The Marcel Stiffey Years

Resurgence following the COVID-19 pandemic and success at the American Collegiate Rowing Association championships.

In late August 2019, Marcel Stiffey was welcomed as the new head coach for UCLA men’s rowing. He joined the program having compiled ten years of coaching experience at both the collegiate and junior level.  His previous six years were managing the novice team at the Newport Aquatic Center, where he successfully guided his crews to 27 regional titles. With a 6’6” frame the Southern California native took up rowing in high school.  He rowed collegiately at Orange Coast and then attended the University of San Diego, but chose not to row for the team because it was not at the competitive level he was looking for.  Instead, he aspired to the national teams and to be an Olympian. He went to England at trained at Leander Boat Club for the 2012 Olympics.  After not making the Olympic team he returned to the US and began coaching. 

"I was good at it right away," Marcel said. "I was good with people, and I treated everybody with respect." Marcel quickly discovered his passion for coaching.  "There is no detail that gets overlooked with me," Marcel said of his coaching success. "When you don't overlook the simple stuff, that mantra allows you to focus on the bigger picture." He enters the position with high hopes for the program. "My goal for the program is to win or be among the top three every year," Marcel said. "I not only want to grow the program, but grow with results, and teach the guys a lot of lessons along the way."  Adriana Conte, “Marcel Stiffey Joins UCLA as New Head Rowing Coach” web uclaclubsports.com, Men’s Rowing, posted 29 August 2019.

As the new men’s rowing coach, Marcel Stiffey became one of only three paid club sports coaches at UCLA.

2020 - 2021

The team kicked off the 2019-20 season with a huge win at the 55th Head of the Charles River, taking first place in a field of 40 in the Collegiate Four (junior Trevor Phillips, senior Chase Bakkeby, sophomore Jules Ouwerkerk, senior Ben Koch, and junior Brandon Bettinger), followed by Orange Coast and UC Santa Barbara filling out the top three, in a time of 16:19.035. At the beginning of the season Stiffey starting saying as a joke “#thevisionbecomesreality” but it caught on with the team. Adriana Conte, “UCLA Rowing Takes Home Victory at Head of the Charles”, web uclaclubsports.com, Men’s Rowing, posted 24 October 2019.  This placing improved on their third place finish in the event in 2018.  In its only other fall competition, the Bruins entered multiple crews in the November 10 San Diego Fall Classic in the open eight (3 crews), open four (3 crews) and collegiate freshman/novice eight (2 crews). The varsity eights placed 9th, 11th and 21st, the novice eights finished in 3rd and 8th place. The UCLA open fours placed 2nd, 3rd and 7th.

 Both 2020 and 2021 were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  The dramatic cancellation of regattas including the WIRA and ACRA Championships for two years.  Collegiate athletics were essentially closed from the spring of 2020 through the spring of 2021. The WIRA was not held in 2021, however the PAC-12 was.  UCLA’s men were not longer racing at the that championship but UCLA’s women’s varsity team did compete there in 2021.

 Fortunately, UCLA and rowing avoided most of the college admissions scandal led by Rick Singer involving celebrities and other affluent parents, though UCLA men’s soccer, USC women’s rowing and Stanford sailing among other universities were involved.

As if COVID-19 and admissions scandal were not enough, at plan at Stanford was announced in July 2020 to discontinue 11 varsity sports following the 2020/21 academic year, including men’s rowing and women’s lightweight rowing. Open-weight women’s rowing having been spared the threat of discontinuation. Through an outcry, including petitions and protests, and “newly galvanized philanthropic interest” more than $30 million was raised and all 11 sports were reinstated in May 2021. Jeremy Rubin, “Stanford to reinstate All 11 Discontinued Varsity Sports”, Stanford Daily, web 18 May 2021.

2022

Coming back from the pandemic, UCLA’s men’s team began and ended the 2021-22 year at two of the most prestigious regattas, the Head of the Charles and the Henley Royal Regatta, with the San Diego Crew Classic, WIRA and ACRA championships in between.  UCLA returned to Boston’s Head of the Charles, after winning the 2019 Collegiate Four event, but this year raced in the Collegiate Eight where they finished 15th, close behind ACRA competitor University of Virginia in 14th place, from a field of 40 including several smaller varsity-level crews.

 In November, the whole Bruin team raced at the San Diego Fall Classic and the varsity additionally raced at the Newport Chase.  Competing in five events at the Fall Classic UCLA placed first of two in the freshman/novice four, second of two in the open double-scull, 2th, 4th and 6th in the open four, 5th and 7th in the freshman/novice eight, and 6-8-16th in the men’s open eight.  Though winning the varsity four at the Newport Chase the three varsity eight entries finished in the last three places of the five crews racing, falling to UC Santa Barbara and Orange Coast, putting and end to the 2021 fall season.

 Marking the start of the 2022 spring season, UCLA’s team performance at the Newport Regatta was successful, winning the team points Palmer Cup, last won by the Bruins in 1986. The Bruins placed second in the varsity eight, 6.2 seconds behind UC Irvine.  UCLA placed first and third in the varsity four decomposing the Bruin 2V eight since they did not offer that event at the regatta, first in the novice four, second in the novice eight, and second in the 2ndNovice eight

 The San Diego Crew Classic was held but the event was not up to full strength, at least not in the men’s varsity eight category.  Lacking the usual Cal, Washington and East Coast crews, the sixteen men’s eights that would typically race separately in the Copley and Active and Fit Now/Cal Cups were combined in three heats with the first two finishers advancing to the more prestigious Copley Cup, and the next two finishers advancing to the Cal Cup.  In its heat, UCLA placed third behind UC San Diego and Marist.  UCLA and fourth place Purdue advanced to the Active and Fit Now/Cal Cup final.  In the final UCLA placed second to Purdue by .332 seconds, with Marietta, MIT, Orange Coast and UC Santa Barbara filling out the final.  In UCLA’s other three races the 2V eight placed second in the B-final, while both the novice eight and 2ndNovice both finished in second place to Orange Coast in their finals.

