There are many reasons to want to continue your rowing career after high school: to stay in shape, to be part of a community, to stay competitive, to get scholarships, and more! Rowing can become a lifelong passion.

The UA Crew program has alumni that have rowed, or are currently rowing across the US. A few of those alumni include Will Holsinger, for Navy; Aiden Vanek, Hobart; Sam Wyslic and Avery Kelley, Adrian College; Mia Marshall and Melanie Kase, Miami University.

There are hundreds of rowing programs across D1, D2, and D3 schools, and it can be overwhelming to know where to start.

So, we have tried to put together a couple of resources to help you navigate the terrain below:

The biggest statistic that coaches use to determine your ability as a rower during the rowing recruitment process is your 2k ERG score. Although your ERG time does not demonstrate balance or technique, it is the best measure a coach has to determine your skill level. 

According to several recruiting sites, including Athnet and NCSA Recruiting, to compete at the Division I or II levels, experienced rowers should have a 2k ERG score between 7:15 and 7:45. If you are a novice or inexperienced rower, you should have an ERG of less than 7:30 for Division I and 8:00 for Division II. However, CaptainU states that the stakes are actually even tougher with the following information presented as a guide. (and keep in mind that the bigger and stronger you are, the lower your ERG score should be to demonstrate that you can “pull your weight.”)

For women, coaches look for 2k erg times ranging from 7:15 to 7:55. While the assumption is that rowers who can knock down a 2k in 7:15 to 7:30 will rake up all the scholarships at the top Division I schools, there’s enough diversity in women’s college rowing that it’s not always the case. Many other intangibles may factor in so if your 2k erg times are in the 7:40s or above, keep working and don’t assume you can’t land at a DI school.

For men, the desired times are lower and, given the scarcity of available scholarships, the competition is fierce. Most coaches look for times in the 6:20s to the 6:40s. However, for the top-end schools, you’ll likely need to pull a 6:15 to a better time.

In rowing, height and commensurate arm length equal stroke leverage. That’s why most coaches look for male rowers between 5’11” and 6’3” or above and between 180 and 195 pounds. For women, the desired height and weight is still an advantage, but your athletic abilities will likely carry as much influence as coaches.

If you’re on the fringe of what coaches want physically, having some or all of the intangible qualities coaches look for could make all the difference. Those include:

There are several companies that offer services to help with navigating the recruitment process, but we don't have experience with any of them specifically, and they do typically requirement payment for their services, so do your diligence when checking any of them out.

Of course, your best resource are your coaches, so please let Coach Harvie and Coach Hallof know if you want to row in college and they can help connect you with sources for more information.