Friday, March 27
Sarasota, Fla.
West Virginia University
at
Sarasota 2k
Rowing’s 25th Year Begins with Split Squad Races
March 26, 2026 11:00 AM | Rowing
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University rowing team will open its 25th year this weekend as a split squad. WVU will race four boats at the Sarasota 2K in Sarasota, Florida, on Friday and Saturday, March 27-28, and two boats against Marietta and Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Saturday.
The Sarasota 2K will take place at host Nathan Benderson Park.
Teams participating in Sarasota include Albany, Boston College, Dartmouth, Drexel, High Point, Iowa, Jacksonville, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, North Carolina, SMU and UMass, as well as Big 12 Conference members and affiliates Kansas, Kansas State, Old Dominion, Tulsa and UCF.
The 2V4+ will compete first on Friday, with heats beginning at 2 p.m., followed by the 1V4+ heats at 3:30 p.m. The 2V8+ and 1V8+ heats will begin at 4 p.m. and 4:50 p.m., respectively. Championship races will begin Saturday morning at 8 a.m., with the 1V8+ grand final ending the day at 11:50 a.m.
Spectator parking at Nathan Benderson Park is $15 per day. Parking will open two hours prior to the first race of the day.
Races with Marietta and Robert Morris will start at 10 a.m., in the area of the McPhail Boathouse. The Mountaineers are set to launch its 3V4+ and 4V8+ in the competition.
Coach Jimmy King enters his 20th year in Morgantown with a fourth visit to the Sarasota 2K. In his tenure, King has had nine All-Big 12 First Team rowers – Violet Hewett (2024-25), Lydia Nicolai (2022-23), Emma Toy (2021), Hannah Simmerly (2019), Carly Ledbetter (2018), Louisa Morgan (2017), Elizabeth Kantak (2016), Elizabeth Duarte (2015) and Courtney Schrand (2013-14).
He also has had 102 student-athletes named College Rowing Coaches of America (CRCA) Scholar-Athletes, including a school-record 11 in 2021 and 2022 and 219 Big 12 All-Academic Team members, including the 2017 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the year, Morgan.
More information about the Sarasota 2K can be found HERE. Live results can be found HERE.
The Sarasota 2K will take place at host Nathan Benderson Park.
Teams participating in Sarasota include Albany, Boston College, Dartmouth, Drexel, High Point, Iowa, Jacksonville, Louisville, Miami, Michigan State, North Carolina, SMU and UMass, as well as Big 12 Conference members and affiliates Kansas, Kansas State, Old Dominion, Tulsa and UCF.
The 2V4+ will compete first on Friday, with heats beginning at 2 p.m., followed by the 1V4+ heats at 3:30 p.m. The 2V8+ and 1V8+ heats will begin at 4 p.m. and 4:50 p.m., respectively. Championship races will begin Saturday morning at 8 a.m., with the 1V8+ grand final ending the day at 11:50 a.m.
Spectator parking at Nathan Benderson Park is $15 per day. Parking will open two hours prior to the first race of the day.
Races with Marietta and Robert Morris will start at 10 a.m., in the area of the McPhail Boathouse. The Mountaineers are set to launch its 3V4+ and 4V8+ in the competition.
Coach Jimmy King enters his 20th year in Morgantown with a fourth visit to the Sarasota 2K. In his tenure, King has had nine All-Big 12 First Team rowers – Violet Hewett (2024-25), Lydia Nicolai (2022-23), Emma Toy (2021), Hannah Simmerly (2019), Carly Ledbetter (2018), Louisa Morgan (2017), Elizabeth Kantak (2016), Elizabeth Duarte (2015) and Courtney Schrand (2013-14).
He also has had 102 student-athletes named College Rowing Coaches of America (CRCA) Scholar-Athletes, including a school-record 11 in 2021 and 2022 and 219 Big 12 All-Academic Team members, including the 2017 Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the year, Morgan.
More information about the Sarasota 2K can be found HERE. Live results can be found HERE.
Players Mentioned
R
/ RowingAlumni Series | Kate Brownson
Thursday, March 12
Alumni Series | Barb Navarini Higgins
Tuesday, February 24
Alumni Series | Lori Sherlock
Saturday, February 07
Jimmy King & Tina Griffith | 25 Years of Rowing
Saturday, February 07