 During two dual races sandwiched between the Crew Classic and WIRA, UCLA swept both Loyola Marymount and USC.  UCLA swept LMU in all four of the varsity and novice races, in both eight and four-oared events.  For the Hillen Cup, only novice eights and 2ndNovice eights were raced on a windy, choppy Port of Los Angeles course.  The Bruins defeated the Trojans in both events.

 Continuing to bypass the PAC-12 Championship in favor of the WIRA and ACRA championships the Bruins raced eight entries at the WIRA Championship.  UCLA did not enter a 2V eight, double-scull or pair but did win medals with each of their entries.  A gold medal in the novice four, silver medals in the novice lightweight four, varsity four “B” entry, novice eight, 2ndNovice eight (both of those novice eights second place to Orange Coast) and the 2ndNovice eight “B” entry.  The Bruins placed third in the varsity four and varsity eight.  The eight placing behind Santa Clara and UC Irvine.  The ACRA National Championship was the next regatta.

 All four of UCLA’s entries in the ACRA Championship raced in the grand finals with three medaling.  As a men’s team UCLA placed third, behind Michigan and Virginia and ahead of fourth place Purdue.

A DAY FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS!
Silver in the Men's Varsity 8
Sixth in the Men's Varsity 4+
Bronze in the Men's Novice 8
Bronze in the Men's Second Novice 8

 Congratulations to Head Coach Marcel Stiffey, Coach Paul Wilkins, Coach Weston Cole, and the ENTIRE Bruin crew. And a special thank you to all the family, friends, and alumni who supported the team along the way. As FOUR President Dominic Pardini said this afternoon, "We are at an inflection point and it's because of each of you. I hope that you feel as accomplished as the athletes do. It took the whole crew to bring this program forward."

 Saturday's performance was a feat to have this crew be remembered and honored for years to come: four boats in four Grand Finals. But Coach Marcel had his crews hungry for more: they wanted the hardware and to hear the whispers around the course of "Did you see that UCLA boat?" to proclamations of "Man! UCLA is for real!"

 The day started with 2N8. It was still cool enough where the Bruins didn't have to plunge their shirts into icy water in preparation for their 50 minute warmup to the start in the sun. Coach Weston sat the crew down and went over the race plan, correctly predicting the strategy of competitors OCC and Michigan. But things didn't start according to plan. Between the race official's call for "Attention" and "Go", a gust of wind dramatically changed the point of the Bruin shell. The novice coxswain stayed cool and called her oarsmen to stay put as the remaining teams charged ahead.

 A restart was called and a warning given, but it was the right and safe decision in the end. The second start wasn't as good as they wanted either but the crew knew that there was no time to dwell on a couple of bad strokes. The 2N8 OCC and Michigan boats shot out ahead, and UCLA was left to climb through the 3N8 OCC boat. By the 1000m mark, those two crews were level bowball-to-bowball, but the Bruins had more fight in them. In the final half of the race, they claimed open water over the 3N8 OCC boat (a five-second margin) and fought through half of the Michigan shell. Nonetheless, an incredible performance for our young Bruin crew, and one that set the tone for the day.

 As the 2N8 were sprinting through the finish line, the N8 crew huddled over a phone  watching the livestream and insisted on delaying their warmup row by a few minutes so that they could catch their teammates' performance. Feeling inspired, they promptly got hands-on their shell, placed the boat in the water, and pushed away as Coach Paul watched over with confidence. At the start, all boats shot forward, with Michigan immediately taking seats over the field as Virginia closed in to take the lead after 500m. With the returning swarm of UCLA alumni biking along with the shells, yelling extra loud knowing the Bruin crew in lane 5 could very likely hear them, the UCLA N8 was battling with Grand Valley and OCC to keep overlap with Virginia and Michigan.

 In the notorious third 500m of the race, only the Bruins could hang on to the top two crews, and with every stroke, they mentally broke OCC and Grand Valley. Coming through the finish, the double-bucket Virginia shell broke away from Michigan and the UCLA shell stole a few more seats from the second place crew to cement an open water bronze position over the rest of the crews. After a year of working to gain second after second to work their way up to the level of talented local rivals OCC, and after OCC making the controversial but legal decision to dismantle their Varsity crews to move many of those athletes into the N8, it was an incredible feeling for the Bruins to put a bow on their season in this fashion.

Up next was the V4+ race where the UCLA crew had to line up with five other programs who all prioritized this event over all other men's events, meaning the Bruins were racing against the top four oarsmen from each of those universities. This time, the UCLA crew couldn't count on their sprint to steal away positions, but they still left the finish line with their heads held high as the sixth best club V4+ in the country!

The three-day regatta came to a close with the premiere and most anticipated event: the Men's Varsity 8, featuring former IRA program George Washington, ACRA darlings Michigan, sister school UCI, who put full program priority on this group of eight athletes, and possible dark horse contenders Notre Dame and Purdue. The starts were clean from all crews; after 750m there was overlap and contact between the six shells, but UCLA was towards the back of the pack battling lane one Purdue for the fourth position. Parallel to their N8 teammates, UCLA had been working all year to gain seconds on their talented neighbor UCI, but unlike the N8, this Bruin crew had their rival just one lane over where they could see and hear each other.

Entering the third 500m, the UCLA coxswain urged her rowers not to wait and to make the statement that they've been wanting to make all year. Quickly, they pulled away from Purdue and set their eyes on UCI; stroke after stroke they fought for inches until at the 1500m mark they had claimed a deck lead into 3rd place. Bronze medal; beat UCI; first podium appearance for UCLA in the V8 event ever; mission accomplished? Not. A. Chance. Blind to the events of the third 500, Coach Marcel opted not to follow the bike path that ended just around the 1700m mark but rather jumped his bike onto the road and maneuvered through traffic to catch the final couple hundred meters of the race in better view. As the boat trailers along the road disappeared and the path veered left, the race fell into view again, and there were the UCLA Bruins with open water over UCI and now marching directly through Michigan.

 Within the last 100m of the race, the Bruins charged the Bob Newman Empacher deck over Michigan and made contact with the former IRA crew to take silver; the 2nd best club V8 in the country: the University of California Los Angeles! Rodd Talebi, “UCLA Men’s Varsity Eight Takes Silver Medal at National Championships”, web uclaclubsports.com, Men’s Rowing, posted 23 May 2022.

