SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The Union College men's and women's crew teams will host the 2026 Liberty League Championships on Friday, May 1, held at Fish Creek in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Union Schedule of Races
9:15 a.m. | Women's Varsity 8+
9:30 a.m. | Women's Second Varsity 8+
10:00 a.m. | Men's Varsity 8+
10:15 a.m. | Men's Second Varsity 8+
10:15 a.m. | Men's Third Varisty 8+
The Women's Varsity 8+ race features two heats, with Union competing in the second. The morning will culminate with a Women's Varsity 8+ Petit-Final at 11:00 a.m. followed by the Women's Varsity 8+ Grand Final at 11:15 a.m.
On the men's side, the Garnet Chargers have raced in five regattas in 2025-26 with four boats claiming victories. Union had a stellar performance on April 4 against Amherst, Bryant, and UMass, featuring wins for the Varsity 8+ and Third Varsity 8+ boats. On Senior Day, Union's Second Varsity 8+ squad defeated Vassar, and the Frosh/Novice 8+ claimed a New York State Championship title on April 18. That Union group was named the Boat of the Week by the Liberty League after its championship performance. Also at that regatta, Union's Varsity 8+ boat earned a spot in the Grand Final after placing third in its heat and finishing ahead of Division-I Manhattan.
The women's crew team has momentum coming off an impressive showing at the New York State Championships. The Varsity 4+ boat for the Garnet Chargers kicked off the day with a first-place finish in its heat, beating out four Division-I crews. Union was the only Division-III school to qualify for the Grand Final of the Varsity 4+ competition and finished third among five other DI boats.
Overall, Union College has captured six Liberty League championships since 2004. The men's team has won the Varsity 4+ on two occasions (2004, 2021), the Second Varsity 8+ in 2010, and sophomore
Erika Canaveral led a Novice 4+ boat to a conference title in 2025 along with current senior
Jack Savage and sophomores
Nikola Djurovic and
Ian Porter. The women have won a Novice 4+ championship twice (2017, 2022) as well.
