Volume XX
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No. 1
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May 2018
SYRACUSE ALUMNI ROWING ASSOCIATION, INC. MAY 2018
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INSIDE THE ISSUE
DEAR SU ROWING ALUMS
03 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
SARA EXECUTIVE BOARD
04 EVENING AT TEN EYCK
Joseph Paduda ’80 President
10 Q&A WITH COACH DAVE REISCHMAN
Paris Daskalakis ’98 Treasurer
14 Q&A WITH COACH JUSTIN MOORE
Gillian Carlucci ’14 Secretary
18 EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR
Josh Stratton ’01 Vice President / Digital Director
22 TIME WELL SPENT
DIRECTORS
ADVISORY COUNCIL
William Purdy ’79 Charles Roberts ’61 Martha Mogish Rowe ’81 Paul Dudzick ’67 Donald Plath ’68 Kenneth Hutton ’69 Paul Dierkes ’79 Gerald Henwood ’80 Arthur Sibley ’80 Robert Donabella ’81 Sheila Roock ’85 Colin Goodale ’90 Jason Premo ’98 Adlai Hurt ’04 Erica Mahon Page ’08 Sydney Axson ’10 Ryan Patton ’10 Beth Marks ’83 Ryan Armstrong ’08 Gillian Carlucci ’14 Rebecca Soja ’14 Mark Vyzas ’10 Lena Wang ’99 Joel Harrison ’07 Charles Clark ’83 Hugh Duffy ’80
Paul Irvine ’45 William Hider ’62 Edward Kakas ’64 Thomas Darling ’81 Tracy Brown ’90 James Breuer ’72 Bryan Mahon ’78 Ozzie Street ’80 Jerome Jacobi ’81 Andrew Hobbs ’83 Gordon Hull ’83 Rick Holland ’83 Barry Weiss ’83 Emme Entwistle Aronson ’85 Jeff Pesot ’90 Donald Smith ’90 Kristin Walker Bidwell ’90 Christopher Ludden ’91 Sylvester Rowe ’92 Skye Michiels ’99 Joseph Bufano ’99 Aliza Seeber ’04
26 OKAY, I’M IN 34 WE ALL LOVED TO ROW 38 NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT SUPPORT 40 FROM THE ARCHIVES 42 BACKSPLASH
CREDITS Art Director: Ryan Armstrong ’08 OO Correspondents: Zachary Michael Vlahandreas ’19 Sydney Egan Rodriguez ’19 Haley Jones ’18
If you are interested in joining the Orange Oar Team as a Correspondent, Writer or Photographer, please contact the Orange Oar Editor. Thank you in advance!
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY SUPPORT TO THE CREWS Thank you, Syracuse University! The boats are going faster – and the future of rowing at SU is solid indeed. The question is, why? First, our future. I’ll admit that up until a few years ago I didn’t know how much SU supported rowing. I thought – wrongly – that SU didn’t do enough for men’s rowing. Boy was I wrong! SU’s Administration and Athletic Department have been – and continue to be – very supportive of the men’s and women’s rowing programs. As in millions of dollars every year supportive. Nationally, the men’s team has the fourth highest budget, while the women’s team enjoys the sixth highest in the nation. That, my fellow alums, is reality. Syracuse University does more for men’s rowing than most of us realize. As a result, we – alums and friends of the program – don’t have to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. Cornell, Dartmouth, Washington, CAL, and almost all IRA schools rely on endowments or annual contributions to cover coaches’ salaries, travel, operating expenses. As in $300,000 to $400,000 every year. Unlike our rivals, SU pays for almost all operating expenses for both programs. That means the funds we raise pay for equipment, travel, retention bonuses for assistant coaches, recruiting – stuff that makes the boats go faster. For example, technology that you funded helps athletes see precisely where they need to change their stroke to gain maximum efficiency, to get that last couple inches of run per stroke that make the difference between winning shirts and losing yours, between gold and silver. Syracuse University crew would not exist without Syracuse University. Make no mistake – we are very fortunate that SU and the SU Athletic Department do more for rowing than almost any other university. And they are doing more now than ever; the help we are getting from SU’s alumni relations and fund raising professionals is making a big difference.
CONTACT US
And that’s why the boats are going faster.
Men’s Head Coach: Dave Reischman - dreischm@syr.edu Women’s Head Coach: Justin Moore - jmoore06@syr.edu Orange Oar Editor: Hugh Duffy - duffyfamily7@comcast.net
Joe Paduda ’80 SARA President
WWW.SARAROWING.COM 2
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KEN HUTTON
SARA INVITES YOU TO START MAKING PLANS NOW TO ATTEND SARA’S HALLMARK ALUMNI EVENT, THE 2018 EVENING AT TEN EYCK. This year’s event will take place on September 15th, and will feature inductions into the SARA Hall of Fame. The event will be held in combination with a home football game. There will be opportunities to get back in a shell and row in the Canal in front of the Ten Eyck Boathouse, as well as to connect with alums at the evening banquet.
2018
2018 is the 40th anniversary of the 1978 Men’s IRA V8 Championship, as well as the Women’s Rowing achievement of Varsity Status. SARA will also celebrate the Men’s Crew achievements in late 1970s, including 3 Frosh 8 IRA Championships and several small boat medals of that era. These are significant milestones in SU Rowing history and worthy of celebration!
EVENING AT TEN EYCK
2018 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES • 1978 IRA Varsity Championship Eight – (coxswain) Ozzie Street, (stroke) Skip Sibley, (7) Bill Reid, (6) Tom Evancie, (5) Bill Purdy, (4) David Townsley, (3) John Shamlian, (2) Andy Mogish, Jr., (bow) Gerry Henwood. • David Townsley (class year 1978), 1978 IRA V8 Championship 4 seat, plus individual achievements.
SARA’s Signature Alumni Gathering
• Katharine Sibley, founder of Syracuse University’s Department of Physical Education for Women (1918), and longtime professor of women’s physical education at SU.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 2018
ALUMNI ANNIVERSARY CREWS PARTICIPATING IN 2018 Anniversary Crews from 1968 and 1988 are already signed up to participate in the festivities. ALUMNI ANNIVERSARY CREWS PARTICIPATING IN 2018 Anyone interested in volunteering is asked to please contact the Evening at Ten Eyck Chair, Ken Hutton. Ken can be reached via E-mail at khutton13@me.com or via cellphone at (484) 798-8059. More information will follow via the Coaches’ Listserve e-mails. OO
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G’Rowing the SARA Community
ANOTHER 10 ... SARA relies heavily on outstanding communication to keep the Syracuse Rowing Community informed and connected. The purpose of SARA’s communication is to enhance and foster connectivity for Syracuse Rowing alumni, current student-athletes, family, friends, fans, future Orange Oarsmen and Oarswomen, and the Syracuse Rowing Community at large. SARA utilizes its Blog, the Coaches’ E-mails, social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn), and the Orange Oar archival magazine for communication. Foundational to all of SARA’s communication efforts are accurate membership rolls. SARA adds new members as they graduate, but also continually update both the men’s and women’s databases. So please help us by forwarding any changes to your contact information. Recently, a new feature produced by Jason Premo (SARA’s amateur historian) entitled ‘Monthly Tidbits’ have been E-mailed out to the class year captains for further dissemination. These are interesting nuggets, insights and personal stories about the history of our program through the many years. If you would like to receive the Monthly Tidbits, please contact Jason.