 UCLA sent its varsity four to the Henley Royal Regatta.  The Bruins lost in the first round of the Prince Albert Challenge Cup to Delftsche Studenten Roeivereeniging Proteus-Eretes, of the Netherlands with a verdict of easily.

 The men’s crew lost three dear friends of the program during June 2022: Duncan Henderson (19 July 1949 - 21 June 2022), John Bisset (6 November 1936 - 6 June 2022), and Rick Galliand (9 August 1947 - 29 June 2022).

 Duncan and his younger brother Mitch had provided enduring support for the program including two shells both christened “Henderson Brothers” along with the perpetual “Henderson Brothers Centennial Scholarship”, accompanied by a enameled challenge coin to the recipients.  Duncan rowed at UCLA 1968-1971; two-time stroke of the Western Sprints champions in 1969 and 1970; varsity captain in 1971.

 John Bisset had been a varsity coxswain at Washington, including defeating the World Champion Russian Crew in Moscow, in July 1958, after losing to the Russian National team by two lengths in the Grand Challenge Cup final of the Henley Royal Regatta. After graduation he began law school and also coaching the Washington freshman crew for five years.  In 1963 Bisset became the first full-time UCLA rowing coach and supervised the construction of the boathouse at Marina del Rey.  In his third season, UCLA beat Cal for the first time in history. The next year, UCLA beat Washington and won its first Western Sprints Championship.  He coached the Bruins for five years. (see section 1964-1969)

 Rick Galliand rowed bow in the Orange Coast freshmen eight that won the 1966 Western Sprints Championships.  He served in the US Army before matriculating at UCLA and rowed bow in the UCLA men’s varsity eight in 1971 and 1972. He shared the honor of “Outstanding Senior 1972” and earned the “Rigger Brown Inspirational Trophy.” Rick coached the UCLA lightweights beginning with the 1973 season through 1976.  In his first season the lightweights opened with wins at the first-ever San Diego Crew Classic, then went undefeated for the season. Both his varsity eight and his four-with-coxswain completed their West Coast season as Western Sprints Champions. William W. Palmer, James C. Jorgensen, Kevin Still, “In Memoriam”, Strokewatch, September 2022.

2023

The announced program goal was to become the “premier collegiate rowing support organization in the country” by 2030.  Athletes paid $2,000 dues per year and there had been a fruitful student-run Spark campaign that was directed to their friends and family, but there was still a funding shortfall. In April it was reported that $80,000 remained to reach the $200,000 fund raising requirement for the fiscal year that would end on 30 June 2023. At the spring banquet the entire class of 2022 had committed to joining the Engine Room with monthly donations. Dominic Pardini, “President’s Message”, Strokewatch, April 2023.

Seven new rowers with experience rowing during high school and several college transfers, including a pair from Orange Coast were welcome additions to the increasing growing program.  Returning to the Head of the Charles in the Collegiate eight event the Bruins claimed 29th place.  Which was not where they expected to finish following their second place finish in the 2022 ACRA Championships.  The team budget for the trip to Boston was $1,500 per athlete coach for a total of $15,000 to provide airfare, local transportation and accommodation expenses.  There was also a UCLA alumni eight competing in addition to other Bruin alumni racing in other events. Later in November, the full Bruin squad enjoyed a successful fall season at the 850 meter Pancake Regatta in Long Beach and the 4,600 meter Head of the Harbor.  At the Head of the Harbor, the walk-on novices racing in the novice eight event suffered damage to their steering fin from an underwater obstacle and still earned a third place finish. From the top sixteen rowers, racing in unpracticed lineups, that had raced in the varsity eight event and finished first and third, twelve rowers hot seated into fours that finished first, fourth and fifth. Marcel Stiffey, “Coaches’ Corner”, Strokewatch, December 2022.

 The first regatta of the spring season was the 1400 meter, two-crew races at the Cal Challenge Cup. The Bruin 2V earned the Experian Cup with a 17 second victory over Loyola Marymount.  The UCLA varsity, though surging in the final 150 meters, finished .478 seconds behind 2022 WIRA champion Santa Clara.  In the preliminary flights, UCLA’s first crew had defeated UC Santa Barbara but lost to Cal.  The 2V had lost to UC San Diego and Santa Clara.  Two weeks later, returning to Newport Beach, the Bruins swept every varsity event at the Newport Regatta. While repeating as the Condon Johnson Cup for the varsity four, the Bruins also won the Robert B. Moore and James C. Jorgensen Cups for the 2V eight, 3.52 seconds ahead of Orange Coast, and the varsity eight, defeating Orange Coast, UC Irvine, UC Santa Barbara, Arizona State and Loyola Marymount. The UCLA novice four finished fifth in last place, and the novice eight finished second to Orange Coast,

 UCLA qualified for the grand final of the Active & Fit/Cal Cup with a second place heat finish behind D-1 Gonzaga. In the final the Bruins placed third behind another D-1 crew from UC San Diego and again Gonzaga, but ahead of D-1 University of San Diego in fourth and four club-level varsity eights. In the 2V eight category the Bruins placed fourth in their heat behind D-1 crews but went on to finish sixth in the final, behind five D-1 crews. In the novice eight event all the crews in the heat all advanced to final where UCLA finished in fifth place.  An entry from UCLA won the two-boat lightweight eight Secretary of the Navy Cup over UC Santa Barbara.

 UCLA retained the Hillen Cup winning all four races, with at least two Bruin crews finishing ahead of the Trojans in the varsity eight, the varsity four and the novice four. In the novice eight event UCLA defeated USC by 19 seconds after being defeated by the USC crew by 7 seconds two weeks prior at the San Diego Crew Classic.

 The UCLA varsity eight finished second to UC San Diego at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships. The other four varsity crews among the top five finishers in the event were from athletic department supported teams.  Three of the Bruin’s other four entries also medaled.  The novice eight and lightweight four both finished in second place, the 2V eight was third. The varsity four finished in ninth place.  Overall, the Bruins earned the regatta’s team title.

