The waters of the NCAA Women's Rowing Championship are no longer Brown.

Washington returned to the site of previous crew success and captured its third NCAA title in dramatic fashion May 26 on Lake Lanier near Gainesville, Georgia. The Huskies rallied past upset-minded Michigan and staved off defending champion Brown with a pair of wins in the three grand final events.

"It wasn't pretty," Washington coach Jan Harville said of her team's fight in the I Eights race. "The crew said it was pretty rough. They won it on guts."

Washington's title was its first since 1998, the last time the NCAA championships were held on Lake Lanier.

"I don't know what it is (about this place), but I'll come back here again," Harville said. "I'll come back here any time."

The Huskies, top-seeded from the West Region, clinched the title by clipping their two rowing rivals in the I Eights. In the championship's five-year history, the I Eights winner has claimed every team trophy.

Trailing Michigan by one point heading into the race, Washington jumped into the lead over the course's first 500 meters despite a strong headwind. Brown then nudged ahead at the 1,000- and 1,500-meter posts, leading by as much as half a length. But the Huskies rallied with a furious finish.

"In the last 500 (meters), our coxswain, Mary Whipple, did an excellent job," said Washington senior Nicole Rogers. "She said, 'Let me take you guys home. Listen to me. It's going to get creative.' She started calling us up and we all went together."

Brown finished second in that race and third overall to end a two-year reign as team champion.

"I couldn't be prouder of the girls," Bears coach John Murphy said. "We had a great season."

Washington began championship Saturday with a victory in the Fours for the third consecutive year. The Huskies' boat of junior coxswain Maili Barber and four freshmen rowers led throughout the race. Barber joined this varsity four only a week earlier, but the result was impressive.

"Right after the start, I couldn't see anyone," Barber said. "I was totally scared because there was nobody around. Little did I know we had open water on everyone."

Michigan, which had finished fifth in the team standings each of the past three years, broke through in II Eights for its first event title. The Wolverines covered the course in an NCAA championship record time of 6:43.34 -- five seconds clear of second-place Washington -- and briefly claimed the team lead over the Huskies heading into the final race.

"As the race went on, it just felt better and better," said Michigan senior Melanie Duncan. "We started off well, but then at the 750-meter mark, we just started taking a lead and never looked back. Each year we have finished fifth (in the team standings), so it is so rewarding to finish second."

Ohio State placed fourth for its best showing, and Iowa also cracked the top 10 for the first time.

Team results

1. Washington, 58; 2. Michigan, 53; 3. Brown, 49; 4. Ohio St., 37; 5. Princeton, 33; 6. California, 23; 7. Virginia, 22; 8. Harvard, 20; 9. Iowa, 18; 10. Boston U., 17.

Event results

Fours: 1. Washington [Maili Barber (coxswain), Marghe Pallotino, Katie Baurichter, Yvonneke Stenken, Tegan Simonson], 7:32.69; 2. Michigan, 7:35.31; 3. Iowa, 7:35.97; 4. Ohio St., 7:38.41; 5. Brown, 7:42.06; 6. Virginia, 7:44.93.

II Eights: 1. Michigan [Corinn Cunningham (coxswain), Melanie Duncan, Petra Juzwishin, Sera Coppolino, Sophie Roberge, Liz Nelson, Julie Brescoll, Kristine Johns, Katie Reynolds], 6:43.34; 2. Washington, 6:48.52; 3. Brown, 6:50.53; 4. Virginia, 6:52.13; 5. Ohio St., 6:53.27; 6. Harvard, 6:55.31.

I Eights: 1. Washington [Mary Whipple (coxswain), Lauren Estevenin, Nicole Borges, Anna Mickelson, Rika Geyser, Adrienne Hunter, Carrie Stasiak, Nicole Rogers, Annabel Ritchie], 7:04.03; 2. Brown, 7:05.34; 3. Michigan, 7:08.45; 4. Southern California, 7:09.09; 5. Princeton, 7:10.12; 6. Syracuse, 7:19.56.