University of Minnesota Athletics
Saturday, October 3
Minneapolis, MN
University of Minnesota
vs
Head of the Mississippi
Photo by: David Kaplan
Impressive Opener for 'U' Rowing at Head of the Mississippi Regatta
10/3/2026 3:00:00 PM | Rowing
Gophers claim five race wins Saturday
MINNEAPOLIS - The University of Minnesota rowing team opened its 2026-27 campaign on home waters near campus during the 46th edition of the Head of the Mississippi Regatta Saturday, launching from the Irene Claudia Kroll Boathouse.
Facing choppy waters in the early morning hours, the Golden Gophers were up to the challenge and turned in five race victories across the six events in which they were entered. The course covered close to three miles of upstream waters on the Mississippi River and crews were ranked by their finishes in a time trial format.
The day started with Alexa Fauson and Kimberly Klassen battling through a grueling solo effort in the Women's Open 1x where the Gophers finished second and third, respectively. It was a podium sweep for the Maroon and Gold in the next action as the three crews in the Women's Collegiate 4+ raced to the finish for the top three positions.
Taking to the water for their first college rowing experience, Minnesota's boat during the Women's Collegiate Freshman 8+ surged to a decisive victory. Coxswain Amelia Vedder drove the Gophers to a nearly 90-second win over second-place Creighton.
Minnesota went on to add race wins in the Women's Open 2x and Women's Open 2- where the pairs of Sophia Pirigyi and Josefine Freltoft and Madeline Fincham and Emilie Rish claimed the top spots in their respective battles.
The full day of competition closed in commanding fashion for the Maroon and Gold as the team posted the top four times of the Women's Collegiate 8+. The Gophers' top eights crew put together an impressive performance to finish the regatta in a winning time of 15:36.745.
Minnesota's Results
Women's Open 1x
1. Alanna Snyder (Nebraska) - 20:52.665
2. Alexa Mueller (Minnesota) - 22:42.308
3. Kimberly Klassen (Minnesota) - 32:28.328
Women's Collegiate 4+
1. Minnesota A - 17:43.972
2. Minnesota B - 17:52.997
3. Minnesota C - 18:09.509
4. Creighton - 18:20.117
5. Creighton - 19:21.689
6. Creighton - 20:13.123
7. Creighton - 20:42.147
8. Michigan Tech - 22:04.506
9. St. Olaf Club - 24:13.487
Women's Collegiate Freshman 8+
1. Minnesota - 20:22.433
2. Creighton - 21:50.853
3. Creighton - 23:08.715
4. Macalester - 26:18.092
Women's Open 2x
1. Minnesota B - 19:06.356
2. MBC/MINNRC - 19:11.184
3. Minnesota A - 19:19.638
4. Cimarron Rowing Club - 19:55.722
5. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 20:40.157
6. Macalester - 20:46.680
7. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 21:12.551
8. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 21:51.053
9. Nebraska - 22:04.265
10. St. Thomas - 25:50.053
Women's Open 2-
1. Minnesota - 22:34.547
2. Minneapolis Rowing Club - DNF
Women's Collegiate 8+
1. Minnesota A - 15:36.745
2. Minnesota B - 15:58.528
3. Minnesota C - 16:43.481
4. Minnesota D - 17:04.322
5. Drake - 17:08.835
6. Creighton - 17:20.053
7. Creighton - 19:02.654
8. Drake - 19:13.682
9. Creighton - 19:22.355
10. Michigan Tech - 19:48.659
11. Macalester - 20:39.037
Minnesota's Lineup (subject to change)
Open 1x - Alexa Fauson and Kimberly Klassen
Collegiate 4V+A: Shelby Kaplan (cox), Courtney Hislop, Sienna Hubbard, Danna Strohsack, Mary Jane DeWeerdt
Collegiate 4V+B: Hema Chanamolu (cox), Jaden Deutscher, Paige Keller, Chloe Petersen, Abby Schroeder
Collegiate 4V+C: Ashley Ohlemacher (cox), Lexi Storey, Victoria Knoll, Caroline Johnson, Emily Franke
Collegiate Freshman 8+: Amelia Vedder (cox), Avery Daniels, Elsa Myers, Abby McNutt, Lana Burr, Justyne Higman, Samantha Burd, Madeleine Bonnett, Fiona Robertson
Open 2xA - Kylie Mong (stroke), Emma Herstad (bow)
Open 2xB - Sophia Pirigyi (stroke), Josefine Freltoft (bow)
Open 2-A - Madeline Fincham (stroke), Emilie Rish (bow)
Collegiate 8V+A: Ashley Ohlemacher (cox), Emma Herstad, Kylie Mong, Emilie Rish, Kimberly Klassen, Paige Keller, Madeline Fincham, Abby Schroeder, Mary Jane DeWeerdt
Collegiate 8V+B: Radhika Ajmera (cox), Sophia Pirigyi, Danna Strohsack, Chloe Petersen, Courtney Hislop, Sienna Hubbard, Josefine Freltoft, Jaden Deutscher, Alexa Fauson
Collegiate 8V+C: Katherine Bixby (cox), Emily Franke, Viktoria Lapikof, Victoria Knoll, Caroline Johnson, Sara Pfeiffer, Audrey Zimmerman, Lexi Storey, Sydney Loehrl
Collegiate 8V+D: Amelia Vedder (cox), Immy Lovatt, Lauren Fiddy, Kate Fitzpatrick, Elsa Myers, Amélie Bolt, Jules Jagatic, Maddie Hall, Kaitlyn Utley
Facing choppy waters in the early morning hours, the Golden Gophers were up to the challenge and turned in five race victories across the six events in which they were entered. The course covered close to three miles of upstream waters on the Mississippi River and crews were ranked by their finishes in a time trial format.