 UCLA Men's Rowing celebrated the team's 90th anniversary in grand style by winning the Varsity 8 at the 2023 American Collegiate Rowing Association [ACRA] National Championship. In the ACRA final of the men’s varsity 8, “UCLA was able to match the early speed of Michigan off the line. One minute after the start the announcer noted, ‘UCLA is very definitely wanting to go after this (race)’. At the 500 meter mark of the 2000 meter race, UCLA had a 2 seat lead on the tightly packed field, with only Rutgers off the pace. At the 1,000 meter mark UCLA had a half length lead, entering a part of the race where fitness levels are tested. The Bruins responded by moving on the field and extending their advantage. With 500 meters to go, GWU was the only boat in contact with UCLA, their bowball even with stroke Joe Pinto. A furious charge by the Colonials was defended with a well timed call for the Bruin sprint by coxswain Ally Martin and resulted in a 1.5 second victory.” “They Did It”, web UCLA Rowing Email Campaign Archive, posted 22 May 2023.

UCLA entered four other events.  The 2V eight placed fourth.  The Bruin novice eight also earned fourth place, “The semifinal was a hotly contested race won by Michigan with trailing UCLA, Orange Coast College, and Purdue separated by only one second. The Grand Final was won with Michigan out dueling Delaware for gold and Virginia squeaking by UCLA for bronze. Orange Coast College and UC Davis filled out the field and finished open water back.” The varsity four event is “challenging because many programs make it a priority and put their four best athletes in the boat. Only two programs among the top 12 finishers in the Varsity 4 entered a Varsity 8, and they finished 11th and 12th in the event.” “They Did It”, web UCLA Rowing Email Campaign Archive, posted 22 May 2023. The varsity four ended in the third level final in 18th place overall, and the lightweight four placed fifth in their grand final.  In men’s team points, UCLA for the second year in a row placed third, behind Michigan and Virginia. Head Coach Marcel Stiffey was recognized as ACRA National Coach of the Year for 2023.  The names of the shells used by the crews echoed some of UCLA’s past glories and were the “Bob Newman,” “Mike Bennett,” “Black Knight,” “Barry Berkett,” and “Kirk Urata ’83.”

2024

The UCLA team under Stiffey celebrated successes at the Head of the Charles, the San Diego Crew Classic, the WIRA and the ACRA.  In addition, fund raising and support for the team increased.

 2024 was the final year of the PAC-12 championship as the conference lost most of its members. UCLA, Oregon, USC and Washington will move to the Big Ten.  Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah will move to join the Big 12. The ACC is set to add California and Stanford.  Leaving only Oregon State and Washington State.  UCLA’s men and the other club teams representing conference schools had been excluded from the championship.  2022 was the last appearance Colorado, Oregon and the men’s team from Washington State that were sports clubs.  UCLA men last attended in 2019, prior to COVID. Only Washington, California, Stanford and Oregon State were left in the final men’s competition, with the finishers in the men’s varsity eight in that order.

A decision announced by Loyola Marymount University on January 23, 2024, discontinued six of its twenty intercollegiate programs at the end of the 2023-24 competitive seasons.  The men’s and women’s rowing team were among those six, along with women’s swimming, men’s and women’s track and field, and men’s cross country. “LMU Athletics Refocusing Efforts to Achieve Competitive Excellence”, Loyola Marymount Press Release, web 23 Jan 2024.

The Bruin entry in the Collegiate Four (stroke Nick Ryan, 3 seat Max Ryan, 2 seat Toby Gajar, bow Matthew Atwell, and coxswain Ally Martin) at the Head of the Charles Regatta captured fourth place among the 44 entrants. Head Coach Marcel Stiffey shared his enthusiasm about the team's performance and the rest of the season. "What I am most excited about is that we had 3 sophomores and a junior in the boat. The experience that was gained from this event will pay dividends in the future. This is going to be a great season for these young men and women." “Fall Race Recaps”, Bowball Bulletin web, 21 Nov 2023. Along with other successes at the Long Beach Pancake Regatta and the San Diego Fall Classic the Bruins concluded a productive fall season.  

The spring schedule began with the Newport Regatta, then the San Diego Crew Classic and USC Dual prior to WIRA.

UCLA won the newly instituted ACRA Cup event at the San Diego Crew Classic and then went on to a fourth place finish in the Cal Cup with a mix of varsity and club collegiate men’s crews, behind Cal, UC San Diego and MIT, but ahead of Gonzaga, University of San Diego, Marietta and Purdue.  The Copley Cup was raced by two visiting crews from Puerto Rico and Great Britain. UCLA also earned a third place in the novice eight, and fourth in the 2V eight.

At the WIRA, UCLA won the varsity eight and novice four, placed second in the 2V eight [behind varsity-level program University of San Diego], fourth in the novice eight, varsity four and 2nd novice eight.  UCLA was again successful at the ACRA, placing seventh as a men’s team with a third place finish in the varsity eight, fourth in the 2V eight, eighth in the varsity 4+ and ninth in the novice eight.  Coach Stiffey has as his objective “to medal in the Varsity 8, JV, and Novice 8 each season.”  He cited that some of the other programs placing higher in the team points typically have larger pools of athletes.  Teams located closer to the regatta site also have an advantage when it comes to paying travel costs. Marcel Stiffey, email 21 Mar 2024.

 On May 15 a campaign to create a $10 million endowment for UCLA Men’s Rowing was announced. Over $5 million had already been secured or committed. The endowment would allow the annual team budget to grow from “$300,000 to $600,000. These funds will support strategic investments in coaching, equipment, technology, and athlete development—ensuring that future generations of rowers benefit from the invaluable life lessons that rowing uniquely provides.” “Announcing the $10 Million Endowment Campaign for UCLA Men’s Rowing” web, 16 May 2024.

