Having won three of the last five NCAA Women’s Rowing Championships, the Longhorns have established themselves as one of the nation’s top rowing programs.
However, with a third-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Rowing Championship last spring, Texas enters the 2026 season with unfinished business and room to grow. Head coach Dave O’Neill hasn’t been worried about awards and trophies — the focus this season is on maintaining and growing the standard.
“The first step of being great is not being bad,” O’Neill said. “Instead of raising the bar, raising the ceiling, we kind of raise the floor. What we consider bad over the years has gotten progressively and progressively higher, and I can honestly say that we’re not bad.”
That continuously growing standard is why Texas has consistently been seen as a national contender. Texas is currently ranked No. 3 in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association preseason poll.
Heading into the season, veteran rowers Marg Van der Wal, Maya Meschkuleit and Amy Werner will lead the Longhorns. The three seniors have been named to the CRCA’s 2026 Athletes to Watch list.
While the end goal is another national title, the Longhorns have not been obsessing over winning itself.
“We don’t talk about winning that much at all within the squad; we talk about going as fast as we can,” O’Neill said. “If another team next to us can go faster than (us), that’s great, but we certainly are aware that the competition next to us brings out the best in us, so we fully embrace that.”
Texas will begin the season hosting the SMU Mustangs for a scrimmage on Sunday. The Longhorns will then open the regular season at the San Diego Crew Classic on March 28-29 at Mission Bay.
The San Diego Classic is considered one of America’s premier rowing events. It spans over three days, featuring more than 140 races hosting over 4,200 athletes in its field.
The Crew Classic will prove to be an early checkpoint for the Longhorns as they work towards another national championship.
“I think, yeah, we have a shot, for sure,” O’Neill said.
