Pirates leave Anteaters behind to win Collins Cup
NEWPORT BEACH -- It was a dominating performance turned in by the Orange Coast College women's crew as the Pirates went a perfect 2-for-2 in races against UC Irvine to win the Collins Cup on Saturday down on Newport Harbor.
In the Novice 4 race, the Pirate foursome of Genevieve Pettite Gardner, Alexis Taylor, Kate McAllister, Keeley Bourcy and coxswain Addison Haught pulled away from all three UCI boats right away and earned an open-water win, conquering the 2,000-meter race with a time of 8 minutes, 40.17 seconds. UCI "A" was over 34 seconds behind the Pirate boat with a runner-up time of 9:14.19.
It was more of the same in the Varsity 8 race. Coast grabbed the early lead on the Anteaters and never looked back as the crew of Klara Kettler, Madison Garner, Saelah Pescevic, Kathryn Henry, Madyson Fitch, Paige Hasegawa, Elizabeth Anderson, Katelyn De Rosas and Margrett Thai (coxswain) pulled away for a 12-second win over UCI with a winning time of 7:34.6, with UCI crossing the finish line at 7:48.4.
It was the third Collins Cup win in four years for the Pirates over the Anteaters (2023, 2024, 2026).
The Pirates will now gear up for their championship races to wrap up the 2026 season. Coast will head up to Sacramento for the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships, set for April 25 at Lake Cachuma, beginning at 7 a.m. After that, the Pirates head to Nashville, TN for the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championships, set for May 14-18, at 7 a.m.