Significant progress was made in fiscal year 2024 on the Endowment Funds. A total of $ 192,377 was received up to 30 June 2024 (not including the Newman fund, that Bob and Mary Jo Newman continued their project towards $2.5M and contributed $500K in fiscal year 2024). There were 62 individual donations to the endowment fund. This includes $100K from Tim and Joni Powers (Tim was captain of the 1977 crew), $50K from the group of Bruin Oarsmen (predecessor to FOUR) through Bob Frassetto (captain of the 1978 crew) and significant donations from Barry Berkett and Geof Strand. This can be compared to a total raised for endowment in fiscal year 2023 of $11.5K and fiscal year 2022 of $9.5K.  Within the donations by alumni, friends and parents there were 375 individual donations. There was a great increase in total fund-raising towards current expenditure compared to FY23 for $161,000 and for FY22, $207,000. A “Season of Giving”campaign was inaugurated as a primary solicitation among friends of the program from November 28 through December 31 and later extended into January, in addition to the spring banquet and auction for a $475,000 FY expense total.

2025

Numbers; the work on campus for several days
The beginning of the season among the Novices, 80 novice showed up on the first day of practice. At the beginning of the fall season the team trained on campus Monday, Wednesday and Friday to improve walk-on engagement.  The on-campus workouts at Drake Stadium built team community. New members to the team included six experienced freshman rowers from San Diego, Washington D.C., Sacramento, Utah, Boston, Los Gatos. By early October the team consisted of four varsity eights and 45 novices.  In early November the team still consisted of over three eights of varsity rowers and three eights of novice rowers.  Numbers at that point constituted approximately 20 more athletes than previous UCLA crews Coach Stiffey had coached.  By February coach Stiffey felt that the 1N8 and 2N8 boats had gold medal potential, including the six high school recruits and 18 walk-ons.

 In the fall the team christened Hudson four-oared shells donated by Geof Strand. With those additions, all of the varsity training boats were now Hudson brand.

Banquet versus the Sand Diego Crew Classic
The date for the spring banquet was set for the weekend of the San Diego Crew Classic. There was discussion of hosting the spring banquet on campus on a different weekend versus at the San Diego Crew Classic. Some of the goals and challenges included not having a venue but using the already reserved tent and engaging alumni
By a vote of 7 to 5 in the October Board meeting it was decided to hold the banquet/alumni weekend at the San Diego Crew Classic.  It was a different kind of event that received high marks.  The UCLA women’s team wasn’t able to secure a tent and was included in the tent secured by the men’s team.  After the end of the season, it was decided that in the future there would be a tent at the San Diego Crew Classic and a traditional banquet on an occasional basis. In August 2025, for 2026, the Board planned both a banquet (with Boys in the Boat author Daniel James Brown the guest speaker, expected to be a major draw for both alumni and outside guests.) and a San Diego Crew Classic tent.

Finance

 Goal

The program spent $404k in fiscal year 2024 and the expected budget for the 2024/25 year was about $400k with a $200k to $278k target for fund-raising with the latter amount requiring nothing to be drawn from the endowment accounts.  The purchase of new boats was later removed from this year’s budget requirement, bringing down total expenses predicted for fiscal year 2024/25 to $393k.

Season of Giving

For the second year the FOUR Board focused fund-raising on a “Season of Giving” campaign which kicked off on December 3 and with a scheduled conclusion of January 31.  However, apocalyptic LA wild fires raged from January 7 to 31, with a series of 14 destructive wildfires affected the Los Angeles metropolitan area and San Diego County. Unfortunately, the UCLA Foundation website went down during this period which caused FOUR to extend the timeline of fundraising drive to February 28. Another casualty of the wild fires was a photo shoot. In December Coach Stiffey announced that he had been contacted about a potential photo shoot by Nautica to take place in January. Though not including the UCLA brand it would potentially yield a $75k donation to the team.  Unfortunately, the photo shoot did not occur with all the upheaval in LA with the fires.

Final financial outcome

Fiscal Year 2025 actual expenditures came in at $394k, nearly matching the estimated budget of $393k and closely aligning with FY24 actuals ($404k, which included new boat purchases). Travel and regatta costs were managed efficiently and came in under budget. A slight increase in payroll was offset by savings in other categories such as the San Diego picnic (banquet). A strong working relationship with UCLA Rec Department staff this year resulted in better communication, faster responses, and greater transparency.

Current expenditure fundraising reached $209k and the “special projects” fund was utilized for $32k. The Fiscal Year 2024 had closed with a $67k deficit caused by key donations being received in June and account closings after the Rec Dept cut-off date of 20 May. This was covered in FY25 through surplus funds from major donors (notably Geof Strand) and a draw from Special Projects fund. The Fiscal Year 2025 closed with no deficit, leaving program in strong position moving forward.

Rower dues contributed ~$60–70k to the income due to the larger roster size. Alumni scholarship funds helped to offset dues for qualifying athletes and a few athletes with financial difficulties were granted relief from payment.

The three endowed scholarship funds (Henderson Brothers, Barry Berkett and Terry Oftedal) have accumulated large interest accruals and there are plans to consult with the donors to potentially increase the number or size of annual awards to better support athletes financially.

Endowment holdings exceed $3.5 million. Projected 4% annual draw yields ~$140k/year for operations. Total committed gifts and pledges toward the 2030 $10 million goal exceed $2 million so the cash in hand and commitments in writing now reach $5.5 million. 

Special recognition goes to our major donors Bob Newman, Barry Berkett and Geof Strand for their ongoing significant contributions.

For fiscal year 2025, there were 388 individual donation lines compared to 442 in 2024, 433 in 2023 and 559 in 2022. The 2024/25 “Season of Giving” yielded an average gift of $585 compared to an average of $389 per donation in 2023, before the “Season of Giving” campaign.. The Treasurer concluded “In my opinion, it shows that “fewer asks” creates bigger donations and more money”.  Treasurer’s report end of 2025 Fiscal year.

Season starting from fall through ACRA

With the larger number and high quality of athletes, Coach Stiffey’s season goal was to have 1V, 2V, 1N, and 2N eights at ACRA championship. The first event of the season was racing in the collegiate 4+ event at the Head of the Charles regatta. In preparation for the Head of the Charles the team completed 2½ weeks of seat racing in 4+s to determine the line-up: the Ryan twins Nick and Max ‘26, Toby Gajar ’26, Jack Patzer ‘25 (a transfer from the University of Washington the year before), and coxswain Maddy Dufour ‘25. From the start, the crew quickly caught up to George Washington (who had begun in the position immediately in front of the Bruins). George Washington did not yield when pressed to allow the Bruins to pass. The UCLA four medaled in third place (the top placing ACRA boat), bettering their fourth place finish in 2023. The University of San Diego won the event and George Washington University finished in 32nd. It was the Bruin’s third HOCR medal in five years.

