Duke Rowing Set to Open Season at Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational Saturday

DURHAM, N.C. – No. 19 Duke rowing is set to open the 2026 season at the 14th annual Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational Saturday, held on Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

The Blue Devils take on Miami, Alabama and Wisconsin in Saturday's morning session before facing a pair of ranked opponents in No. 14 Indiana and No. 24 Oklahoma in the afternoon. Duke closes out action at the two-day invitational against North Carolina and Navy on Sunday.

HOW TO FOLLOW
Live results for the Oak Ridge Cardinal Invitational will be posted throughout the day on HereNow.

THE SCHEDULE
SATURDAY MORNING SESSION
9:28 a.m.: Third Varsity Eight
9:36 a.m.: Second Varsity Four
9:44 a.m.: Varsity Four
9:52 a.m.: Second Varsity Eight
10 a.m.: Varsity Eight

SATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
4:16 p.m.: Third Varsity Eight
4:24 p.m.: Second Varsity Four
4:32 p.m.: Varsity Four
4:40 p.m.: Second Varsity Eight
4:48 p.m.: Varsity Eight

SUNDAY MORNING SESSION
9:28 a.m.: Third Varsity Eight
9:36 a.m.: Second Varsity Four
9:44 a.m.: Varsity Four
9:52 a.m.: Second Varsity Eight
10:00 a.m.: Varsity Eight

ABOUT THE BLUE DEVILS

Duke opens the season ranked No. 19 in the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Pocock Preseason Poll. Duke was one of six ACC teams ranked in the top 25, joining No. 1 Stanford, No. 9 California, No. 10 Virginia, No. 12 Syracuse and No. 22 Clemson.
The senior trio of Nora Conaty, Grace Matos and Chloe Zollman were selected as team captains for the 2026 campaign. All three Blue Devils will serve as captains for the first time in their careers.
Conaty, a native of Seattle, Washington, enters her fourth season with the Blue Devils after racing in the Second Varsity Eight in all eight regattas in 2025. Over the last three seasons, Conaty has helped the 2V8 boat collect wins over several ranked opponents, including No. 9 Michigan and No. 12 Ohio State during the ACC/Big 10 Double Dual in 2024. As a freshman, she was a key member of the 2V8 crew that won the C Final race at the 2023 NCAA Championships after a tight race with the crew from No. 15 Rutgers. Also in 2023, Conaty, alongside Zollman, helped lead the 2V8 to a strong second-place finish on the final day of the Lake Wheeler Invitational to help the Blue Devils claim the title for the third time in four years. The senior has been recognized for her hard work both on and off the water as she has earned ACC Crew of the Week, All-ACC Academic and CRCA Scholar-Athlete honors.
Matos saw action in all eight regattas last season, racing primarily in the stroke seat of the Blue Devils' Varsity Four. She also saw action in the fifth-seeded Second Varsity Eight boat in the 2025 ACC Championship. The Miami Beach, Fla., native was part of the V4 lineup that earned ACC Crew of the Week honors following a pair of strong performances in the inaugural Rocky Top Invitational, hosted by No. 5 Tennessee. Matos has made two NCAA appearances in the V4, advancing to the Petite Final in 2023 and the C Final in 2024. During her freshman year campaign, she stroked the V4 to a first-place finish on the second day of the Lake Wheeler Invitational to help the Blue Devils defeat No. 9 Syracuse and No. 8 Penn and capture the 2023 Pocock Cup.
Zollman, hailing from Newport Beach, Calif., played a major role in the Varsity Eight lineup throughout the 2025 season. She helped guide the V8 crew to a fifth-place finish in the grand final race at the ACC Championship in Clemson, S.C., and picked up All-ACC honors for her efforts. Zollman has competed in 25 regattas over the last three seasons with the program, making two NCAA appearances and earning a silver medal in the Second Varsity Four as a freshman at the 2023 ACC Championship. Also in 2023, Zollman and Conaty powered Duke's Second Varsity Eight to a strong second-place finish on the final day of the annual Lake Wheeler Invitational to help the Blue Devils claim the title for the third time in four years.
Senior Lena Mills was named to the 2026 Preseason ACC Rowing Watch List, the conference office announced. The list consists of one student-athlete from each program, nominated by their respective schools. The ACC is the only conference with a preseason rowing watch list. She becomes the second two-time Preseason ACC Watch List honoree in league history after being named to the list last season.
Mills, a product of Lymington, England, has been a consistent member of Duke's Varsity Eight lineup for two straight seasons, seeing action in all five regattas last year. She helped guide the Varsity Eight to a fifth-place finish in its grand final race at the 2025 ACC Championships in Clemson, S.C. and earned All-ACC accolades for her efforts. Last season, Mills was one of the 57 student-athletes selected to the 2025 Pocock Division I All-America teams, earning honorable mention recognition for the second time in her career.