, led by senior port Nadja Yaroschuk, recorded the best time of any boat that competed and beat the other four teammate-led boats in the heat. Boat B recorded a raw time of 16:47 minutes.

In line with the mindset of evaluation that O’Neill emphasizes, during the off-season his coaching staff spent time evaluating recruits, hoping to bring the best to the Forty Acres. Texas completed its recruiting cycle last Friday. 

“I credit our recruiting coordinator, Nick Baker, and our entire staff for their tireless efforts in building these relationships and showcasing our program,” O’Neill said. “We truly have something special here, and it’s great to see top athletes in the world ready to join our team.” 

O’Neill’s staff brought in athletes from five different countries, following another pattern the program has set to bring in many out-of-country rowers. Texas will continue its campaign for a second straight national championship in the spring, but their next race has not been scheduled.