The 2019 Washington men's and women's rowing season gets an early start as the Huskies will travel to Henderson, Nevada, for the Lake Las Vegas Invitational this Saturday, March 2.
 
Washington will send two men's eights (a first and second varsity eight) and four women's crews: first and second varsity eights, as well as two fours. The women will race once each (with both fours in the same race) against USC, while the two men's boats will compete vs. Cornell in the morning and against Marist and Oregon State in the afternoon.
 
Here is the full schedule of events that include UW entries (schedule is subject to change; for the most up-to-date, entire regatta schedule, go to RegattaCentral.com) ... NOTE: this schedule was updated Friday afternoon):
 
7:00 a.m. – UW women's V4+ vs. USC (UW will have two entries)
7:15 a.m. – UW men's 2V8+ vs. Cornell
7:45 a.m. – UW women's 2V8+ vs. USC
8:00 a.m. ­– UW men's V8+ vs. Cornell
8:30 a.m. – UW women's V8+ vs. USC
9:30 a.m. – UW men's  2V8+ vs. Oregon State & Marist
10:00 a.m. – UW men's V8+ vs. Oregon State & Marist
 
If conditions allow, there are plans for live video of the UW races to be streamed on Facebook and Twitter (click for links).
 
Both the men and women have traveled to Lake Las Vegas in recent years. Last spring, the UW men beat Dartmouth in first and second varsity eight races. The Washington women competed on Lake Las Vegas twice last spring, beating USC in all three events (V8+, 2V8+, V4+) in their season opener. Later in the season, the Huskies swept all three races in a three-team regatta with Michigan and Texas.
 
Last year, the USC women took 12th place overall at the NCAA Championships, while the UW took second place, winning the second varsity eight final while finishing second in the other two.
 
"A lot of strokes have been taken since our last fall race four months ago," UW women's coach Yasmin Farooq said. "This season opener against USC has become a tradition that really marks the beginning of spring and the Championship Season for our team. Everyone looks forward to earning an opportunity to be in this race.
 
"The squad we're taking to Las Vegas has been selected based on all of their work from the Head of the American until now," Farooq continued. "It's been a really competitive process to get to this point. The whole team has embraced the work, the weather and everything that's been thrown at them. Squaring off against a strong Pac-12 program like USC is a great early season test for us."
 
The UW men, who were ranked No. 2 in the preseason coaches' poll released on Tuesday, won the overall points trophy at the 2018 IRA Championships, taking second in the varsity eight grand final, while winning the 2V8+ and 3V8+ races. No. 12-ranked Cornell finished 12th in the James Ten Eyck Trophy (overall points) standings last year. Marist (tied for 25th in the preseason poll) raced a four at IRAs while the 18th-ranked Beavers, who finished fourth at Pac-12s, entered a varsity eight at the national championships.
 
"We're very excited for the chance to face some East Coast crews at a neutral site to begin the season," said Michael Callahan, the UW men's head coach. "We have a group of motivated, hungry seniors on this team. This is the beginning of their final campaign as Huskies, and they're a group that is chasing after the big prize that's eluded them so far. We're excited to get started."
 
Following the Huskies' trip to Las Vegas, the team will have a few weeks to prepare for the 118th Class Day Regatta March 23 on Montlake Cut.
 
About Washington Rowing
Rowing at University of Washington was established in 1901 with support from the local business community. In 1903, Washington entered its first intercollegiate race and defeated California, starting their storied "Cal Dual" rivalry. From this beginning, UW crews became the champions in the nation, winning the Gold Medal in the Olympics in 1936 as described in the New York Times bestseller The Boys in the Boat. UW has continued its tradition of winning championships and Olympic medals, and today is one of the best university rowing programs in the world. With its state-of-the-art training facility located on the UW campus right on the shores of Lake Washington, surrounded by mountains and in close proximity to the iconic Montlake Cut, Washington Rowing attracts the best men and women student-athletes from the Pacific Northwest and around the world. More information at GoHuskies.com, WashingtonRowing.com and @UW_Rowing.