REDWOOD SHORES, Calif. – The Simpson Cup is staying with the Bears for the fifth year in a row! The Cal women's rowing team closed the annual dual with Washington with an impressive performance by the varsity eight, as the second-ranked Golden Bears pulled away from top-ranked Washington down the stretch. One of the best and oldest rivalries in the nation, Saturday's racing at Redwood Shores lived up to the billing, with great racing by both teams. The Huskies claimed the first four races of the morning before Cal came through in the varsity eight, clocking in at a blistering 6:05.2.

"I'm super proud of our team," said Cal head coach Al Acosta. "I thought all the boats raced really hard. I think the [second varsity eight] had a really good row and the varsity obviously had their best race of the year. I'm really proud of them, but this is just round one. We'll race the Huskies round two at Pac-12s and round three at NCAAs. They'll be faster and hopefully we'll be faster too. I'm happy for our team and we'll enjoy it for the weekend, then get right back to work on Monday."

The top two crews in the USRowing/CRCA Coaches' poll displayed competitive racing throughout the day, competing in front of a spirited crowd at Redwood Shores. The Huskies opened the day with victories in the freshman and third varsity eights. Continuing to test new lineups, Cal had competitive performances from both the varsity four and second varsity eight. Both races saw the Bears make up ground down the stretch, though the Huskies were able to hold the Bears off for the finish.

However, the Bears finally broke through in the final race of the day, topping Washington in the varsity eight. Leading by just a few seats entering the final 500 meters, the Bears put together a fantastic finish to hold off a very speedy Washington crew and keep the Simpson Cup for the fifth consecutive  season. With the win, the Bears varsity eight remains unbeaten on the season and has now won the Simpson Cup for the 14^th time in the last 15 seasons.

The Bears will be right back at Redwood Shores next Saturday for the annual Big Row vs Stanford.

For updates and information throughout the year, follow the Bears on Twitter (@CalWRowing), Instagram (@CalWRowing), and Facebook (Facebook.com/CalWRowing).

Results

Women's Freshman 8+
1. Washington	6:41.3
2. California	6:51.1
Women's Third Varsity 8+
1. Washington	6:26.7
2. California	6:34.5
Women's Varsity 4+
1. Washington	6:58.6
2. California	7:02.1
Women's Second Varsity 8+
1. Washington	6:19.1
2. California	6:22.4
Women's Varsity 8+
1. California	6:05.2
2. Washington	6:08.5