Following the Head of the Charles the Bruins raced at the November 2, Naples Island Collegiate Rowing Challenge at Long Beach. UCLA placed second, third and twelfth in the varsity 8 with Orange Coast finishing first, overcoming crews from USC, UC Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, UC Irvine and San Diego State.

In the final fall regatta San Diego Fall Classic on November 10 on Mission Bay. UCLA’s unstacked open eights finished fifth, sixth and thirteenth with two crews from both UC San Diego and the University of San Diego ahead of the Bruins.  In the open 4+ the Bruins placed third, seventh and eighth again behind UC San Diego and University of San Diego. UCLA placed first, fourth and sixth in the Frosh/Novice 8.

At the March 1 California Challenge Cup in a series of three two-boat races, the 1v and 2V UCLA eights performed well. The 1V8 posted second fastest time of the day. In Round 1 UCLA’s 1V finished 2.3 seconds behind Cal 4V after having overlap at 1100m; the UCLA 2V finished ahead of UCSB 2V by 14 sec. In Round 2: UCLA’s 1V triumphed over Long Beach State’s 1V; and the UCLA 2V finished behind the Orange Coast 2V. In Round 3: UCLA’s 1V defeated the Orange Coast 1V to win the Phillip Marshall Durbrow Cup and UCLA’s 2V was defeated by the University of San Diego 2V in the Waypoint Challenge Cup. The takeaways for the team after the race: stay healthy and stick with the training. The 2V8 has fast erg scores but needs to work on technique to translate speed into the boat. During a scrimmage the UCLA 1N8 and 2N8 boats had beaten the UCSB 1N8.

The Bruin crews were successful at the March 16 Newport Regatta with two first place finishes and four second place finishes.  The UCLA novice crews placed second in the 1N8, 2N8 and N4+.  Both eights finishing behind the Orange Coast entries.  The Bruins won the V4+, won the 2V8 placing ahead of Orange Coast, and placed second to Orange Coast in the 1V8 by 2.4 seconds

UCLA Men's Rowing is Top ACRA Program at San Diego Crew Classic

The UCLA Men's Rowing team made a strong impression at the 2024 San Diego Crew Classic, emerging as the top-performing ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) varsity program. Facing tough competition from IRA (Intercollegiate Rowing Association) schools like Cal, UCSD and Gonzaga, the Bruins held their own across multiple events, solidifying their position as a force within the ACRA ranks.

Varsity 8: Holding Their Own Against IRA Programs
The Varsity 8 event featured dominant performances from IRA schools, with Cal taking the victory, followed closely by Gonzaga and UC San Diego. UCLA finished in a respectable fifth place, on the heels of USD and well ahead of fellow ACRA competitors UC Davis and UCSB. Notably, Cal's victory came with their Freshman 8 rather than their No. 2 ranked Varsity 8, a testament to their elite recruiting pipeline. The young Golden Bears lineup featured several world championship medalists at the junior level. This underscores Cal's ability to attract top-tier international talent, setting them apart from other programs in collegiate rowing.

Other UCLA Results: Strong Across Multiple Events
In the 2V8 final, UCLA secured a fourth-place finish , trailing IRA schools UC San Diego, USD, and Gonzaga but ahead of UC Davis, UCSB, and UCI from ACRA. The depth of the Bruins' squad was further demonstrated in the Novice 8, where they placed third behind powerhouse Orange Coast College (OCC) and Gonzaga.

In the 2nd Novice 8, UCLA secured second place, ahead of UCSB but behind OCC. The Bruins' Lightweight 8 delivered an impressive victory, finishing well ahead of UCSB, highlighting UCLA's depth in multiple categories. Andrew Josephbek sat bow of the lightweight eight with a front row view of the blades in front of him. "Despite differing skill levels and challenging conditions, the lightweight eight pulled through and took the gold for the second time in as many occurrences. Though rough in execution, we had a fun race."

Coach Weston Cole, who oversees the novice crews and is familiar with the landscape, reflected on their performance: "It was a good weekend of racing at the Crew Classic, and the novices come out of the weekend with work to do. We have seen significant progress over the last month to get them to this point, but we will have to put our foot on the gas to catch two fast OCC crews that I believe are leading the ACRA competition. We look forward to getting to work this week."

Charlie Hughes, Mar 30.

The No. 3-ranked UCLA Varsity 8 delivered a dominant performance over USC on Saturday, strengthening the Bruins' hold on the Hillen Cup. Racing on their home waters in Ballona Creek under stiff headwind conditions, the Bruins captured victories in both the Varsity 8 and Novice 8 events.

The No. 6-ranked Novice 8 set the tone for the day for the Bruins as both UCLA entries outpaced USC. The First Novice 8 earned their first shirts in emphatic fashion, finishing over 27 seconds ahead of the Trojans.

Coach Weston Cole observed, "The novices enjoyed their final tune up racing before the WIRA Championships at the end of this month. Both boats raced well and the Second Novice raced with maturity to overcome an early open water deficit and beat USC's First Novice." He also acknowledged, "We are very aware of the work still ahead of us and are looking forward to the final push for their novice campaign."

The Varsity 8 also made a statement, crossing the line nearly 13 seconds ahead of USC's top crew. UCLA's depth was on full display, with the Second Varsity 8 posting a strong time and finishing close behind the Trojans' top boat.

This sweep underscores UCLA's continued strength in the Hillen Cup series and further solidifies the Bruins' position as one of the top club crews in the country. Head Coach Marcel Stiffey was pleased with the performance and shared, "I was proud of our guys for putting together a solid race against USC. We've trained really hard these past 2 weeks and put a lot of focus on being more disciplined with our performances on the water. There's still a lot of progress to be made but this was a great first step as we close out these next 2 weeks ahead of WIRA."

Team Captain Toby Gajar savored the experience and looked ahead. "It was awesome to have a race on our home course in Marina del Rey. I'm happy with our rowing in this race, and looking forward to finding more speed before WIRA."