The day started with Alexa Fauson and Kimberly Klassen battling through a grueling solo effort in the Women's Open 1x where the Gophers finished second and third, respectively. It was a podium sweep for the Maroon and Gold in the next action as the three crews in the Women's Collegiate 4+ raced to the finish for the top three positions.
Taking to the water for their first college rowing experience, Minnesota's boat during the Women's Collegiate Freshman 8+ surged to a decisive victory. Coxswain Amelia Vedder drove the Gophers to a nearly 90-second win over second-place Creighton.
Minnesota went on to add race wins in the Women's Open 2x and Women's Open 2- where the pairs of Sophia Pirigyi and Josefine Freltoft and Madeline Fincham and Emilie Rish claimed the top spots in their respective battles.
The full day of competition closed in commanding fashion for the Maroon and Gold as the team posted the top four times of the Women's Collegiate 8+. The Gophers' top eights crew put together an impressive performance to finish the regatta in a winning time of 15:36.745.
Minnesota's Results
Women's Open 1x
1. Alanna Snyder (Nebraska) - 20:52.665
2. Alexa Mueller (Minnesota) - 22:42.308
3. Kimberly Klassen (Minnesota) - 32:28.328
Women's Collegiate 4+
1. Minnesota A - 17:43.972
2. Minnesota B - 17:52.997
3. Minnesota C - 18:09.509
4. Creighton - 18:20.117
5. Creighton - 19:21.689
6. Creighton - 20:13.123
7. Creighton - 20:42.147
8. Michigan Tech - 22:04.506
9. St. Olaf Club - 24:13.487
Women's Collegiate Freshman 8+
1. Minnesota - 20:22.433
2. Creighton - 21:50.853
3. Creighton - 23:08.715
4. Macalester - 26:18.092
Women's Open 2x
1. Minnesota B - 19:06.356
2. MBC/MINNRC - 19:11.184
3. Minnesota A - 19:19.638
4. Cimarron Rowing Club - 19:55.722
5. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 20:40.157
6. Macalester - 20:46.680
7. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 21:12.551
8. Minneapolis Rowing Club - 21:51.053
9. Nebraska - 22:04.265
10. St. Thomas - 25:50.053
Women's Open 2-
1. Minnesota - 22:34.547
2. Minneapolis Rowing Club - DNF
Women's Collegiate 8+
1. Minnesota A - 15:36.745
2. Minnesota B - 15:58.528
3. Minnesota C - 16:43.481
4. Minnesota D - 17:04.322
5. Drake - 17:08.835
6. Creighton - 17:20.053
7. Creighton - 19:02.654
8. Drake - 19:13.682
9. Creighton - 19:22.355
10. Michigan Tech - 19:48.659
11. Macalester - 20:39.037
Minnesota's Lineup (subject to change)
Open 1x - Alexa Fauson and Kimberly Klassen
Collegiate 4V+A: Shelby Kaplan (cox), Courtney Hislop, Sienna Hubbard, Danna Strohsack, Mary Jane DeWeerdt
Collegiate 4V+B: Hema Chanamolu (cox), Jaden Deutscher, Paige Keller, Chloe Petersen, Abby Schroeder
Collegiate 4V+C: Ashley Ohlemacher (cox), Lexi Storey, Victoria Knoll, Caroline Johnson, Emily Franke
Collegiate Freshman 8+: Amelia Vedder (cox), Avery Daniels, Elsa Myers, Abby McNutt, Lana Burr, Justyne Higman, Samantha Burd, Madeleine Bonnett, Fiona Robertson
Open 2xA - Kylie Mong (stroke), Emma Herstad (bow)
Open 2xB - Sophia Pirigyi (stroke), Josefine Freltoft (bow)
Open 2-A - Madeline Fincham (stroke), Emilie Rish (bow)
Collegiate 8V+A: Ashley Ohlemacher (cox), Emma Herstad, Kylie Mong, Emilie Rish, Kimberly Klassen, Paige Keller, Madeline Fincham, Abby Schroeder, Mary Jane DeWeerdt
Collegiate 8V+B: Radhika Ajmera (cox), Sophia Pirigyi, Danna Strohsack, Chloe Petersen, Courtney Hislop, Sienna Hubbard, Josefine Freltoft, Jaden Deutscher, Alexa Fauson
Collegiate 8V+C: Katherine Bixby (cox), Emily Franke, Viktoria Lapikof, Victoria Knoll, Caroline Johnson, Sara Pfeiffer, Audrey Zimmerman, Lexi Storey, Sydney Loehrl
Collegiate 8V+D: Amelia Vedder (cox), Immy Lovatt, Lauren Fiddy, Kate Fitzpatrick, Elsa Myers, Amélie Bolt, Jules Jagatic, Maddie Hall, Kaitlyn Utley
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