Just three years into the Allen era, the Knights have transformed the trajectory of the program. They’ve captured back‑to‑back Big 12 titles, earned consecutive NCAA Championship appearances and shattered multiple program records, sometimes rewriting history only weeks after setting the mark themselves. The pace of progress hasn’t just been impressive, it’s been relentless.
UCF has made its message unmistakable: this is the new standard.
CRCA POLL RECORDS
The UCF rowing program didn’t just make history this spring, they rewrote it twice. On March 31, the Knights broke through to a new program high, climbing to No. 12 in the CRCA Poll after a dominant performance at the Sarasota 2k.
Just two weeks later, on April 14, UCF shattered its own record again, this time climbing to No. 11, the new highest ranking in program history. The jump came after three consecutive undefeated race weekends, beginning with a six‑race sweep at the Jacksonville Dual, followed by another flawless showing at the Sarasota 2k and capped by a perfect outing at the Ohio State Invite. With momentum surging, the Knights entered the inaugural Orlando Invite as the highest‑ranked team in a field loaded with top‑25 opponents, further cementing their status as one of the nation’s fastest‑rising programs.
SARASOTA 2K CHAMPS ONCE AGAIN
The Knights arrived in Sarasota carrying the weight of expectation and delivered. As the anticipated favorites, they didn’t just win the Benderson Cup for the second straight year, they dominated the field, sweeping every race of the Sarasota 2k and cementing themselves as back‑to‑back champions.
The Second 4+ opened the morning with a strong, composed win over two ranked opponents, setting the tone early. The Third 8+ followed with another confident victory against a deep field, keeping UCF firmly in control. The First 4+ continued the run with a clean, measured performance that held off multiple challengers. With momentum building, the Second 8+ delivered a late‑race push to fend off Miami and extend the streak. Finally, the First 8+ closed out the weekend with a commanding open‑water win, sealing the Knights’ perfect record.
By going five‑for‑five for the second year in a row, UCF extended its remarkable 20‑race win streak at the Sarasota 2k across heats and finals. The Knights finished the day with 132 points, well ahead of Miami and Dartmouth, and left Sarasota with another Benderson Cup and another statement performance.
BIG 12 CROWN X2
Wanting to prove that last season wasn’t a fluke, UCF stormed through Sarasota and left nothing but open water behind them, powering to their second straight Big 12 title in a flawless, five‑race sweep. Every boat that launched from the docks at Nathan Benderson Park returned as a champion, securing the team an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships and stamping the morning with absolute dominance.
The momentum began with the Third 8+, which clawed through a tight duel before unleashing a final‑stretch surge that broke the race open. From there, each crew that followed only tightened the grip on the championship, one boat widening the margin by double‑digit seconds, another holding command from the first stroke to the last. The Second 8+ kept the streak alive with a decisive finish, and by the time the First 8+ launched down the course, the sweep felt inevitable. Their final charge sealed the perfect morning with a blistering time and a statement that echoed across the water.
By conquering every single race, the team amassed 81 points, the highest total possible for the contest.
CONFERENCE NODS
Fresh off the Big 12 title, the Knights rode their momentum into yet another wave of postseason glory as the conference unveiled its annual awards. In a season already defined by dominance, the program swept three of the league’s highest honors, Rower of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Coach of the Year, a trifecta that underscored just how thoroughly they controlled the spring slate.
The conference’s top individual award went to the athlete who powered the First 8+ all season long in Brigitte Kappler, anchoring the team’s speed and helping deliver a 13‑second victory margin in the championship race. Her presence in the top boat never wavered, and her impact was felt every time the crew surged ahead.
The momentum didn’t stop there. The league’s Newcomer of the Year emerged from a first‑year athlete who spent the entire season in the program’s top two boats in Madison Lovejoy. At the conference championship, she helped the Second 8+ storm to a win by nearly 11 seconds and played a key role in the First 8+’s weekly honors earlier in the spring
And at the center of it all stood the architect of the Knights’ rise. For the second straight year, the program’s leader Mara Allen claimed Coach of the Year, a testament to a season in which the team shattered its own ranking records. Under her direction, the Knights finished first in every race but one, topping tough competition, including a defeat against then-No.7 Princeton. She closed the season exactly as she began it: guiding her team to a sweep on the waters of Sarasota and securing another Big 12 crown and NCAA Championship berth.
ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION
UCF closed its 2026 campaign with a 16th‑place team finish at Lake Lanier Olympic Park. For just the second time in program history, and the second year in a row, every UCF boat advanced to the C Finals, continuing to write history.
Across the board, the Knights delivered matching results, with all three boats placing 15th nationally. The day opened with the First 4+ posting a 06:59.03 to finish third in its C Final, ahead of several major‑conference opponents. The Second 8+ followed with one of the tightest races of the morning, finishing third in 06:13.60, just 0.1 seconds behind the winning crew. The First 8+ closed out the regatta by securing UCF’s third straight third‑place finish in C‑Final racing, crossing in 06:01.87 and once again holding off multiple high-performing programs.
With 48 total points, the Knights finished just one point shy of Columbia and maintained their standing as a top‑20 program, never dropping outside the national top‑20 in rankings or postseason results.
ALL-AMERICAN BEE
Following three season in the Knights’ top boat, Brigitte Kappler captured CRCA All‑American Honorable Mention honors, adding another milestone to her role in UCF’s back‑to‑back historic First 8+ seasons. She joins fellow Knights Hannah Lovejoy, Julie Poulsen, Chelsey Lauzon and Krystina Sarff as athletes who have received All‑American recognition.
A consistent presence in the First 8+, Kappler spent most of the year in the three‑seat and never left the program’s top boat. Her season included All‑Big 12 honors and two selections as part of the Big 12 Boat of the Week. She became one of 58 Division I athletes to receive All‑American distinction, an honor requiring athletes to compete in at least 75 percent of their team’s top‑boat races and demonstrate exceptional performance.
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.