UCLA now enters a training cycle to prepare to defend its Varsity 8 title and earn the overall team trophy April 26-27, at the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championship on Lake Natoma, CA. Charlies Hughes, Apr 14.

 UCLA Men's Rowing Posts Strong Results at 2025 WIRA Championships

Gold River, CA - April 28, 2025 - The UCLA Men's Rowing team delivered a standout performance this past weekend at the 2025 Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association (WIRA) Championships at Lake Natoma. Racing against a strong field that included both varsity (IRA) and club (ACRA) programs, the Bruins secured multiple podium finishes and showcased the depth and strength of their squad.

 In collegiate rowing, IRA (Intercollegiate Rowing Association) programs like Santa Clara University and the University of San Diego are varsity teams that receive athletic department funding, full-time coaching, and significant recruiting advantages. In contrast, ACRA (American Collegiate Rowing Association) programs such as UCLA and regional rival Orange Coast College (OCC) operate as club teams — often student-driven and with fewer resources. Despite these differences, UCLA consistently raced at the highest level, demonstrating the quality and resilience of its program.

 Varsity 8 Finishes 4th

UCLA's #3-ranked Varsity 8 battled hard in a stacked Grand Final, finishing fourth with a time of 5:56.944, 4 seconds behind Santa Clara, in a tightly packed finish with USD and OCC. The Broncos took first place by taking a slight lead at the start of the race and extending it down the course.

Despite missing the podium, 5-seat Gage Saari was pleased and forward thinking, "That was our best race from start to finish. It was well executed and we were able to pull off our best time of the year. We are really looking forward to racing at The University of Washington next week and building our peak speed approaching nationals."

Second Varsity - Bronze

In the Second Varsity 8 event the Bruins were the top ACRA boat and finished third behind Santa Clara and San Diego. The order of medalists was established at the 1000 meter mark but WSU made the finish interesting, rowing through OCC in the third 500 and making a run at the Bruins in the last 500 meters. Their strong finish, coupled with their 2 additional lightweight event entries, helped the Cougars win the overall Men's Point trophy. UCLA finished second in the team standings, a scant 10 points behind.

Varsity 4 Finishes 10th

The UCLA Varsity 4 was the early leader in their Petite Final but were unable to maintain that speed down the course. The eventual winner of the second level final, Sacramento State, and runner-up Oregon were able to draw even at the 1000 meter mark and row through as UCLA was unable to respond. The Bruins paid the price for their jackrabbit start as they were nipped at the line by .08 seconds by Humboldt, but earned coveted team points by finishing 10th out of 21 crews.

Novice 8 - Silver

The Novice 8 Grand Final was one of the most exciting races of the day, with #6 UCLA battling head-to-head with #3 Orange Coast College all the way down the course. OCC established an early lead at 500 meters with their coxswain even with the UCLA 2-seat. The young Bruins settled in and moved even with 500 meters to go and surged to the front by 4 seats going into the last 250 meters. The Pirates, however, found an extra gear in the sprint to grab the gold. The performance showed clear progress: just four weeks ago at the San Diego Crew Classic, UCLA's novices were defeated by 11 seconds by the same OCC crew. The significantly narrowed margin reflects the Bruins' rapid improvement over the spring season and their growing ability to challenge the nation's top novice boats.

 Second Novice 8 - Silver

The Second Novice 8 continued the Bruins' strong showing, earning another silver medal finishing behind OCC and looking to close the gap like their teammates. Stroke seat Zev Meyers likes the trajectory of the training and shares, "We've been getting faster every race and we're excited to catch Coast at ACRA."

 Novice 4 - Silver

After a long and loose race in the heats, these boys were looking to continue the legacy of UCLA Men's Rowing and the WIRA Novice 4+. The Novice 4 Grand Final was a boat parade with UCLA finishing second, open water behind Santa Clara and open water ahead of third place USD. Santa Clara takes home the trophy, but the future Bruins can look forward to next years' showdown.

 Coach Weston Cole praised the effort and execution of the novice squads, commenting: "Solid weekend for the novices at WIRA. We felt prepared going in and were encouraged to see the margins close a bit in both the eights. We will have three weeks to find peak speed and are very much looking forward to that."

 Overall, the Bruins' results at WIRA — standing shoulder-to-shoulder with varsity (IRA) programs and leading the way among ACRA competition — reflect the team's depth, grit, and commitment. UCLA continues to build on its proud tradition as one of the nation's premier collegiate club rowing programs.

 Looking ahead, the Varsity 8 has been invited to compete at the Opening Day Regatta in Seattle next weekend, an opportunity to showcase the program at a prestigious rowing event. Meanwhile, the rest of the team will shift their focus to final preparations for the ACRA National Championships, scheduled for May 16–18 in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Charlie Hugh, Apr 28.

  The Bruin varsity eight was invited to race at the Opening Day regatta at the University of Washington. Washington, an IRA powerhouse with Olympic-level coaching, world-class facilities, and a global recruiting network, fielded their third and fourth varsity eights in the same event as UCLA. These were not development lineups — they were crews filled with athletes boasting U19 & U23 World Championship experience and, in at least one case, a 2-year member of UW's top varsity boat. … Team captain Toby Gajar captured the tone perfectly with a moment that typified the club athlete experience. "I made the first contact when we arrived and a UW coach asked me if I was 'helping out Marcel,'" Gajar recalled. "And I said, 'Yeah, I'm helping out Marcel… and rowing the boat from six seat.'" His response reflected both the humility and pride that defines UCLA Rowing — multitasking not because they have to, but because they're all in. … At 2-seat, Dante Ray rowed with a sense of awe and pride. A walk-on who picked up the sport as a freshman, Ray was looking forward to the opportunity to row in college after learning from his father teams recruited students on campus with no experience. Standing outside the imposing Conibear Shellhouse, he reflected: "I only started rowing 18 months ago." His journey reflects rowing's rare accessibility — a sport where dedication can close gaps that experience cannot. "Washington's third and fourth boats are full of internationals and guys with years of elite experience," Ray said. "We train with the same intensity, but they've got depth and competition for every seat. It's a different world, but getting to line up next to them pushes us."

