LA JOLLA, Calif. – With summer in full swing and the 2023-24 UC San Diego athletic calendar in the rear view mirror, Triton athletics are taking time to check in with various programs as they look ahead to the 2024-25 season just around the corner. 

UC San Diego's women's rowing team is thrilled coming off a spring season that ended with a second place finish at the Coastal Atlantic Association conference championships in New Jersey. Head coach Colin Truex was able to take home the CAA's Coach of the Year award in his 12th year leading the Tritons' program. 

Along with Truex's success this season, three UC San Diego scholar-athletes were bestowed All-Conference honors with: Sophia Gordon, Sabrina Koldinger and Bianca Tung ending their season's and collegiate careers with hardware. 

Below is a question and answer discussion between Truex and UC San Diego's athletic communications staff. Questions and answers are edited for clarity and brevity. 

Q: This season ended with you receiving CAA Coach of the Year honors and the team finishing second at the conference championships. What was that experience like for you and to see what the team was able to accomplish? 

CT: It was quite amazing actually. To see the team finish so strong was such a thrill! They had such a great season and my only concern was that they would have a tough time with the travel and the conditions back east. However, they really just leveled up and showed such grit and mental toughness! I couldn't be more proud of what they were able to achieve out there! 

Q: Two key races in the middle of the season took place in town for the San Diego Crew Classic and the UC San Diego Invitational. How did the success from those regattas help build the team's camaraderie and confidence? 

CT: We don't have a lot of competitions at home so it is really special when we perform well in front of the home crowds. The Crew Classic is always such a spectacle with lots of family and alumni coming out to support, catch up, and just be a part of the rowing world. It's really fun for the athletes to be a part of something so big! The UC Invite is also quite an experience for the team. They get to stat down at the Elite Training Center, sleep in the athlete dorms, eat in the dining halls and have a great bonding experience with each other. The racing was focused, intense and very competitive! Both home experiences really set us up for the championship stretch of our season. 

Q: You just finished your 12th season leading the program, how has your coaching style changed or adapted since coming to La Jolla? 

CT: As the years pass I'm putting more emphasis on connecting with the athletes, making them feel supported and creating space for them to be themselves. I believe that is the best way to get the most out of them, and truthfully I find myself being more open and comfortable with just being me. It is important that the team enjoys being at practice, because the hours are so early and the work is very hard. If we can have a laugh or two it makes things just a bit easier! 

Q: Following your team's standout performance at the CAA Championships, three Triton scholar-athletes were given All-Conference honors. What does that group of scholar-athletes mean to you and how did they elevate the program this season? 

CT: Bianca, Sophia and Sabrina all set the bar for us this season on a daily basis. Their work, commitment and team-mindedness were exemplary and they made their respective boats as fast as possible. To see them grow into the rowers and leaders that they are has truly been a pleasure and I am proud that they finished their careers in such a tremendous way! 

Q: When you look back on this season, what will be some of the things that stand out most? 

CT: We had just finished up the Hornet Invite in March and has raced incredibly well over the whole weekend. Both the Varsity 8 and the Second Varsity 8 went 3-0 beating Saint Mary's and Sacramento State on Saturday, and then Kansas State on Sunday for the first time in team history. We were all feeling pretty good and I said to the team that the Hornet Invite better not be the highlight of our season. Meaning, that we have to use our success and keep pushing to not get complacent. From that point forward it was line up changes, seat races, time trials at practice and the team responded so well to the challenge that we continued to get faster rather than stagnate. It was a really key moment in the season and I believe the foundation of our end of season success. 

Q: Looking ahead to the 2024-25 season and the future, what excites you about the direction of your program? 

CT: Well for starters we are returning 18 out of the 23 rowers that just finished second at the CAA's, so that is very exciting! We also have some up-and-coming freshmen that just won WIRA whom I think will make a push for the top boats. And add to that some incredible incoming recruits who will make an impact right away. All together we have the potential to even surpass this year's results in 2024-25! What this year taught us more than anything is that we can not only be competitive at a DI level, we can be victorious. I think the future holds many more wins for us and I look forward to seeing what we can do! 

Q: Finally, what will your memories be of the 2024 senior class and how do you work to keep them connected to the program for years to come? 

CT: The 2024 class will always be special because they started during the first year of DI and finished in the last year of our transition. They also began their careers in the midst of the pandemic, something that will always bind this group together. Masked, distanced erging, no water practice, COVID tests, symptom screeners, temperature checks, it was a lot to handle as freshman and many didn't stay. The group that did make it through got to finish as the team runner up at CAA's and their impact will never be forgotten. I look forward to staying in touche with them all and wish them the best of luck as they take the next steps in their lives! 

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program began a new era in 2020 as a member of The Big West in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 84 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 38 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions.