CAMDEN, N.J. — What a day on the water for the University of Wisconsin.

The Badgers captured a pair of national championships Saturday, as the men's varsity eight took home the top prize at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship for the first time since 1990.

Later, the UW lightweight women's varsity eight also won the IRA national title on the Cooper River — the team's fourth championship in five years.

The No. 2 UW men clocked a time of 5 minutes, 31.173 seconds in the grand final to upset No. 1 Washington by just more than 1.5 seconds. The previously unbeaten Huskies finished in 5:32.894.

"I've coached for a long time and we've had a lot of wins both here at Wisconsin and internationally and a lot of success, but we hadn't cracked this nut at the IRA championships," UW coach Chris Clark said.

"It is a matter of faith on their part. You get that belief, you get the effort, you get the execution combined with talent and that is what we had. It all comes together and works perfectly, and you saw the result today."

The championship crew consisted of senior coxswain Adam Barhamand, twin brothers and sophomores Grant and Ross James, senior Derek Rasmussen, junior Zach Krupp, junior Ed Newman, sophomore and Sun Prairie native Max Goff, junior George Walters and senior Joe McMullin.

The national title for UW's varsity eight was 18 years in the making and gave the Badgers their eighth national championship. The Badgers also won national titles in 1951, '59, '66, '73, '74, '75 and '90.

"Even thought you expect it and train for it, you still can't believe your eyes when it is happening," said Clark, whose team was undefeated this season. "You just say to yourself, 'Yep, that was pretty darn good.'"

In addition to the varsity eight championship, the Badgers won bronze medals in the second varsity eight, varsity pair and freshman four, while also taking fourth in the varsity four without coxswain, seventh in the open four, eighth in the freshman eight and 12th in the varsity four with coxswain.

UW finished third in the team competition with 191 points — Washington won the Ten Eyck Trophy as champions with 214, followed by Cal with 207.

The Badgers received the Clayton Chapman Trophy for the most improved team from last year's IRA Championships,

Meanwhile, the lightweight women's varsity eight clocked a time of 6:35.117 to win by open water over second-place Georgetown (6:39.617). Stanford took the bronze in 6:42.617.

The women's team consisted of junior coxswain Heidi Hunsberger, senior Kristin Hedstrom, junior Kelley Kowitz, senior Cecily Shiel, sophomore Kaela Erickson, freshman Catherine Diao, freshman Grace Lautman, freshman Mia Cava and junior Lane Benes.

UW coach Erik Miller said the victory by the men's team fired up his team.

"They did an awesome job and it was really inspiring," Miller said. "My team didn't get to see the race because they were warming up, but before the start they were told that the men had won and I think that really fired them up."

It was the Badgers' first national title under Miller.

"We've done a lot of work all year long," Miller said. "It was a tough season starting out because we got on the water so late, but the team supported each other, believed in each other and believed in the coaches. There is a lot of trust on the team and we all worked together and the boat got faster almost every time we got on the water."