Cornell University Athletics

1975
The Cornell women's rowing team goes 1-4 under Coach Kathy Galles during their inaugural season. Despite a rocky start, the team rebounds to win its final regatta against Ithaca and place fifth overall at the Eastern Sprints.

1976
Newly appointed head coach Bill Doherty leads the team to a winning 5-2 record ... The Class of '75 Cup is donated by five graduates of Princeton's class of 1975 and is given for the first time to the winner of the first varsity-8 race between Cornell, Princeton and Radcliffe … Cornell alumni Marion Greig '76 went on to represent the United States at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where she won a bronze medal with the women's coxed eights.

1977
The varsity boat rowed to a 5-11 record under first-year head coach Stan Worth.

1981
Head Coach John Dunn begins his 18-year tenure with the Big Red. The team goes 2-6 on the season under his direction.

1983
The 1983 season marked the first winning campaign under Coach Dunn. The team went 5-3 on the season and took fifth in the Grand Finals of the Eastern Sprints.

1984
Tony Johnson '80 and John Groth '81, teammates on the Cornell men's lightweight rowing team who went on to coach at Cornell and Princeton, respectively, donated the Johnson/Groth Cup in 1984. The Cup is given to the winner of the first novice 8 race between Cornell and Princeton and it is the only Cup in the country awarded to a novice event.

1985
Cornell enjoyed another 5-3 season for both the varsity and second-varsity boats. The varsity ended the season with a third-place finish in the Petite Finals of the Eastern Sprints and an impressive seventh place finish in the Grand Finals of the National Championships in Washington D.C.

1986
The Big Red posted another winning season with a record of 5-4. The team went on to take a first place finish in the Petite Finals of the Eastern Sprints before taking sixth in the Grand Finals of the National Championships.

1987
The Cornell varsity completed the season with an even record at 4-4. The crew went on to place third in the Petite Finals of the Eastern Sprints and sixth at the Nationals.

1988
Stephanie Maxwell Pierson '86 represents the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympics as a member of the women's coxed eights.

1989
The varsity-8 got off to an excellent start in 1989 by winning its first four regattas of the year. The team finished the season at 6-2, posting the best record in Cornell women's rowing history. The 1989 season was also the fifth consecutive campaign in which the team rowed to a .500 or better record. The Big Red took home third place in the Eastern Sprints Grand Finals, but the best was yet to come. Going in as underdogs to rowing powers Washington and Wisconsin, the Big Red surprised the field by winning the Nationals, the first and only national championship won by a women's program in Cornell history. In addition to the varsity eight victory, the novice four also won gold, helping the Big Red to earn the Sprauge Cup for the most points recorded by a team at the championship. The varsity eight boat of Susan Campbell (coxswain), Janice Doleski (stroke), Stephanie Heimbach, Andrea Theis, Sunny Edmunds, Jennifer Ruesink, Jill Hathaway, Sue Kallfelz and Emily Farnham (bow) won the championship in a time of 5:34.90, besting Wisconsin by more than three seconds. The novice four crew of Becky Cohen (coxswain), Sarah Manning (stroke), Kate Franzek, Jeanne Neeson, and Tammy Highsmith (bow) won the title in a time of 6:44.60, edging out St. Thomas, who crossed the line in 6:44.80. Cornell earned the Sprague Cup by virtue of its two victories, as well as its second-place finish in the second varsity eight and fourth place finish in the novice eight. Following the season, John Dunn was named the EWARC Head Coach of the Year. 

1990
The 1990 season was another successful one, as the team went 8-3-1 on the year. The varsity-8 came in second in the Eastern Sprints Grand Finals and placed third in the National Grand Finals. Also at the Nationals, Cornell claimed its first novice eight title by edging Radcliffe in a time of 6:04.5, while the second varsity-8 also took home the gold medal.

1991
After losing only two regattas on the season, the 1991 varsity-8 finished the season with a 6-2 record. They also took home second place in the National Grand Finals in Cincinnati with a time of 7:06.02 … The Raritan Cup (given by Howard M. Smith '51) was established in 1991 and is given for the first time to the school that wins the varsity-8 race between Cornell, Penn and Rutgers.

1992
For the second year in a row, the Big Red placed second in the National Grand Finals, after going 6-4 on the season … The Class of '89 Plate (given by Penn class of '89) is established and given for the first time to the school that accumulates the most points over the course of the day's races between Cornell, Penn and Rutgers …
Stephanie Maxwell Pierson '86 and Andrea Thies '89 represent the United States at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Maxwell Pierson wins a bronze medal as a member of the women's coxless pair, while Thies rows in the women's quadruple sculls.

1993
Although the varsity-8 struggled to a 3-3 record, the crew placed third at the National Grand Finals. The 1993 season marked the fifth consecutive year the Big Red placed third or better in the National Grand Finals … The 1983 season was also the first for the Dunn Bowl. To commemorate one of the oldest races in the Ivy League, Big Red coach John Dunn decided the race needed its own trophy, which went on to bear his name.

