March 11, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Brown University claimed the top spot in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Varsity Eight Coaches Preseason Poll, while Western Washington University was the unanimous choice for the top spot in the Division II Preseason Poll. Colby College and the United States Coast Guard Academy shared the top spot in the Division III Preseason Poll.

In Division I, Brown only received two first-place votes but still managed to take the top spot in the poll as six schools earned at least one first-place vote. The University of Michigan also earned two first-place votes and edged Princeton University (two first-place votes) and Yale University (eight first-place votes) for the second spot in the poll. Harvard rounded out the top five, garnering four first-place votes, while Stanford earned the final first-place vote to take sixth in the preseason rankings.

Western Washington was the unanimous choice in the Division II poll, taking all four first-place votes. Mercyhurst finished second. In the Division III poll, Colby College with two first-place votes and the United States Coast Guard Academy (five first-place votes) shared the top spot. Smith College took the third position, followed by Williams College in fourth. Ithaca College and Vassar College tied for fifth in the preseason poll.

USRowing is the non-profit membership organization recognized by the United States Olympic Committee as the national governing body for the sport of rowing in the U.S. USRowing’s Official Patrons are Concept2 and Polaroid; its Official Electronics Outfitter is Nielsen Kellerman; its Official Suppliers are NIKE, Inc., Filippi Boat Manufacturer/Elite Rowing, Inc., and System Scale Corp.; and its Preferred Printer is Sport Graphics Printing. The Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association’s official partner is http://www.row2k.com.

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Cornell University 32, Oregon State University 27, University of Notre Dame 12, University of Massachusetts 7, University of Minnesota 7, Columbia University 4, University of Pennsylvania 4, Northeastern University 2, Clemson University 1, University of California at Los Angeles 1, and University of Miami 1.

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: University of California at San Diego 2.

Not Ranked But Receiving Votes: Bates College 36, Willamette University 33, Rochester Institute of Technology 28, Pacific Lutheran University 22, Wesleyan University 18, Skidmore College 13, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 12, Mary Washington College 11, St. Lawrence University 7, and Lewis & Clark College 6.