The Lehigh women’s rowing team is opening their 2025-26 season determined to prove themselves on the water.
Their season begins on Sept. 27 at the Steiner/Steinberg Boathouse in Allentown, where they’ll hold a scrimmage before taking on bigger challenges during their regular season in October.
With the Head of the Housatonic Regatta — an annual fall rowing event held in Shelton, Connecticut — approaching on Oct. 11 and a spot at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston afterwards, the upcoming season poses high expectations felt by members of the team.
Coach Peter Costas is entering his fourth season with the team and said the bigger goal remains clear — winning the Patriot League championship in May.
“All of the arrows for us point towards the Patriot League Championship,” Costas said. “That’s what alumni, recruits and our current team are unified under.”
Nonetheless, he knows the fall season is a key building block for the team and the program.
Costas said the October regattas and scrimmages give the Mountain Hawks a chance to grow while competing against top talent.
He said the chance to compete at the Head of the Charles Regatta, one of rowing’s most notable races, is especially meaningful.
“It’s a tremendous event for the sport,” Costas said. “To represent the university in that type of setting is tremendously exciting and a great opportunity to test our execution and ability to stick to strategy under high-pressure circumstances.”
Senior and team captain Mina Petrovic said she has her eyes firmly set on Boston.
She said she knows the competition for spots at the Head of the Charles Regatta is tough but is confident in the culture the team is building.
“We got a bid for the Head of the Charles — in my four years here, we haven’t gotten a bid, so I’m really excited for that race,” Mina Petrovic said. “We only got a bid for one four (boat), so only five athletes will go. It’s going to be very competitive.”
She said last year didn’t end the way the team hoped, as they placed eighth out of nine teams in the Patriot League Championships, which has fueled a sense of urgency entering the new season.
“Last year, we didn’t have that great of a result,” Mina Petrovic said. “I think we all just came back hungry, kind of angry to get at it. Every day it feels like everybody’s bringing their best attitude forward.”
Mina Petrovic said the success of the team’s future is visible through its first-years, including her younger sister, Sara Petrovic.
Originally from Serbia, Sara Petrovic said the transition to college life in the U.S. hasn’t been simple, but she said the team’s support has made all the difference.
“After the first practice, me and my freshman teammates clicked,” Sara Petrovic said. “It’s us in our little bubble, and that keeps you motivated — we have each other’s backs.”
Sara Petrovic said she’s learning a lot of lessons from rowing and is eager to contribute to the team as soon as she can.
“Just because you’re new doesn’t mean you can’t help with the boat,” Sara Petrovic said. “I’m ready to improve and help us get faster.”
Like the veterans, Sara Petrovic recognizes the weight of preparing for Boston. She said you have to put 100% effort into every practice.
The Mountain Hawks will first challenge themselves on the Lehigh River during their scrimmage, then will race at the Head of the Housatonic Regatta before traveling to Boston.
“It is 250,000 people lining the river of the Charles,” Costas said. “What a great opportunity to trust our training and represent Lehigh.”
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