1994
Once again, the Cornell varsity-8 struggled in the regular season, posting a 3-5 record, but rebounded during the championship season, placing third and fourth in the Grand Finals of the Eastern Sprints and Nationals, respectively.

1995
The Big Red reversed its record from the previous year, going 5-3 on the season and placing first in the Eastern Petite Finals. The team also placed first in the IRAs by edging Brown by .8 of a second.

1996
The women had an excellent season in 1996, losing only two regattas and winning six. Although the varsity-8 placed third at the IRAs, Cornell took first-place in the overall points category with 245.2 … Andrea Thies '89 represents the United States at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, rowing in the women's quadruple sculls.

1998
The 1998 season marked the final year of John Dunn's 18-year career as head coach. He finished his career with the Big Red with a record of 78-76-1.

1999
Melanie Onufrieff took over as the seventh head coach in Cornell women's rowing history and led the varsity-8 to a 7-5 record, while both the second varsity-8 and novice crews finished at an impressive 9-3.

2000
The Parent's Cup was created in 2000 in recognition of the parents' support and is presented to the winner of the Dartmouth-Cornell regatta. Though first presented in 2000, the Cup was made retroactive to 1998.

2002
The team fared much better in 2002 than it had in the previous two years. Finishing seventh in the Eastern Sprints, the Big Red earned their first invitation to the NCAAs, where it took 14th overall. Following the season, the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) named Nicole Sylvester to its All-American team.

2003
Despite finishing the year with a 5-6 record, the varsity-8 was still able end the season on a high-note by placing fifth at the Eastern Sprints … The 2003 season also sees the creation of the Cayuga Cup for the winner of the Varsity 8 race between Cornell, Syracuse and Yale.

2004
In Melanie Onufrieff's final year as head coach, the team went 6-6 on the season, but brought home three gold medals and one silver from the Eastern Sprints, as well as earning fourth place in the points standings. Onufrieff left Cornell with an overall record of 30-38 during her six years of coaching.

2005
Head Coach Christine Wilson begins her two-year stint with the Big Red.

2007
Hilary Gehman, a six-time member of the U.S. national rowing team and a two-time Olympian, took over as the interim head coach of the Cornell women's crew, before being named the Staley Head Coach of Women's Rowing in July 2007.

2008
Jen Kaido '03 represents the United States at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helping the women's quadruple sculls to a fifth place finish.

2009
Following the season, sophomore Erica Crump is named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) All-Mid-Atlantic Region First Team.

2010
Head coach Hilary Gehman was named the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year after directing the Big Red to its first national ranking since  2004. In the final poll of the regular season, the Big Red placed 18th and narrowly missed out on a berth to the NCAA tournament. Following the season, Erica Crump '11 and Cecelia Madsen '12 earned CRCA All Mid-Atlantic Region first-team honors, while Taylor Goetzinger '12 was named to the second-team. Additionally, seven Cornellians were named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes. Crump was also named Academic All-Ivy, as well as a CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-District selection.

2011
During the 2011 season, the Big Red spent the entire spring ranked in the top 20 nationally, reaching as high as No. 10 in the polls. Cornell picked up wins over Yale, Syracuse, Radcliffe, Princeton, Penn, Rutgers, Columbia, Dartmouth, Iowa, Duke, Bucknell, Rhode Island and Buffalo before advancing all six of its boats into the Grand Finals of the Eastern Sprints for the second straight season. At Sprints, both the varsity and second varsity eight boats placed sixth overall, while the third varsity eight and the varsity four took fifth. The varsity 4B crew took the silver medal and the varsity 4C earned the victory over Penn for the Big Red's only gold medal of the day. The solid showing by all six boats in the Grand Finals earned Cornell a fourth-place team finish. As a result of the Big Red's stellar season, Cornell had 11 student-athletes honored by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA). Taylor Goetzinger '12 and Anna Psiaki '12 were named to the All Mid-Atlantic Region first team, while Natalie Wingerning '11, Leigh Archer '13 and Jeannette Friedman '12 were second-team selections. Psiaki and Friedman also headlined a list of eight Cornellians named CRCA National Scholar-Athletes. Goetzinger went on to be named a CRCA second-team All-American.

2012
Cornell had its best season in 20 years, earning victories over Syracuse, Boston University, Yale, Columbia and Dartmouth during the Cup season before taking the silver medal in the varsity eight race at the Ivy League Championship, its best finish in 22 seasons. For their efforts, the varsity eight crew of Jeannie Friedman, Cecelia Madsen, Taylor Goetzinger, Leigh Archer, Tracy Eisser, Anna Psiaki, Kay C. Byrnes, Stephanie Lohberg and Stephanie Kuntz were named second-team All-Ivy. The Big Red placed fourth as a team and the conference championship and secured a berth to the 2012 NCAA Women's Rowing Championship, just its second selection to NCAAs overall and its first in 10 years. The Big Red went on to place 13th overall, finishing one-point behind 12th place Radcliffe and six points in front of Ivy League foe Brown. The varsity four was highest placing boat at the championship, taking fourth in the Petite Final to finish 10th in the nation, while the varsity eight took fifth in the Petite Final for 11th overall. The second varsity eight finished second in the Third Level Final to place 14th in the nation. During the NCAA Championship, junior Shelly Tremaglio was named the recipient of the Elite 89 Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships. Following the season, Hilary Gehman was named the CRCA Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year, while Archer, Goetzinger, Madsen, and Friedman, were named Mid-Atlantic Region first-team selections, and Eisser was a second-team honoree. Eisser and Friedman were also named CRCA National Scholar Athletes, along with teammates Judy Amsalem, Maggie Cook, and Anna Psiaki. Goetzinger became the first Big Red women's rower ever to repeat as a CRCA All-American with a first-team selection, while Madsen was named a CRCA second-team All-American.