“DOZENS OF ALUMNI HAVE ALREADY TAPPED THIS DATABASE TO REKINDLE FRIENDSHIPS FROM AS FAR BACK AS 60+ YEARS AGO! OUR OVERARCHING GOAL TO G’ROW THE SARA COMMUNITY IS BEING ACHIEVED.” – JASON
If anyone has any updates or is willing to offer a helping hand, please contact Jason or Beth. Jason can be reached at jmpremo@hotmail.com. Beth can be reached at elizabethmarks@roadrunner.com. And similarly, if anyone is hoping to reconnect with an old friend or teammate, let Jason or Beth know! OO
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... CHERISHING THE MEMORIES! 7
AS REPORTED BY COACH DAVE AT THE SARA ANNUAL MEETING IN FEBRUARY 2018, THE SU ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS THE MEN’S CREW PROGRAM WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET OF ~$1,300,000. As alumni, parents, and friends of the program, we are grateful for the high-level of annual investment in Men’s Crew by Syracuse University! Beyond this base-budget, however, Coach Dave seeks roughly 10% more resources (~$130,000) on an annual basis to more nimbly address immediate needs and strategic priorities that will benefit the student-athletes and the program. Our annual donations to the Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund make a direct impact on excellence on and off the water! Recent examples of how our generosity impacted the men’s crew program in-part or in-full include:
’CUSEFUNDER 2000-HOUR CAMPAIGNS
HOW OUR COLLECTIVE SUPPORT ACCELERATES HIGH-IMPACT OUTCOMES
’CUSEFUNDER FOR MEN’S CREW Imagine further invigorating a competitive environment that promotes global recruiting, robust training, and success on the water. Your donation is a differencemaker! Your generosity will make an immediate impact on current and strategic program priorities, such as new equipment, additional recruiting opportunities, hightech training tools, and more through the Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund! Join your fellow alumni, parents, and friends of SU men’s crew via ‘CUSEFUNDER. OO
1. (1) new Empacher 8 racing shell 2. (2) new Hudson 4- racing shells 3. (4) new RP3 Ergometers 4. (4) new Concept2 BikeErgs 5. Peach Innovations Rowing Instrumentation and Telemetry System 6. Recruiting Travel Support 7. New carpeting for the stretching area in the Flanagan Erg Room 8. New Apple iPad Pro for practice video 9. Support to two student-athletes pursuing Team USA in U-23 Worlds
Our collective philanthropic participation provides impactful outcomes beyond the base budget. Last year, as a result of the ’CuseFunder campaign, our collective impact was $70,000. That translates to the same impact as a $1.8M endowment at SU! Thank you to the alumni, parents, and friends that participate in the 2018 ‘CuseFunder campaign!
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OO: Greetings Coach Dave. What was the focus of this year’s winter training? DR: The overall goal of winter training is always to keep our fitness improving. During the fall we really work on developing our muscular endurance and during the winter training period we focus on converting that over to power endurance. That is exactly what it sounds like: the ability to sustain a high level of power over the 2000m race distance. We really try to be consistent in our daily approach and focus on little things like recovery and making sure we have good energy in the room. Winter training can be drudgery if you let it so we try to keep the attitudes light and focus on consistency of effort.
OO: How do ergometers figure into the winter training?
QUESTIONS
DR: We use the RP3 dynamic ergometer daily. The display on the machine allows the coaches to set up an ideal power curve that the athletes can try to mimic. It also displays other metrics like length of stroke and where in the stroke peak power is reached so that the coaches can set ideal numbers for the athlete to strive for. We usually alternate our work between the RP3s and the Concept2 static ergometers. Both machines are very useful and allow us to give the athletes some variety.
AND
ANSWERS
OO: Tell us about the weather this winter in Syracuse and the adjustments needed as the crews get back on the water. DR: We were actually able to get on the water about two weeks before spring break this year. We did not go out every day until the last week but we were able to get out on the water eight times before spring camp. Being able to adjust to the being back on the water prior
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to spring camp really changes the work we can do during spring break. We don’t have to inspire our guys much. We just try to get them out of their own heads and not focus too much on erg scores as getting the work in the right way. Each day they will have a goal of what they are trying to achieve with each workout. It might be a particular pace they will try to hit or maybe a heart rate for lower intensity work. The guys are pretty good at establishing the mood of practice. They enjoy being together and provide their own inspiration. Every once in a while we give them a reminder to bear down on a particular workout or keep the mindset relaxed on a lower intensity day.
OO: I heard you got on the water before March 1. How does this affect the anticipation of the team to fine tune their technique for racing? DR: Getting the water before spring camp is less about fine tuning (we don’t worry about that until we set our lineups the week before spring break) as it is about regaining a feel for the water. It can take up to five or six practices to get the feel for the boat back after rowing in the tanks and on the ergometers all winter. If we can get the feel for the balance and the acceleration of the hull back before spring break it means we can jump right into the training and selection. We basically have about four weeks from the start of spring camp until our first race to do most of our selection. We have a lot of guys who have done some hard work and it is very important they be given a fair shot at making a racing boat.
OO: How did the first-years adjust to their first winter training program? DR: Winter training is always a huge adjustment for the frosh. This year’s frosh come from diverse programs; some have experience in winter training and some are used to rowing year round. They all have their ups and downs as they navigate the workouts and that is all part of the process. The coaches try to work on their approach to each and every workout. We try to make sure the just focus on hitting the splits and not let the machines get into their heads. Our upperclassmen do a great job of talking to them and letting them know they 12
will survive the experience and each year it gets easier mentally and they just focus on the work.
OO: How are the class years’ contributions shaping up? DR: I think all of our classes have done a great job this year but the one that stands out is our seniors. They have been very purposeful about how they have gone about their year. A nice combination of leading by example and talking to some of the younger guys. They had a taste of success last year and they want more. All of our athletes did a nice job in our end of the winter ergometer testing but senior Noah Messner stood out. He set team records for his 5K earlier in the week (15:45 / 1:34.5) and then set a team record in the 2K to finish the week off (5:55.3 / 1:28.7). That is quite a week!
OO: Are you seeing any surprises in the boats? DR: We have not seen any huge surprises in the boats. Just a lot of steady progress by the whole team. If any one group stands out it would be our 3V / 4V athletes. They made some nice jumps in erg scores and when they would row past me in the fall the boat would be flopping around and their were bodies everywhere. They passed me yesterday and they were doing a nice job moving together and had control of the balance of the boat. It was a really stark difference from the fall. Coaches Stangel and Elefant have both put in a lot of time with those guys and it has paid off.
OO: What is the outlook for the racing season? DR: I am the worst judge of how we are going to do against other crews during the racing season. I think everyone else will be fast and we will be lucky to hang with anyone. We have some good experience coming back in our varsity boat and I think that will help us. The challenge with our varsity will be coming up with the right stern pair combination. We have several athletes that do a nice job and race hard up there but we haven’t found the exact rhythm we are looking for just yet. I suspect we will try some different combinations throughout the Cup Season and settle on a final lineup heading into the Sprints and the IRA. You never know if a combination works until you see it on race day. So we are going to have to be patient and be willing to try different lineups. I know our lower boats are physically stronger than we have had in the past. The key to our success will depend on our ability to survive the ups and downs of racing season and keep our focus on getting better each day. I think our crews that can stay positive and keep getting better will do just fine by the end of the spring. OO
OO: Talk about your Assistant Coaches. DR: I have to say that I am pretty lucky to have the assistant coaches that I do. They do a lot of the heavy lifting for recruiting and the daily running of the program. Their ability to develop our younger guys has really allowed me to focus on our top athletes. Coach Stangel directs our recruiting efforts and will primarily focus on our JV during the racing season. He has help develop everyone from our Varsity down to our 4V at times this year. Coach Elefant assists with the recruiting effort and has been the primary coach for most of our 3V and 4V guys. The improvements in that group have been mainly due to his diligent efforts. THE ORANGE OAR
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QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS WITH COACH MOORE
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OO: What was the focus of this year’s winter training? JM: We have been experimenting with various combinations of volume and intensity. There were also additional NCAA requirements, which called for an additional 14 days off for athletes in the Power 5 conferences. We used nine of them in the fall, taking every Tuesday off. This winter we experimented with two three-day weekends for the women. While the women enjoyed those chunks of time off, I do not believe that the rest associated with those three day weekends was more valuable to training, or more effective than multiple mornings of sleep.
years in which athletes focus on “leading themselves extremely well.” In their junior and senior years, the focus shifts to “leading others.” It is always great to see how much growth has occurred between the athletes first year and third.
Princeton / Wisconsin Tri. We invited USC to this as well. Our priority here is to race top teams while limiting the fatigue on our women as we approach exams. Princeton is an easy trip and has a great race course. Princeton and Wisco have been perennial NCAA teams, which provide us a strong standard against which we can measure our speed.
OO: Talk about the recent technological additions for training. JM: We continue to use our Empower oarlocks. They have been a great addition to the team. When we get back from our training trip, and spend most of our time training in the Canal, which has strong flow due to snow melt, the Empower oarlocks are very valuable for helping us quantify training.
OO: Tell us about the weather this winter in Syracuse and challenges to overcome. JM: We had record highs in February, which always makes me nervous. Sure enough March has been one of the coldest and snowiest months on record in Syracuse. A story today indicated that the last time the temps reached 40dF in Syracuse was March 5th. I am looking outside at 12 inches of snow on my lawn. Still, Onondaga Lake is clear of ice and we are looking at projected temps in the 40’s and even 50’s next week. Our biggest challenge is keeping everyone healthy.
OO: How did the first-years adjust to their first winter training program? JM: We have a smaller first-year group this year and they are strongly committed to the team’s goals. They have done okay. We use the expression “They don’t know what they don’t know.” In general, we look at the first two years (freshman and sophomore years) as the 16
championship caliber racing experiences for the women. We get tremendous bang for the buck, racing many of the nation’s top crews, in six- and seven-boat 2Ks. The strategies used in six-boat racing are very different from dual racing (where an early lead will allow you to control the race). I believe that this kind of racing better prepares the athletes to compete at the ACC and NCAA Championships.
Weekend On / Weekend Off. Last year in the heart of the season we raced three weekends in a row with extensive travel. This year, our race schedule allows for a weekend on and a weekend off. I believe that this will help the women be better students while also allowing them to be fresher mentally at the end of the season.
OO: What is the outlook for the racing season? JM: We have a great racing schedule. We have only three regular season races before the ACC Championships, but they are all against outstanding competition and provide wonderful opportunities for the women to learn about their strengths and weaknesses as competitors. Doc Hosea Invite. 2 x 2K against 11 other schools. We have added Indiana and Cornell to this year’s Doc Hosea, so the competitive quality of the field has increased. The women will race a six-boat heat, contesting the Orange Challenge Cup with Penn and NU within the heat. The top to finishers in each heat and the next two fastest times will advance to the Grand Final, while the other will race in a highly competitive Petite Final. Clemson Invite. 3 x 2K against 20 other teams, representing all of the major conferences in the country. 10-15 years ago, the regular season consisted of mostly dual and tri races. The larger events were not contested until the Eastern Sprints and NCAA’s. Both the Doc Hosea and Clemson Invite, provide
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OO: The NCAA’s are on the East Coast this year. Any thoughts? JM: The NCAAs will be in Florida. Coach Sawyer and I saw the World Championships there this September, and the team trained there this January. It is an incredible facility and race course. We are excited about the prospects of racing there – provided we qualify. We also know that temperatures are going to be hot. For those who are considering traveling to watch these races, I cannot recommend the venues strongly enough, and the racing – especially the A / B semifinals is always some of the best at any level each year. SPOTLIGHT ON SU WOMEN’S ROWING COACHING TEAM Alicea, as our Associate Head Coach (8 years), and Jim as our Assistant Coach (5 years) and Director of Boathouse Operations, have been such tremendous assets to the team. It is hard working with them day to day to not begin to take their contributions for granted. It is when I get to see other staffs functioning that I am reminded how lucky we are to have them on staff. While on break, we had dinner with another coaching MAY 2018
staff. During the dinner, the head coach leaned over to me and said “You have an awesome staff.” What she saw was a group of people who were professionally diverse, but also secure enough to have fun with what they do. Alicea is in charge of all of our logistics, including team travel. Team travel impacts our budget more than any other cost. For the eight years I have been at Syracuse, we have been right on our budget, and we have been able to provide great opportunities and accommodations for our athletes. Jim is also Director of Boathouse Operations. In the five years he has been with us, we have almost completely turned over our fleet. We take such great care of the equipment we have, we can get top dollar when we trade it in or sell it. This allows us to get into the newest, state-of-the-art equipment for a lower cost. We have really hit our stride recruiting. We have 14 women signed in the class of 2018, and we are onschedule with the graduating class of 2019. Jim’s trip to Australia was the most effective recruiting trip in my history as the head coach at Syracuse. He has done a tremendous job of creating relationships down there, and, with seven Australian having come to Syracuse in the past 6 years, our reputation down under is excellent. Steve Sawyer (4th year with the program) has been a tremendous asset as another critical coaching eye in the launch. Steve coached the Riverside National Team Lightweight Development Camp for a decade in the late 80s and early 90s. He is a professor in the Information Studies program and has been our coxswains coach, completing weekly seminars with our coxswains throughout the year. Patrick Burns (1st year with the team) has been our video coach. We have purchased software that creates video lockers for each of our athletes. Every day, Pat takes video of a crew and then uploads it to the lockers. The athletes and coaches can access these videos at their convenience. He gets quality video on every crew at least once per week. This is something we have always wanted to do. Pat makes it possible. OO
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ZACK VLAHANDREAS
“THAT’S IT GENTLEMEN, GET OUR BOW BALL OUT IN FRONT! … BOOM, SEND … BOOM, SEND.” AS I STARTED OFF THE FIRST SEAT RACE TRYING TO GIVE MY CREW THE EDGE FOR THE 1250M PIECE.