 Charlie Hughes, May 5.  The Bruins were rowing in a loaned shell sized for 100 kg rowers (too large for the UCLA oarsmen).  At the finish line it was Washington 3V 5:38.111; Washington 4V 5:42.795; UCLA 6:03.351 and ACRA-level Western Washington 6:19.867.

The Future is Bright: All Bruins Reach Grand Finals of 2025 ACRA National Rowing Championships

In an incredible show of competitive depth and demonstrating a solid base for the future, UCLA Men’s Rowing reached the finals with all four eights at the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) National Championships on Lake Melton in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to conclude its 2025 season. The Bruins were one of only two programs in the country to advance all four of their eights through heats and semifinals to the Grand Finals of their respective events. This late season speed reversed earlier results to regional rivals and underscored the program’s depth, dedication to improvement, and culture of athlete development.

Varsity 8: Victory Over Rival, Narrow Miss on Podium

The Varsity Men’s 8 closed out its season with a gritty fourth-place finish, just 1.1 seconds shy of bronze medalist Notre Dame. Despite missing the podium, the Bruins achieved a long-awaited milestone by defeating regional rival Orange Coast College (OCC) by open water for the first time this season, reversing the results from the San Diego Crew Classic and WIRA Championships. Virginia won the event and Purdue was runner up.

First Novice 8: A Final Sprint Comes Up Just Short

The First Novice 8 also earned a fourth-place finish in a photo-finish, falling heartbreakingly short of the podium by just 0.15 seconds behind a surging Michigan crew. The margin reflected the depth of the field and growth in performance levels of the schools in the ACRA league. This marked a high point for a UCLA novice class that has shown competitive fire and rapid development throughout the year. The event was won by OCC with Michigan State was runner up.

Second Novice 8: Redemption and Resilience Earn Bronze

UCLA’s Second Novice 8 secured a well-deserved bronze medal, edging out Minnesota while coming within 0.22 seconds of silver medalist Orange Coast College. The boat’s result is especially notable considering it had trailed OCC’s second novice eight by over 22 seconds at the San Diego Crew Classic and 10 seconds at WIRA. The crew’s improvement is a testament to the culture at the UCLA Boathouse — where even the secondary boats are pushed to raise the bar, helping drive program-wide speed and accountability. Head Coach Marcel Stiffey was quick to give credit, “It’s not easy to show up to practice each day and be one of the slower boats on the water. Despite that, these guys would show up and work hard for us. A huge testament to the culture Coach Weston Cole instilled in the novices this year.”

Second Varsity 8: In Loaded Field, Battled to Sixth

The Second Varsity 8 capped its year with a sixth-place finish in one of the most competitive events of the regatta. Despite not medaling, the crew brilliantly earned its spot in the Grand Final through consistent racing in the heats and semifinals, and represented UCLA’s depth across all boat classes.

Four Grand Final appearances from all four eights entered, a bronze medal and a pair of near-podium finishes was a massive showing. These are true student-athletes who, on their own academic merits, attained entry to the top public university in the country and deliver in the classroom and on the water. The only preferential treatment they receive is the tremendous showing of love and support from alumni, family, and friends. The 2025 ACRA Championships were a defining moment for UCLA Men’s Rowing. The results reflect a program built on shared responsibility, athlete development, and a belief that this spirit of the “entire team’s performance” starts by elevating every athlete — regardless of which seat or in which shell they row. Charlie Hughes, May 18.

Senior athletes

The Bruin class of 2025 graduated seventeen student-athletes from the team Toby Gajar, May 31, with several profiles by Charlie Hughes May 29.

Matthew Atwell earned his Master of Science in Financial Engineering from the UCLA Anderson School of Management, captained the winning team in an event hosted by the International Association for Quantitative Finance, and is positioned to explore multiple opportunities in finance.
Zachary Cowger who earned his Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from UCLA, conducted groundbreaking research on the aerodynamics of baseballs funded by the Houston Astros, and is set to begin his career in the electronics packaging industry in Washington state after graduation.
Julia Dervieux
Ava Dufour
Madeline “Maddy” Dufour graduated with a B.S. in Physiological Science and a perfect 4.0 GPA, served as coxswain for UCLA’s Varsity 8, worked as an EMT, and will begin the Doctor of Pharmacy program at USC this fall, aiming to lead improvements in healthcare systems.
Avery Dunn
Jackson Foster a graduating senior at UCLA with a B.S. in Biochemistry, balanced his academic excellence with a successful rowing career, and plans to pursue a career in medical research following his graduation.
Emmitt Grossbard
Joseph Herro
Ian Kenneally
Jack Miller
Dillon Murphy
Jack Patzer a UCLA graduate with a B.A. in English and a 3.98 GPA, balanced elite rowing and academics while interning for the Town of Los Altos Hills, and now plans to earn EMT certification before pursuing a law degree with the goal of combining legal expertise and public-sector leadership.
Pierce Rands
Christopher Root
Gage Saari graduated with a B.A. in Geography, served as a powerful and reliable 5-seat in the Varsity 8, and now works as a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) specialist and geospatial analyst.
Hamza Soboh

Post season and looking ahead

During the summer, current oarsman Toby Gajar ‘26 raced in the bow-seat of the California Rowing Club U23 8+ that won the Canadian Henley posting a time of 5:32. Email Marcel Aug 9.

Coaching Staff for 2025-2026 Season
Marcel Stiffey – Head Coach
Weston Cole – Novice coach
Talmage Lindsey – Asst. Novice Coach
Paul Wilkins – Assisting Marcel (focusing on small boats/other eights)

Around 15 names of recruits were submitted to campus admissions for the year’s high school admissions and transfers. As of August, coach Stiffey looks forward to “over four eights worth of athletes if practice began tomorrow, with at least three solid eights confirmed. Key incoming athletes include: a freshman from Tempe, AZ with a strong training background in extreme heat (also raced at Canadian Henley). Robin Goretz, a German national team gold medalist (U23 Coxed Four), joining a one- to two- year program at UCLA. There is anticipation of a highly competitive year in 2026 with multiple candidates for first boat.” FOUR Board minutes, Aug 9.