Wisconsin Badgers
Head of the Charles
Badger lightweights take silver and fifth at the Head of the Charles Regatta
October 18, 2026 | Lightweight Rowing
Eights place fifth while fours earn second at Boston race
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Wisconsin women lightweight boats are bringing home silver and a fifth place finish from the prestigious Head of the Charles Regatta.
The lightweight four earned the runner-up spot, while the lightweight eight grabbed a top-five finish.
The Badgers competed three-miles down the Charles River, between Boston and Cambridge against schools from across the country, including Boston University, Princeton and Georgetown.
How it happened
The weekend was highlighted by the lightweight fours second-place finish, coxed by Finley Jorgensen. They collected a time of 18:04.260, behind Boston University.
The eights, led by coxswain Charlotte Fisher, recorded fifth place with a time of 16:18.049. This is the lightweights highest finish at the Head of the Charles under Coach Hodge Habibovic, and highest since the 2017-18 season.
Lightweight alumni also had an excellent weekend, with both taking home first-place finishes. Grace Joyce, 2020 graduate and 2024 Olympian, won the women's championship singles with a time of 20:01.596. Joyce's win also secured her a $10,000 prize. Claire Friedlander, 2023 graduate, also took home gold for her 20:53.162 finish in the lightweight single.
Straight from the shore
Coach Hodge Habibovic
"I'm really proud of how our team competed this weekend. It was great to see the four earn a spot on the podium with a second-place finish, and I think the eight learned a lot with their fifth-place finish. This team has really leveled up, and the depth across our roster gives us a lot to build on. While we had some ups and downs, this is one race in a much bigger process. We have a lot of work ahead, but I'm confident we'll continue to find speed through the end of the fall and into winter training as we prepare for the important racing ahead this spring."
Head of the Charles
Oct. 18, 2026
Boston
Charles River
3 miles
Women's Lightweight Eights (8 entries)
1. Radcliffe A, 15:58.458; 2. Georgetown A, 15:58.479; 3. Princeton A, 16:10.082; 4. Boston University A, 16:18.049; 5. University of Wisconsin A, 16:26.121
Wisconsin A: Coxswain Charlotte Fisher, Alexandra Palmberg, Olivia Palmberg, Audra Chesny, Rylie Cordella, Claire Rulyak, Georgia Harlow, Becca Rasmussen, Romy McCarthy
Wisconsin Lightweight Fours (12 entries)
1. Boston University A, 17:57.125; 2. University of Wisconsin A, 18:04.260; 3. Radcliffe A, 18:05.643
Wisconsin A: Coxswain Finley Jorgensen, Payton Bradford, Anika Hanson, Malia Burt, Quenby Swanson