2013
The Big Red enjoyed another solid season under seventh-year head coach Hilary Gehman, despite losing seven members of the varsity eight that took silver at the 2012 Ivy League Rowing Championship. The squad suffered some setbacks early in the Cup season, but still managed to take home the Class of '89 Points Plate, as well as the Parent's Cup with victories over Penn and Dartmouth, respectively. For the second-straight season, the Big Red earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championships, after finishing fourth overall in the team standings at the 2013 Ivy League Women's Rowing Championship. The team then finished 15th overall at NCAAs, with the second varsity eight proving to be Cornell's top finisher on the day, winning the C Finals and take 13th place overall.  The varsity eight finished 15th overall, while the varsity four took 17th. Following the season, the team had nine members honored by the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA).  Rowers Leigh Archer and Kate Roach were named Mid-Atlantic Region first-team selections, while Mary Lang, Hannah Wilson and coxswain Madeline Bender were named to the second-team. Archer was also named a CRCA National Scholar Athlete, along with Solveig Imsdahl, Anna Payne, Kira Prtichard and Shelly Tremaglio. Both Roach and Archer went on to earn All-America honors, with Roach earning a spot on the first team, while Archer was named to the second team. 

2014
Cornell struggled with a young squad during the 2014 season, coming up just short in several races, but managing to win the Class of '89 Points Plate by defeating Penn for the sixth consecutive season. The Big Red advanced three of its four boats into the Grand Finals and came in seventh overall in the final team standings of the 2014 Ivy League Women's Rowing Championship. Cornell's varsity eight and varsity 4A had the top finishes of the day, as both boats placed fifth overall, with the A4 beating its seeding. The third varsity eight placed sixth overall, while the second varsity eight won the Petite Finals to take seventh overall. Following the season, Kate Roach was named a Mid-Atlantic Region first-team selection, while co-captain Lily Eisermann was named to the second-team. Additionally, Kelly Albanir was named a CRCA National Scholar Athlete. Roach went on to earn her second CRCA All-American honor with a second team selection. 

2015
The Big Red earned a place in the CRCA/USRowing Preseason Coaches' Poll for the fifth straight year, coming in at No. 20 overall as one of five Ivy League teams to make the top 20. A slow start saw Cornell slip out of the national rankings, but a strong performance at the Clemson Invitational, which included winning its sixth straight Class of '89 Points Plaque over Penn, saw the Big Red jump back into the rankings, where it remained for the rest of the season. The squad had an up-and-down season, but ended the head-to-head competition with a bang by winning three of five races over Dartmouth to take the Parent's Cup for the second year in a row. The Big Red used that performance as momentum heading into the 2015 Ivy League Women's Rowing Championship, where the Big Red advanced five of six boats to the Grand Finals and took fifth place overall, a two-spot improvement from the previous season.  Following the season, the Big Red made its first-ever trip to participate in the Henley Women's Regatta.

2016
With a number of underclassmen in the top boats, the Big Red struggled during the 2015-16 season. The varsity eight earned one victory on the year, defeating Dartmouth to win the Parents' Cup, before finishing eighth overall at the 2016 Ivy League Women's Rowing Championship. Following the season, Kelly Albanir was named a CRCA Region 1 second-team selection, and was joined on the CRCA National Scholar Athlete squad by  Ellen Barrett, Caroline Crawford, Jenny DiPietro, JoAnna McNutt, Grace Tucker, and Rachel Watkin.

2017
The Big Red finished one place ahead of its previous season outing, taking seventh overall at the 2017 Ivy League Women's Rowing Championship. Following the season, sophomore rower Victoria Everett was named a CRCA Region 1 second-team selection, while seniors Caroline Crawford and Grace Tucker were named CRCA National Scholar Athletes. 

2018
Under interim head coach Barney Williams the Big Red places Jaquelyn Shroyer (first-team) and Alice Rudoph-Shabinsky (second-team) on the All-Ivy teams, while Alexa Marcasciano, Caroline Ressler, and Katie Schretter were named CRCA National Scholar Athletes. 

2019
Eric Carcich is named the Staley Head Coach of Women's Rowing. Following the season, Sheehan Gotsch and Jaquelyn Shroyer were named first- and second-team All-Ivy, respectively.

2020
Steve Coppola is named the Staley Head Coach of Women's Rowing. Season cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic.