The first race of a season always carries a certain tension. Months of winter training finally meet open water, and the answers arrive in six-minute bursts.
For Miami rowing, those answers came quickly.
By the end of the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational weekend on Melton Lake, the Hurricanes had not only found speed — they had made a statement.
Miami opened Saturday’s racing with a series of tight battles against ranked competition. The third varsity eight got the Hurricanes started with a second-place finish in 6:58.8, edging No. 19 Duke and Wisconsin, setting the tone for the morning.
Then came the first varsity eight.
In the final race of the morning session, Miami’s top boat delivered one of the day’s most dramatic finishes, battling Duke stroke-for-stroke before crossing just behind the Blue Devils in a surgically thin margin. Duke finished in 6:32.0, and Miami followed just six-tenths of a second later.
If that race announced Miami’s speed, the afternoon confirmed it.
The crew of Scarlett Pringle, Naroa Zubimendi Varela, Jovana Stanivuk, Samantha Premerl, Mallory Sullivan, Esther Fuerte Chacón, Candela Martinez Pernas, Maria Sole Perugino and Beatrice Ravini Perelli closed Saturday’s racing with authority, powering to a 6:27.9 victory over Alabama, North Carolina and Navy — the fastest time of the entire afternoon session.
“That was a positive start to our 2026 campaign against some tough competition,” head coach James Mulcahy said. “There were some ups and downs, but we’re very pleased with how the crews stayed focused and intent on their own performances.”
On Sunday, all three varsity eight crews captured victories to close the regatta.
The third varsity eight opened the morning with a win in 6:56.1 over Notre Dame, Wisconsin and No. 25 Oklahoma. The second varsity eight followed with a commanding performance, finishing in 6:41.2 to secure its first victory of the season.
Then the first varsity eight returned to the water — and delivered again.
Miami’s top crew crossed the line in 6:30.0 to defeat No. 25 Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Wisconsin, marking its second victory of the weekend and the second time the Hurricanes posted the fastest overall time of the day.
Meanwhile, Miami’s varsity fours stayed firmly in contention. The 2V4 finished just inches shy of victory clocking 7:32.5 behind Oklahoma’s 7:32.1, while the 1V4 added another runner-up result in 7:31.3.
For Mulcahy, the weekend’s results were encouraging not only for the wins, but for the growth across a roster filled with newcomers.
“We’re proud of the way the team handled their first regatta of the year,” Mulcahy said. “Crews improved over the course of their three races and did a great job controlling what they could control and not getting distracted.”
Three varsity eight wins. Two fastest times of the day. And a season opener that left little doubt about Miami’s speed.
At the beginning of a season, that’s exactly the kind of message a team wants to send.
Miami returns to action next Saturday in Fellsmere, Fla., where the Hurricanes will face Columbia.