All 10 team qualifiers—as well as nine other boats that received at-large bids—raced a boat in the varsity eight event. The varsity semi-finals are scheduled to begin today at 11 AM.

Last year, Radcliffe finished in 10th place as a team at NCAAs. In each of the two previous years, the team raced to a program-best seventh place finish.

This spring, the Black and White varsity is ranked eighth in the latest College Rowing Coaches Association National Poll. Two-time defending national champion Brown leads the standings by virtue of its Eastern titles in the varsity, second varsity, and varsity four races.

The Radcliffe varsity eight completed its fifth straight winning season with a record of 6-5 in dual races, including a win against at-large qualifier Rutgers.

The varsity boat was plagued by close losses in the last dual races of the season, all to other NCAA Qualifiers- Boston University, Yale, Syracuse, Princeton, and Brown. Two of those losses were avenged at Eastern Sprints when the Black and White finished fourth, placing ahead of the Terriers and the Elis.

“We’ve had some rough races going into Sprints, but we really pulled it together at [the Grand Final],”senior Holly Fling said.

Radcliffe’s impressive finish in the Grand Final at Eastern Sprint secured its fourth straight team bid to NCAAs.