ALBANY, N.Y. – The University at Albany women's rowing team enters the 2026 fall season continuing to build one of the newest programs in Division I rowing. Head coach
Kim Chavers enters her third full season at the helm of the Great Danes, who return a strong core from last season while welcoming four transfers and 15 freshmen to a 42-student-athlete roster.
"As we enter our third full season, there's a different level of excitement around this group because we've now had the opportunity to compete in the CAA and experience what championship-level racing looks like," said Coach Chavers. "We're building on that experience while continuing to raise the expectations for what UAlbany Rowing can be. This team has a great mix of returning athletes who understand what it takes and younger rowers who are excited to make their mark. I'm excited to see us take another step forward, compete with confidence, and continue establishing UAlbany as a program that belongs in the CAA."
New to the Staff
The Great Danes also enter the fall with a revamped coaching staff, as Chavers welcomes assistant coaches
Drayton Piper and
Cody Rule and former UAlbany rower
Emma Maturo to the program. The additions bring championship-level coaching experience, extensive knowledge of the Capital Region rowing community, and a firsthand connection to the early development of UAlbany Rowing.
To see the full release on the newest member of the Great Danes coaching staff,
click here
A Growing Roster
The Great Danes return 23 student-athletes from last season, including
Nina Blazevic,
Madison Bogart,
Skylar Dannan,
Gabriella DiOrio,
Shelby Fitch,
Riley Fallon,
Sarah Hughes,
Hayden Johnston,
Allison LaBuff,
Maggie Lootens,
Evangelia Miszko,
Allison Mittnight,
Cate Rochow,
Maria Runco,
Alex Siksay,
Shreya Sriram,
Jurgita Staskunaite,
Jianna Stowe,
Andrea Trifunovic,
Julia Veal,
Ava Villiere,
Abi Wiese and
Vanessa Williams. The returning group provides UAlbany with a strong foundation of experience as the program enters its third full season.
UAlbany adds four transfers to the roster:
Ava Andrews,
Brianna Brownlee,
Grace McConville and
Sam Staubach. Andrews and McConville join the Great Danes from Central Oklahoma, Brownlee arrives from Washington State, and Staubach, an Altamont native, returns to the Capital Region as she joins the program from Monmouth.
The Great Danes also welcome a 15-member freshman class in
Blair Ashcraft,
Gianna DeMartino,
Yayoi Dobashi,
Charlie Hope,
Natasha Hughes,
Anna Jaeger,
Jane Langley,
Addison Marchelle,
Erika Miller,
Maddie Rivard,
Sophia Smith,
Abigail Spencer,
MJ Stanley,
Ava Woodring and
Poppy Yarski.
Global Great Danes
The 42-member roster features student-athletes from 15 U.S. states and seven countries
, continuing to expand the geographic reach of the UAlbany rowing program. The Great Danes are represented across the United States, with athletes from Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
International representation includes
Nina Blazevic of England,
Natasha Hughes,
Sophia Smith and
Poppy Yarski of Australia,
Cate Rochow of Germany,
Maria Runco of Brazil,
Jurgita Staskunaite of Lithuania and
Jianna Stowe of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Building on 2025–26
UAlbany enters the fall following a historic 2025–26 season that saw the Great Danes compete in their first CAA Championship.
The Great Danes finished sixth in the team standings with nine points in their inaugural conference championship appearance. UAlbany's Varsity 8+ placed fifth in the Grand Final with a time of 6:41.098, while the Second Varsity 8+ finished sixth in 7:02.370 and the Varsity Four placed seventh in 8:47.970.
The Great Danes also turned in a strong performance at the Jefferson Dad Vail Regatta, where the Varsity 8+ advanced to the Bergman Trophy Grand Final and finished sixth overall. The Second Varsity 8+ won the Petite Final.
Earlier in the spring, UAlbany opened the season at the John Ferriss Regatta by winning both the Varsity 8+ and Second Varsity 8+ races, while the program's A boats in the Women's Collegiate 8+ and 4+ earned first-place finishes in their respective classes at the Mohawk Fall Classic.
2026 Fall Schedule
The Great Danes will compete in four regattas throughout the 2026 fall season, beginning Sept. 27 at the Mohawk Fall Classic on the Mohawk River in Schenectady.
UAlbany will then travel to Hartford, Connecticut, for the Head of the Riverfront on Oct. 4 before heading to Boston for the Head of the Charles on Oct. 17-18. The fall schedule concludes Oct. 24 in another local head race at the Head of the Fish in Saratoga, New York.
The four-regatta schedule gives the Great Danes opportunities to compete on familiar waters in the Capital Region while also testing themselves at nationally recognized events, including the Head of the Charles.
To view the full 2026 fall schedule,
click here
Social Central
Stay up to date with UAlbany rowing by following the team on X (
@UAlbanyRowing), Instagram (
@ualbanyrowing) and
Facebook for all of the latest news and highlights throughout the year.
