This story was updated at 9 p.m. on May 28 to reflect the new start times for races due to weather altering the racing schedule for the NCAA Championships.

The sixth-ranked William Smith rowing team will be one of eight teams competing for the 2026 NCAA Division III Rowing Championships in Gainesville, Georgia. The two-day regatta gets underway on Friday, May 29.
 
The eight-team championship field also includes: No. 1 Bates, No. 2 Williams, No. 3 Tufts, No. 4 Trinity, No. 5 Wellesley, No. 14 Catholic and Puget Sound. Each team will compete in varsity eight and second varsity eight races on the 2,000-meter Lake Lanier Olympic Park course. The Herons were one of four teams to earn an automatic bid to the championships.
 
Individual day tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for seniors and students. All-Session passes will cost $55 for adults and $45 for seniors and students. Tickets can be purchased online. No cash sales will be available on site.
 
The Herons' second varsity eight will be on the water in the first event of the day on Friday, competing in Heat 1 of 2. Coxswain Michaela Greco, Lily Liflander, Olivia Sainsbury, Grace Jung, Paige Barnhart, Alayna Wian, Nora Smith, Ainsley Kimball and Olivia Helms will take on the Jumbos, the Bobcats and the Cardinals at 7:30 a.m.
 
The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the afternoon's grand final at 3:32 p.m. The other two crews progress to the petite final at 3 p.m.
 
The Herons' varsity eight of coxswain Lizzy Whitney, Linnea Darius, Alessandra Gialanella, Leah Wiebe, Kate Abdalla, Raya Schwartz, Meghan Bartholomay, Aubrey Ryan and Eden Grim will race in the second of two varsity eight heats at 7:54 a.m. They will be matched up against Williams, Tufts and Puget Sound.
 
The top three finishers in each heat will advance to the afternoon's grand final at 3:40 p.m. The other two crews will race in the petite final at 3:08 p.m.
 
William Smith earned a spot in the national championship regatta after winning the Liberty League Championship at the beginning of the month. The Herons swept the varsity eight races to claim their 10th conference championship.
 
This is William Smith's eighth team appearance in the NCAA Division III Rowing Championship and first since 2016. The Herons' best finish at the regatta was a third-place showing in 2002.