Women's WIRA 2025 - W2x takes Bronze!

Long Beach State University's women's rowing teams delivered mixed performances across multiple boat classes during the annual Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association competition, a competitive two-day regatta featuring some of the top west coast programs.

In the Women's Varsity 8+, LBSU placed fifth in their initial heat with a time of 7:27.113, qualifying them for the Petite Final. The V8+ was led by stroke Bailey Hartman, Raquel Bennett (7), Lupita Nieto (6), Megan Arendt (5), Ruby Bogonovich (4), Julia Jacques (3), Morgan Purdy (2), and Cecilia Dale (1). On day two, they maintained similar form with a time of 7:28.856, securing fifth place in that final as well.

The Women's Pair showed promise on day one, Lupita Nieto and Megan Arendt claiming third place in their heat with a time of 8:53.758, which earned them a spot in the Grand Final. However, they faced stiffer competition in the finals with wind and strong currents, finishing sixth with a time of 9:52.104.

LBSU's strongest showing came from their Women's Double (W2x) crew, who secured second place in their preliminary heat with an impressive 8:33.233. With Ruby Bogonovich as stroke and Mia Monsour bow, the two followed this performance with a bronze medal finish in the Grand Final, clocking 8:38.01 and beating out Washington State by just 0.246 seconds in a thrilling finish.

The Novice Women's 4+ gained valuable racing experience, finishing fourth in their heat (8:51.112) and fifth in the Petite Final (9:02.442).

Looking forward to the American Collegiate Rowing Association Championships (ACRA) this weekend, the pair and double have joined forces to compete in a novice 4+ alongside the preexisting novice lightweight boat and a single. This is a noteworthy development in the program as LBSU’s women’s crew did not qualify for ACRA the previous year. Stay tuned for race schedules, Donate Here to support the teams' travel to Knoxville, Tennessee to row in the national championships!

GO BEACH!