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There was a certain aura of energy in the tank room in late January. Fresh off the salty waters of Palm Coast, Florida, the guys exhibited mindsets of a team with a clear goal for the racing season – to make a Grand Final. The erg season finished off with promising 2K scores across the board, with eight oarsmen under 6:10 and two breaking 6:00. This winter also saw the fall of the Syracuse all-time 2K record, further enriching the developing energy across all members of the team. Twice a week during the erg season we would undertake 80 minutes of steady state on the ergometers. Although this workout can be monotonous at times, this group of guys embraced the grind without fail, getting creative to promote life and energy in even the most mindnumbing of workouts. At different points throughout the engine building 80 minutes of work, guys would hoot and holler from around the erg room: “Yeah ’Cuse! 40 days till Wisco!” and in between each rest time, the hollering would return, with the team thriving off one another’s energy to enrich the atmosphere and motivate those who were having a flat day,“100 days till IRAs! Yeah boys!” I can recall a moment after a high intensity workout, that same dogged enthusiasm filled the air in the erg room and when practice was over, coach Reischman addressed the team saying: “Guys, you made that workout more fun than it was MAY 2018
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supposed to be … I suspect I’ll have to up the intensity a little bit.” The snow continued to fall, but that didn’t stop us from lifting the Empachers off the racks and placing them on the water in late February. Although we may have had boundless energy on the ergs, getting back on the water is always everyone’s favorite time of year. With the senior’s continuing their tradition of jumping into the bone-chilling water after our first water practice, the gentlemen were motivated to put in the work for the next two weeks before spring break, counting down the days until April 7th (Wisconsin v. Syracuse).
develop an aggressive mindset and attack each piece to trim away every second you can from your total time at the end of all six pieces. The energy levels are usually through the roof by the fourth piece, so even though you’re only halfway done, the fun has only just started” – Pat Shober ’19, Captain. As tough as the captains may make The Matrix sound, this team found a way to make it fun. And we did it twice during this spring break. Seat racing is the perfect opportunity for oarsmen to attack each piece and prove themselves worthy of a seat in one of the top eights.
“Last 500m in this piece … hang loose and drop the knees.”
“Big rhythm here! ... Surge it, dig in!” as we crossed the 1000m mark in high energy and pushing towards an open water margin against the other boat.
The 15-hour bus ride from Syracuse to Clemson is the most dreaded journey all year. Then again, this is no dull team. This is a team full of energy and a group of men that can find enjoyment in everything they do. From movies, card games and bus surfing to NCAA tournament bracket trash talking, the bus was always filled with joking and laughter until finally, the team had arrived at the cabins at Clemson, it was the quickest bus ride to Clemson I have yet to experience. Coach Reischman uses a strategic tool innovatively developed to seat race 24 guys across six 4+’s. It is called “The Matrix.” “Matrix seat racing requires each and every athlete to be on their game the entire six pieces. Racing hard, having high energy, and meshing with each new lineup is crucial to success. It’s impossible to fake it during a matrix” – Sam Busco ’18, Captain. “I love the matrix racing in Clemson because you just have to 20
As much work as the rowers do during The Matrix, the coxswains play an integral role in the operation of the matrix, ensuring it is smooth and efficient. Although we may not have the size and strength of the oarsmen, we make up for it with our skill and quick thinking. We have a very talented group of six competitive coxswains always looking to best their performance coming down the race course. Whether it is making sure the guys know the lineups and which boat and seat they’re switching into after each piece, or knowing what the race plan is coming down the 1250m. As a unit, we were on top of our game and it allowed for good results across all six fours. The coxswains, as well as the rowers, know that every practice is an audition: for a seat, for a boat and for a race. When it comes down to it, every stroke counts towards that ubiquitous goal – a Grand Final. Good leadership is a tough attribute to find. However, Busco and Shober have done an incredible job defining a team culture which has been a catalyst for professionalism THE ORANGE OAR
and consistent success. Being on the team for three years now, I have been able to see a wide variety of athlete’s step in and out of our boathouse. Not only has coach done a great job recruiting, our team dynamic has continuously grown stronger each year. With each recruiting class comes more guys wanting to contribute everything they have to this team, to be an asset and help the program achieve its goals. When we were in Clemson doing seat racing, I remember vividly one day when we were launching. We had put the boat on the water and Captain Sam Busco shouted to the guys getting the oars: “Getting the oars for the Grand Final,” not only did that motivate me, but it motivated our crew as well as the other crews launching because in the back of all our minds we knew that goal could soon be within reach. We knew that if we put our minds to it, we could be at that same level as other elite programs such as Yale, Washington, Harvard, Princeton, Cal and Brown, all of whom competed in the most recent IRA Grand Final. Whether it was the few guys growing out their hair … to the freshman on their usual jokes and shenanigans, or even the countdown white board in the erg room ticking down every day, we are a team of true character and a team that has had a lot of fun this winter training. But one thing is certain, we are training harder and smarter than ever before. With less than three weeks until our first race, we are utilizing every minute we can on the water to get lineups ready and prepare for our fight against Wisconsin. “Feel the boom! Open the puddles! Finish the drive!” I commanded as my 4+ crossed the finish line of the 1250m race course down in Clemson, capping off the seat racing matrix. After three years, you can really start to get a gist of where your future might be and how you see yourself finishing your time in college. Academically I have been doing my best to improve every semester since freshman year. The goal coming into college was to do well enough to give myself as many opportunities possible for internships and full time employment post-graduation. I think I am on a good path for that right now, although I am always seeking any type of opportunity that may present itself onto me. One can always do better, but I am confident that after my senior year I will have graduated taken advantage of every academic resource I could and made successful MAY 2018
connections who can help me in the post-graduation world. I would like to end up wherever the best opportunity is. “Way enough in 2 … 1 … 2.”
