Cal Athletics will not finish the 2017-18 school year without a team national championship. Cal Women’s Rowing becomes the first team to win a team title, the program’s 5th overall - 4th under the NCAA format, and Cal Athletics’ 98th in school history.

With victories in the V8 and V4 races, California Golden Bears bested Washington (last year’s defending champs) for the 2018 NCAA Women’s Rowing Championship.

This is head coach Al Acosta’s 2nd team national championship leading the Golden Bears.

After a few close calls since the 2016 national title (where Cal V8 boat actually did not win that race), it’s an emotional victory for the Golden Bears.

That feelin' when you win a National Championship. Everybody gets a hug.



cc: @CalWRowing pic.twitter.com/w3DsNiCMIV — Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 26, 2018

The team title victory was clinched by the V4 win, a very close win over a charging Washington Huskies boat.

WHEN YOUR VARSITY FOUR FINISHES FIRST TO CLAIM THE TEAM NATIONAL TITLE!!!! pic.twitter.com/MZc2zRrJxx — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

This was how close the V4 race was:

Final results from the Varsity 4+ Grand final:

1. Cal - 7:00.80

2. Washington - 7:01.63

3. Ohio State - 7:09.75

This is the 4th Varsity 4+ win in Cal history.

For the FOURTH!!! time in program history, the Bears win the NCAA title in the Varsity 4+!! pic.twitter.com/LEu0V5W6og — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

Congrats to these Golden Bears on the V4 boat.

It all comes down to this! Varsity 4 grand final will determine the 2018 NCAA Team Championship!



GO BEARS!!! #NCAARow pic.twitter.com/FNrpjIwuuJ — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

Cal finished 2nd to Washington in the 2V8 race, which was crucial to give V4 the breathing room of finishing 2nd while still clinching the team title. In the post race interview with US Rowing, head coach Al Acosta said that the V4 boat crew did not know about the V8 victory.

Times for the grand final of the Second Varsity 8+:

1. Washington - 6:21.08

2. Cal - 6:27.20

3. Virginia - 6:28.26

We’re now underway in the grand final of the Second Varsity 8!



Bears racing out of lane 5 pic.twitter.com/3YOwKXowjS — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

A lot of the credit for this team championship is due to the Cal Varsity 8 boat setting the tone in the afternoon with a huge win to open the grand finals.

For third time in program history, the Bears have captured NCAA gold in the Varsity 8+!



Row on you Bears! pic.twitter.com/BFfR4ukTGk — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

The Bears are GOLDEN!!!!



Your 2018 #NCAARow Champions in the varsity 8+! pic.twitter.com/EmASHLT0DB — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

Congratulations to these Golden Bears on the V8 boat.

Your Golden Bear lineup for the upcoming varsity eight grand final



GO BEARS! pic.twitter.com/3q4YDmmbwt — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

Official times for the Varsity 8+ grand final:

1. Cal - 6:14.86

2. Washington - 6:16.54

3. Texas - 6:17.80

With the victories in V8+ and V4+ to go with a 2nd place in 2V8+, Cal finished with 130 points while Washington had 128 points Texas took 3rd place (115 points) ahead of Stanford (104 points).

Here are the Cal boat lineups (in text form):

Women’s Varsity 8+

Hannah Christopher (cox)

Charlotte Wesselmann

Mia Croonquist

Juliane Faralisch

Dana Moffat

Chloe Betts

Maddison Brown

Sydney Payne

Bea Bliemel (bow)

Women’s Second Varsity 8+

Elisa Forbes (cox)

Lindsay Noah

Julia Vander Hoeven

Katherine Armstrong

Roisin Duffy

Tara O’Reilly

Sam Lamos

Ellie Howe

Sarah Harte (bow)

Women’s Varsity 4+

Riley Brown (cox)

Alex Floyd

Ellen Heile

Katie De Haas

Zoe Feist (bow)

Congratulations to Cal Women’s Rowing on winning their 4th NCAA team championship (and the 5th one in program history as the Cal also claims the 1980 national championship when it was governed by the National Women’s Rowing Association).

Which means....



THE GOLDEN BEARS ARE YOUR 2018 NCAA TEAM CHAMPIONS!!!



2005

2006

2016

2018 pic.twitter.com/IwE6DQbQx9 — Cal Women's Crew (@CalWRowing) May 26, 2018

By the way, last time that the Cal women won the national title in 2016, Cal men’s rowing also won the IRA national championship that year. Cal men’s rowing will be racing for the IRA national championship from Lake Mercer in New Jersey next weekend.

ROW ON YOU BEARS!