Friday afternoon’s contest started with UCF and Jacksonville racing their Third Eights. The Knights posted a time of 7:07.4, earning a 14.7-second victory over the Dolphins who clocked a time of 7:22.1. Coxswained by freshman Eleanor McCandless, the crew of Makayla Baxley, Shiloh Hicks, Melani Carlson, Karin Kudmani, Krista Gretz, Vilma Kangasmaki, Kendall Bovino and Sidney Norman raced out to a multiple boat-length lead early and never looked back.
Coxswained by Hana Garey, the Third 4+ consisting of Alina Tasman, Sofia Palacios, Izzy Bate and Morgan Northey followed suit in pulling out to a large lead and posted a 7:34.1 time, topping Jacksonville’s boat by 24 seconds.
The First and Second Fours of each program went head-to-head in the third race of the afternoon. UCF’s Second 4+ took the crown, as Amber Tulloch, Kesha Bruinette, Claire Kaminski, Natasjia Voulanas and Vianna Smith earned a 7:20.9 time. The Knights’ First 4+ tallied a second-place finish, as Tea Zivkovic, Aisling Landers, Bella Montalvo, Lujza Kovacs and Eliza Shaffer finished with a time of 7:28.3. Behind the pair of UCF boats were the two Jacksonville vessels, with the Second 4+ posting a 7:53.6 mark and the First 4+ registering a 7:55.3 time.
The penultimate race of the afternoon saw UCF jump out to over a boat length of water well before the 1,000-meter clip. Coxswained by Sophia Tursi, the group consisted of Lexi Sanchez, Julia Schultz, Maci Brede, Olivia Werner, Sophia Keller, Maja Misljenovic, Luna Kuiper and Sofia Scott. The crew posted the first sub-seven-minute time of the regatta, recording a 6:38.1 to top Jacksonville’s 7:04.2 mark.
UCF’s First 8+ wrapped up the regatta with the fastest time of the afternoon, posting a 6:24.4 clip to top Jacksonville’s 6:48.8. The Knights’ First 8+ was coxswained by Audrey Vilendrer and consisted of Sofia Naboni Nevado, Ines Martin, Coralie Detre, Lucy Buckingham, Madison Lovejoy, Brigitte Kappler, Amalie Thorsen and Hannah Lovejoy.
Multiple members of Friday’s First 8+ earned awards for their performances in 2025. Lovejoy was honored as Big 12 Rower of the Year and was a CRCA All-American Honorable Mention. Buckingham was named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
UP NEXT
The Knights return to the water March 27-28 at the Sarasota 2K at Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota, Fla. The Black and Gold hoisted a trophy in the 2025 edition of the regatta, an event that brings together some of the top programs in the country each year.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.