Looking towards the future of this team, when the coaching staff invites prospective coxswains out for official visits, those are always my favorite practices. It is at these times that I get to learn about the new competition I will soon be facing in the coming months – and I love competition. Despite the coxswains’ main roles on this team, a hidden role is that each of us six coxswains play an integral part that is invaluable to our team’s success – the little things really. When coach brings in new coxswains you can get a good idea of how they might fit into our our team. I have hosted four coxswains on official visits and have had a blast each time. I get to show them all the ins and outs of what it is like being a coxswain and a student at Syracuse. They are always marveled by the constant excitement that revolves around being a D1 coxswain here at SU. I tell prospective coxswains all the time that being a D1 athlete is not easy. It takes a certain kind of work ethic, personality, and heart to be fully immersed in this lifestyle and succeed in it. Time and time again, the coaching staff has continued to search globally to find the best people for this position and to ultimately help our team reach our next goal – a Grand Final. “Hands on … Heads, ready up … and split.”
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ANDY MOGISH, JR.
TIME WELL SPENT MEN’S ALUM INTERVIEW – ANDY MOGISH, JR. (1978)
REFLECTING THAT “LIFE TOOK OVER UPON GRADUATION,” THROUGH THE YEARS ANDY MOGISH, JR. (CLASS YEAR 1978) HADN’T CONTEMPLATED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ROWING IN THE TWO SEAT OF THE V8 IRA MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP BOAT IN 1978. The 58-years-long drought of Varsity boat IRA victories was finally over, but the significance of that event hadn’t sunk in much. Since the 30-year reunion of the V8 IRA Championship Men’s Crew in 2008, Andy has contemplated the significance of overcoming SU Varsity boats’ long drought at the IRA. In 2008, “Seeing the guys again after 30 years, it was as if we had just left SU, the feeling of camaraderie and friendship that I gained from rowing truly does last a lifetime. That, and I think just getting more reflective on things as I get older, has made me appreciate even more just what we accomplished.” Recently retired from General Motors, Andy has had even more time to reflect on the significance of that championship. Andy credits the team’s success in 1978 to the unique culture of the seniors on the team, including a group of them playing intramural basketball with the lacrosse players as well as taking a ballroom dance class together as seniors. Per Andy, “1978 was a special year, it was my last year at Syracuse, the real world awaited, and we entered the rowing season knowing we had a good, deep team. I am so proud to be part of a class where ten guys rowed all four years.” Andy grew up in an athletically-minded family, the oldest of five children. His Dad (Andy Mogish, Sr., SU BS 1948, MS 1961) was a standout basketball player who was also a coach and educator at SU for 38 years. And his sister Martha (class year 1981) both played basketball and rowed for SU. He concedes that he rowed through his sophomore year to please his Dad. But after Andy’s sophomore year he was inspired to “Row for myself,” rather than trying to rise to the expectations of his family. “I always had loads of support from my Mom (Mary) and Dad, and of course my parents were always proud of our athletic achievements.” Andy summarizes his family’s support this way: “I always enjoyed the support of my family. And it was especially meaningful when they attended away races.” Andy rowed one summer in the Syracuse Chargers program before enrolling at SU, but he admits that “I didn’t know what I was getting into joining Drew’s
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(Freshman Coach Drew Harrison) Freshman Crew.” The quad was the proverbial hook for prospective athletes that were not recruited based upon their scholastic rowing achievements, of which “there were only a few during my tenure at SU.” And: “Coaches were always out on the quad during registration looking for tall athletes who wanted to give rowing a try, quite a different approach to today’s recruiting process.” How was it so that so many [ten] senior oarsmen formed a bond and worked through the dismal winter trainings and short racing spring season, including the Peck Hill Runs and Archbold Stadium stairs?” Andy attributes the foundation of the seniors’ bond this way: “Drew created enough of a successful experience that we all wanted to stick around. We all did the same winter workouts, 1V or 3V. The hard work we put in together just brought us closer together as each year passed.” Andy fondly ticks off his fellow seniors: “Eddie [Johanson], Pappy [MacVittie], Rick [Tremblay], Jim [Tapscott], Bill [Reid], Dave [Townsley], Tom [Evancie], Freddie G [Gliesing], Andy [Papp]. We all got along, that is all that there was to it.”
And what about the disappointing finish in the 1977 IRA as a junior? “I think the end of the 1977 season really helped us in 1978 in a couple of different ways. In 1977, we tangled oars with Yale in the Repechage, and didn’t make the Grand Final. Then on Saturday, our time in the Petites was just one second slower than the winner of the Grand Finals, even though we weren’t pressed in the Petite. That, I think gave us proof that we belonged among the rowing elite, and also incentive to make up for the 1977 experience.” Per Andy, “We lost our 1978 opener to Harvard by a couple lengths. We then got progressively better, won 23
the balance of our dual races, then came in 3rd in the Sprints. I think that’s when I felt that we had a pretty fast boat, as I think only SU Varsity boat that had ever finished that high at the Sprints. By the time the IRA rolled around, we were picked to finish 2nd in the Coaches’ Poll, so I think there was a recognition that we would be a contender. I think Bill [Coach Sanford] did a great job bringing us along during the season, so that we peaked at the IRA, at just the right time.”
“MY MOST CHERISHED MEMORY OF ROWING FOR SU IS WITHOUT A DOUBT OUR VICTORY IN THE IRA REGATTA. I AM A SYRACUSE NATIVE, AND HAD BEEN TO SEVERAL REGATTAS DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. THE REGATTA BACK THEN WAS REALLY AN EXCUSE FOR THE BIGGEST PARTY IN SYRACUSE, 25,000 PEOPLE LINING THE RACE COURSE, MOST NOT EVEN AWARE THAT THERE WERE RACES GOING ON. BY 1978, SYRACUSE ROWING HAD ELEVATED ITSELF TO THE POINT THAT PEOPLE WOULD KNOW WHEN SYRACUSE WAS IN A RACE, AND CHEER FROM SHORE. TO BE A LOCAL GUY, HEARING THE THRONG OF PEOPLE ALL ALONG THE COURSE CHEERING FOR US, THEN WINNING THE RACE, AND SEEING MY FAMILY IN THE STANDS AS WE GOT OUR GOLD MEDALS, IT JUST DOESN’T GET A WHOLE LOT BETTER THAN THAT!” – ANDY MOGISH, JR.
Introducing… The SARA YouTube Channel Have you ever wished you could show your kids, grandkids, spouse, mom or dad how you spent every minute of your free time in college? Way back when! How would you describe the tanks? Practices? Your Packard Cup race? Your Goes Cup race? Your Eastern Sprints Regatta races? Your IRA or NCAA Championship? Your Pan American Games Championship? Your TV interview? Your Henley Royal Regatta race?
Andy credits his success at GM from the academic rigor of SU, plus the discipline required to row. “Rowing at Syracuse gave me so much. The friendships made, forged by the hard work we all did together, created bonds that won’t ever be broken. I was not very athletic prior to college. Rowing at Syracuse gave me a discipline and drive that has helped me throughout my working life.” Responding to an open mic invitation, Andy summarizes his SU experience this way: “My time at Syracuse was time well spent!” And when asked what he would tell prospective student / athletes considering SU for academics and rowing: “Your time will be well spent!” Andy still gets together with Rick Tremblay (class year 1978) for sporting events near Nashville or Cincinnati and is looking forward to the 2018 Evening at Ten Eyck which will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Men’s V8 IRA Championship as well as the Women’s Rowing achievements.
