ARCATA, Calif. – Following an impressive showing at the 2026 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships, three members of the Cal Poly Humboldt women's rowing team earned All-WIRA honors, highlighting a strong weekend on the water for the Lumberjacks.
Ellie Walters and Royce Ankel were both named to the All-WIRA First Team for their roles in Humboldt's Varsity 8, while Rowan White earned Second Team honors representing the Jacks' 2V8 crew.
The Varsity 8 delivered one of the most thrilling races of the regatta, turning in a dramatic sprint over the final 500 meters to capture a silver medal finish. Humboldt crossed the line in 6:57.781, narrowly edging Puget Sound (6:57.825) by just hundredths of a second in a photo finish. Western Washington claimed gold in 6:53.422, while Seattle Pacific (6:57.973), UC Santa Barbara (7:06.079), and Pacific Lutheran (7:08.048) rounded out the field.
Humboldt's 2V8 crew showcased its depth with a dominant performance, capturing gold in 7:20.74. The Lumberjacks led wire-to-wire, finishing ahead of Western Washington (7:25.951), Puget Sound (7:39.111), UC Santa Barbara (7:43.887), Pacific Lutheran (7:59.870), UC Irvine (8:06.603), and California Lightweights (8:15.151).
Head Coach Matt Weise praised the efforts and leadership of the trio following the regatta.
"I was very proud of how our team raced at WIRA," said Weise. "Ellie Walters, one of our seniors, has done an outstanding job of leading our team this year and did a great job helping the varsity eight create a great racing rhythm at WIRA's. Royce, a newcomer graduate student, adds a great power dimension to the varsity 8 and was particularly strong during the sprint that put our boat in front of Puget Sound and Seattle Pacific. Rowan is a freshman and stroked the 2nd varsity 8 to victory. She helped her boat stay calm and long as they moved through the field at the halfway point in the race."
The All-WIRA selections cap off a successful championship weekend for the Lumberjacks, underscoring both veteran leadership and emerging talent within the program as Humboldt continues to build momentum ahead of the GNAC Championships on Saturday, May 16 at Lake Natoma.
