ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – For the first time in years, the University of Central Florida women’s rowing team is nationally ranked, following a historic victory at the Big 12 championship.
The Knights are now preparing to compete at the NCAA championship next week, marking a major milestone for a program that has been building toward this moment.
“It’s pretty surreal, to be honest,” said junior Natasjia Vouleanas. “I was talking to a lot of my teammates yesterday and just thinking, imagine if I could look back at my freshman self and tell myself that this is going to happen. It would have just been unreal.”
The Big 12 title is the first for many of the current athletes, and it marks UCF’s return to the national spotlight after several seasons outside the NCAA rankings. The last time the Knights were nationally ranked was in 2019.
“As much of a big milestone as it was, it was definitely also a stepping stone for hopefully what’s to come,” Vouleanas said.
The team’s roster is a diverse one, with student-athletes from around the world, including South Africa. Junior Brigitte Kappler said the sport is as much about mental toughness as it is about physical strength.
“Yeah, it’s I think a lot of mental toughness as well as physical toughness,” Kappler said. “Even though it’s a really repetitive movement, you try and get the perfect stroke every time, and it’s not something that you’re going to achieve every time.”
Head coach Mara Allen said the team’s journey to the NCAA championship is the result of a year-long effort.
“Excitement. Absolutely. Just knowing that we punched our ticket to get to NCAAs this year… Actually doing it feels very different than wanting to do it. So that felt really great,” Allen said. “And then just that sense of, oh my gosh, now we have to go to NCAAs and we better get prepared.”
Allen said her focus is on more than just winning races.
“We want boats to go fast, but if we’re not creating better people out of it, I’m not interested in that,” Allen said. “I’m interested in how much this sport can teach people about being ready for the rest of their lives.”
The NCAA women’s rowing championship begins next week, where UCF will compete against the nation’s top programs.