Beginning with the 1941 IRA there are now over 130 videos posted on our SARA YouTube Channel. Yet there are still some large gaps where no media has been uncovered.
C L I C K T O V I E W C H A N N E L
W A N T E D Your SU rowing films / videos. The ultimate goal of this project is to grow the SARA YouTube Channel to include at least one video for each year of Men’s Crew and Women’s rowing. Contact Paul Dudzick ’67 (pdudzick@gmail.com) if you have media to contribute.
Andy and his wife of 27 years Georgette (recently retired from US Airways) live in Tennessee and their son Thomas is studying engineering at Mississippi State. OO Orange Oar Editor Hugh Duffy (Student Manager, class year 1980).
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MARTHA MOGISH
OKAY, I’M IN
THE SYRACUSE WOMEN’S ROWING PROGRAM HAD JUST ACHIEVED VARSITY STATUS IN 1978 AND MARTHA WAS FINISHING UP HER FRESHMAN BASKETBALL SEASON. THE WOMEN’S ROWING RANKS WERE THIN. “Then first-year Coach Mark Lyvers needed bodies. My brother Andy and his friend Rick Tremblay convinced me to give rowing a shot. I tried rowing in the tanks at Archbold. The first time I came off the water after I sat in a boat at Ten Eyck, Mark asked me what I thought, to which I replied ‘I love it. Okay I’m in.’ ”
WOMEN’S ALUM INTERVIEW – MARTHA MOGISH ROWE (1981)
Regarding the established crew of women that she was joining, “The women welcomed me wholeheartedly, I cannot emphasize that enough. It meant so much to me the way they helped my transition to the rowing team.” The other women had rowed in the fall and winter, and whereas the other women were plucked off the quad and had rowed a few months together, “Rowing did not come naturally to me. I had to put in many hours to compete. I had to work harder; I had to be more determined to succeed.” And “Mark taught me the fundamental rowing stroke. He was just a few years older than us … and he could coach.” The spirit of the team was what Martha revels in now: “The camaraderie, that is what I remember. We didn’t have anything else. At races, we saw that other teams had better equipment, even fiberglass boats! [< Martha’s emphasis.] We rowed in wooden boats and other left overs from the Men’s Crew. And we envied other team’s boats.” Looking back with a forty-year appreciation, “Having so little at the time makes it more special. There were bus rides and meals together, sure. But we had to encourage and push each other in the workouts to succeed. That is what I cherish.” 26 26
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About those early days, “At that time the women only had one coach, Mark. He was the cook, mechanic and chief bottle washer. He fixed everything, he even shaved the hand-me-down oar handles down to fit our hands,” adding: “I think I still have callouses.” By the time racing season was upon them, “Mark had to norm us into a cohesive group, and Mark knew how to draw out the best in us. Syracuse Women’s Rowing was lucky to have Mark as their initial Varsity coach.”
About the foundation SU academics and rowing played in her life, Martha credits the discipline and hard work that helped her through adversity as keys to her success in life, and how to take life’s ups and downs. “It is delightful to see how Women’s Rowing at Syracuse has grown by leaps and bounds. Title IX had a definite impact. It got women’s collegiate sports off the ground, rowing, basketball, hockey, softball … . I am gratified to see it. Stronger sports experiences sends women into the workforce more prepared. What sports did for me, I hope many other young ladies can experience.”
Let’s Get Social...
World Championships, Sarasota, Florida September 24 – October 1, 2017
ONE OF SARA’S MEMBERSHIP GOALS FOR 2018 IS TO INCREASE THEIR PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. SARA’s primary communication goal is to increase our presence on social media. Our emerging generation of athletes and their families, as well as friends and supporters of Syracuse Rowing are connecting on social media more and more.
Looking back to her family’s support for her athletics: “I played basketball in high school. My dad [Andy Mogish, Sr.] sat me down and told me that sports are meant to be fun. When it stops being fun, have the courage to walk away.” This lesson carried over to collegiate rowing, and it stuck, and she stuck with it. “Sure it was hard work, but we had fun, loads of fun.” Today, Martha continues to revel in the unwavering support of her parents [Mary and Andy, Sr.], including attendance at all of her home basketball games, some of her away rowing races and at the Women’s Eastern Sprints. “They didn’t intrude on my choices, they let me run my own life, they didn’t run my life through sports as is common of parents today.”
And when asked if Martha and the women of those early years felt like pioneers, she responds this way: “No, we were too young to realize what was going on. We only thought in the present. We did not have the perspective that we have now. We made do with what we had. Sometimes it seemed things were being held together with rubber bands.” Having a perspective in the present on the early years of Women’s Rowing, Martha reflects this way: “We can finally recognize now the significance of our time together then. Collectively, we put in a lot of hard work, and we had a lot of fun. We are going on three generations of women who have rowed for Syracuse. The program has come a long way. SARA has always been there raising the consciousness of the women rowing. They have always kept the generations connecting with race schedules and updates, and they have kept the history of Women’s Rowing at Syracuse alive.”
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SARA’s presence there will help us achieve our membership theme of “staying connected, reconnecting … and cherishing memories!” You can connect with SARA on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter to receive timely information such as getting directions to races, race reports and host tent information. You can also make connections with your teammates in advance of your attendance at a race or a SARA-hosted event. And you can make professional connections on LinkedIn. See you there!
And about connecting with alums into the future … “Attending the Evening at Ten Eyck is one of the most enjoyable ways to spend an evening. Connect with your old friends. Make new friends. Enjoy a slice of Syracuse Rowing history. Come on out to Ten Eyck in September.”
@syracuserowing
Syracuse Alumni/ae Rowing Association
Martha played basketball four years at Syracuse, and still places high in many career categories, having worn number 44; and headed the engine room rowing in the JV six seat in her three years of rowing. Martha was named a Syracuse Letter Winner of Distinction in 2001, the first woman to be so honored.
@cuse_mrowing
Martha works in product support for Lowe’s Home Improvement Centers. Randy and Martha are empty nesters as both sons are out of the house.
