Grand Valley’s rowing team returned from the 2026 American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, with new hardware. All nine Grand Valley crews finished in the top 10, with three landing on the podium.
The Men’s 2- won a national championship, the first for a GVSU men’s crew since 2008. Ross Thompson and Pierce Guswiler led the race from the start, finishing 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Sacramento State. The win marked the 25th national championship for Grand Valley.
The Men’s Varsity 4+ brought home a silver medal because of a dominating sprint in the final strokes of the race, resulting in a photo finish that showed Grand Valley less than 0.4 seconds ahead of third-place Lafayette College and fourth-place Clemson University.
The Women’s Varsity 4+ finished third, with a powerful last 500 meters that moved them from the middle of the pack into medal contention. That was the 40th ACRA medal for a Grand Valley women’s crew, more than any other team that regularly competes at nationals.