Syracuse Row-O-Rama
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Class Year 1984 Evening at Ten Eyck Testimonial
and thinned (or disappeared altogether), but the banter remained the same. After all, when you spend all that time, sweat, blood, laughs and tears, you get to know each other better than even some family members. For us, it was obvious that there was still a tight bond despite years of neglect as we all went our respective ways to raise our families and build out careers. SARA and the coaches really do a great job with this event! It was a lot of fun interacting with the current Syracuse rowers and I’m sure we provided them with some comic relief as they watched us try and squeeze our wider frames into those skinny shells. The ’84 crew is already talking about this years event. What we would love to see are more of our teammates, more crews return with their entire year group, as well as more Alumni women from our era. My understanding is that this year the 1978 IRA Champion crew is going to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The ’84 boat is ready for a race! My wife, Lolin, and I have decided that this will become one of our annual events. If you have not been back in a while, get on the phone, put out some emails and get your crew to return. You will find the reward for your efforts to be far greater than you expect! Pete Hilgartner, D.C. Captain 1984
(Bow) John Gilbert, (2) Mike Wodchis, (3) Jeff Meiselman, (4) Bill Bragdon, Coach Bill Sanford, (5) Pete Hilgartner (6) Don Miller, (7) Bill Duffield, (Stroke) Scott Kempton, (Cox) Tim McDermott
THIS IS A STORY OF HOW A PICTURE, GREAT MEMORIES AND THE SPIRIT OF A CREW LED TO A TREMENDOUS WEEKEND. LATE IN THE SPRING OF 2017, SOMEONE POSTED THIS PICTURE OF THE 1984 SU V8 CREW ON FACEBOOK. The 1984 V8 didn’t win any big championships, but we had a winning season. By all accounts, we were fast! As you can imagine, the photo stimulated all sorts of memories and initiated a lot of chatter among the guys. Then someone posted this picture … And a bunch of old guys started remembering when they were young kids. When Jeff Meiselman, (3 seat) said, “Hey, let’s get the band together again!” That was all it took! Over the next few months and a bunch of emails, phone calls and spousal negotiations (it happened to fall on Bill Duffield’s wedding anniversary) the ’84 V8 reunited at the Evening at Ten Eyck event. We even raced as a crew in the Alumni races! Sadly, we were a 30
bit slower than we remembered…but, damn, we still looked good! True to the nature of this team, when Jim Haas (Bow) was unable to fly back at the last minute from Kiev, due to a medical emergency, John Gilbert, who had flown back from Germany, stepped up to fill the seat. In fact, we had quite a few guys travel long distance to get back. Tim McDermott (Cox) flew all the way from Shenyang, China! The rest of us came from California, Texas, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida. There were a number of other guys from our era (early ’80s) so there was a lot or reconnecting going on. Not only did we have a great time, but our wives all had a blast, as well! It was great to reconnect after 33 years! Our wives got a kick out of watching us just pick up where we had all left off. Our bodies had changed, our hair had greyed THE ORANGE OAR
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BILL PURDY
WE ALL LOVED TO ROW Men’s Alum Interview – Bill Purdy (1979) BILL PURDY, A 1979 GRADUATE AND FOUR-YEAR MEMBER OF THE MEN’S CREW, BEGAN HIS ATHLETIC CAREER AS A SWIMMER ALONG WITH HIS FIVE SIBLINGS. SWIMMING WAS A YEAR-ROUND COMMITMENT UNTIL HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HE FOUND HIMSELF PLATEAUING IN SPEED AND WENT ON TO EXPLORE OTHER COMPETITIVE SPORTS, WHEREUPON HE DISCOVERED A LIFELONG PASSION IN ROWING.
then-Liverpool High School Coach Larry Laszlo. After rowing on two junior national teams Bill was recruited by several colleges, including Cornell where both of his parents were alums, and Syracuse. Syracuse won that battle (notwithstanding Coach Fin’s attempts to lure Bill to Ithaca) due to its up and coming nature, coupled with Bill’s prospect of rowing with other highly soughtafter recruits.
He began rowing at Liverpool High School (NY) and made the first frosh eight, crediting the skill required to row as the hook, “Rowing became my passion and required my total dedication.” The summer after his high school frosh year, Bill began rowing for the Syracuse Chargers and met Bill Sanford, who took an interest in Bill and recognized Bill’s talent and enthusiasm. His high school coach during his first three years was Marc Reitz, “Who deserves the credit for teaching me to row.” As a senior, Bill rowed for
Bill spent much time at the Ten Eyck Boathouse during his high school years and worked every IRA regatta in the stake boat at the starting line, as well as assisting in the set-up and take down of the course each year. “I never tired of watching the intensity of the crews at the starting line and witnessing the power and synchrony of the oars as they entered and exited the water.” It wasn’t long after that he was an IRA participant, rowing in the seven seat of SU’s Freshman Eight, victorious in 1976, the first of three IRA victories in a row for coach Drew
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Harrison. In 1977, he won the V8 Petites after narrowly losing to Yale in the Repechage, a disappointing IRA after finishing fourth in the Eastern Sprints. In fashioning the crews in 1978, “Coach Bill Sanford saw the depth of the athletes on the team and used his sports psychologist motivational techniques and intense training to get the best out of each of us.” And, learning from a winning tradition, “We didn’t like to lose.” After a successful undefeated cup race season, the V8 finished third in the Eastern Sprints behind only Harvard and Yale, “We were building speed such that we beat teams at the Sprints by more time than we did during our cup races. It was at the Sprints that we realized that we had a special crew.” What made the crew special? Bill credits the size and strength of the crew (~6’-4” / 190+ # average) and an average ~3.4 GPA. MAY 2018
When asked what was important to the V8’s success in 1978, Bill describes the frosh’s previous success in 1976 and 1977 as well as the V8 winning the Petites in 1977 as contributing factors. “Personally, I had gained racing experience rowing in the US eight that summer in the world championships. In addition, the quality of recruits was getting better with each year.” And, in regard to his fellow teammates, “We trained hard together, we were a cohesive group. We had approximately 15 guys who could have rowed varsity; no one could let their guard down. Every oarsman on the team was a quality athlete, everyone. We did everything together, the Peck Hill Runs, the weight circuits, the stadium stairs, shoveling snow off the stadium stairs, the tank work, the two a-days. Living and training together as a team at the Boathouse after school was out of session was also a plus.” About the 1978 IRA Grand Finals victory itself, Bill recalls nearing and then crossing the finish line … 33
collecting his competitor’s betting shirts … the photo shoot and then holding the Stewards Cup, symbolic of the well-earned victory. Bill easily recounts the qualities of his teammates that contributed to the success of the V8, “We all approached every practice session with intensity, with everyone having their own personality in the boat. Art Sibley was as steady and consistent as any stroke I rowed behind. Gerry Henwood in bow and Bill Reid in seven kept things light when necessary – both on and off the water. Andy Mogish was the hard-working strong silent type … never said a word during practice. I looked up to the seniors in the boat, Dave Townsley with his great power in the four seat behind me and Tom Evancie the steady leader in front of me.
“John Shamlain, in three seat, was and still is one of my best friends. We rowed all four years in the same boat. He stroked the varsity to a third-place finish in the 1979 IRA final. Ozzie Street was the glue for the team – he knew how to keep the boat together, a very talented cox; he could race down the course like no other.” And, regarding the common thread between them: “We all loved to row!” Bill has no regrets of choosing SU over rival and neighboring Cornell, among other schools. The rowing facilities, the coaches and the academic life were all draws at SU, and Bill was not disappointed. Bill had generally wanted to study medicine, but his classmate, Dave Fish, convinced him to pursue dentistry. After SU, Bill attended SUNY Buffalo School of Dentistry, and then completed his four-year residency as well as his Master’s degree at Ohio State University, before opening his oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS) practice in Burlington, VT in 1990. His practice allows him to combine his interests in medicine, surgery and dentistry, and his current schedule has him located in the hospital operating room two days per month, and 34
in his clinic the balance of his time. Purdy has received various accolades for his athletic accomplishments in rowing. He was inducted into the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame in 2013 for his rowing excellence and his inspiration of others. He competed on the US National team in 1977, 1979, and 1983 and was a member of the 1980 US Olympic Team. In addition to Bill’s US National Team success in the 1970s and 1980s, he continues to row in master’s races. Bill’s success with the 1980 Rowing Club is significant, having won the masters four with cox event at the Head of the Charles Regatta eleven times!
until after I graduated. The sacrifices I made were definitely worth it, they helped carry me through many aspects of my life.” Bill is proud of his two children, Austin and Alexis, and their accomplishments. “They have been some of my biggest fans during my master’s racing years. I can’t help but believe that my experiences at SU and my rowing career made me a better parent, instilling lessons learned and lending support to their own individual goals and aspirations.” Bill’s mom Jean still lives in the same house he was raised in in Liverpool, and he fondly recalls his mom’s almost daily visits to the boathouse during IRA camps where she brought a supply of donuts for the crew, a welcome treat to hungry oarsmen as opposed to the dry toast fare as was the custom at the time. She never missed a home race.
“ROWING TEACHES YOU HOW TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY, HOW TO MAINTAIN GOALS AND YOUR OUTLOOK TO ACHIEVE THEM. IT TEACHES YOU HOW TO WIN GRACIOUSLY AND HOW TO LOSE WITH DIGNITY. IT TEACHES LIFE’S HARDEST LESSONS, AND THAT THE JOURNEY IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE GOAL. ROWING ATTRACTS A DIFFERENT BREED OF ATHLETE. YOU NEED PHYSICAL AND MENTAL TOUGHNESS.”
Bill hopes that his mom will be his guest at The Evening at Ten Eyck in September. OO
– BILL PURDY
Responding to an open mic invitation: “Students have many choices academically and for collegiate rowing. Syracuse offers a nice combination of the city setting, academic challenges, excellent rowing facilities and extremely high quality coaches. Syracuse granted me many gifts and opportunities in life that I didn’t realize THE ORANGE OAR
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NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT SUPPORT
1963 CAPTAIN BILL SANFORD HAD A JOB OFFER IN HAND FROM THE LAFAYETTE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHEN THENHEAD CREW COACH LOREN SCHOEL OFFERED HIM THE JOB OF FRESHMAN COACH. BILL TOOK THE JOB WITH THE ADDITIONAL BENEFIT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CREDITS TOWARDS HIS MASTER’S DEGREE OF EDUCATION. BILL HAD MARRIED NANCY WHEN HE WAS A JUNIOR, AND HE WANTED TO START HIS FAMILY.
Bill credits the great winning tradition of Drew’s Frosh Crews to the success of the Varsity crews in the late 1970s, rattling off “3-2-1-1-1” referring to the 1974 Frosh bronze medal at the IRA, the 1975 Frosh silver medal, and then 3 straight Frosh Champions 19761978 under Drew’s leadership. With the continuous flow of talented, tough oarsman from the Frosh ranks, Sanford says: “We were on the way.”
“I told Loren I didn’t know anything about coaching, but he told me that he would coach me along the way. I loved coaching the Freshman; I loved putting together crews.” In the fall of 1967 Bill moved up to Varsity upon Loren’s departure. But the late 1960s were hard times for coaching, and Coach admits that he talked with Nancy about giving up coaching. A couple of crews as the decades changed gave Coach Bill incentive to stay on. “Then I hired Drew (Harrison) from the stage in Rochester. Drew was something special, a dream Frosh Coach.”
Reflecting on the oarsmen on his 1978 crews, Sanford reminisces “I had 12 guys who could row Varsity. I kept telling the guys that the best competition they would have would be in practice. Depth was the basis of our success. There were always injuries, or something to overcome in the boats. Sure those things frustrated the guys. But the team recovered quickly, every day. And they challenged each other every day. They knew they were tough and that they could handle anything.”
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Yes, there was pressure from the local community, the SU Administration and local press for his crews to perform at the 1978 IRA, and Coach Bill felt it. About the strategy for the V8 victory, Sanford tells it this way: “I didn’t want to blow the guys out. They had the pressure of being in the Grand Finals without having won a Heat or a Repechage. They could have lost their confidence. I reminded them of their toughness. One guy couldn’t win it. They had to all work together. I settled them down to just a 15-stroke start. I wanted them to be patient and to row through the other crews through the expected heavy headwind through the 500, 1000 and 1500m, which they did.” And true to form, little by little the fast starting crews were reeled in, and passed pulling away. “The strategy paid off,” Sanford recalls fondly.
In addition to co-founding the Syracuse Charger program (summer swimming, track and rowing) in 1972 (with SU Swim Coach Jon Buzzard and SU Track Coach Al Bonney), Bill had a seminal role to play in the establishment of Women’s Rowing at SU. About his role in helping start the Women’s Rowing program at SU: “Engaging women in rowing was not just the sexy thing to do. It was the right thing to do. I always believed that women could excel at rowing.” And about the skyrocketing participation of women in collegiate rowing: “It gives them the same opportunities that it gives men through discipline and hard work. These skills will benefit women for a lifetime.” Case in point, Bill’s three daughters all benefitted from successful experiences in rowing, Kris, Jennifer and Shawn.
alums, from hearing their old stories, from the alums fussing over them. The athletes know the alums support them financially, which means a lot to them.” Reflecting on previous years when University support was not clear, “Support from the SU Administration is also required,” he reflects; “The athletes knowing that their sport is adequately funded is critical.” And about family support: “There is a pride in having family support which goes all ways: parents, siblings, athletes. The guys were getting up at 5:30 in the morning to row. And sometimes in the rain and snow. They had to love it, but they had to also have family support.” Since its inception, SARA, by all accounts has been a tremendous partner with SU student athletes and the University. Reflecting on what can SARA could do better, Bill asserts: “Increased transparency – so all alums know what is going on; and continued financial support. There will be challenges ahead that SARA will be asked to help with. SARA leadership has to make these needs important to the alums, especially increasing the SARA Endowment and making contributions to the Coaches’ Funds.” And Coach Bill offers a special invitation to alums regarding the Evening at Ten Eyck and how every alum should re-experience their rowing days: “The atmosphere at the Evening at Ten Eyck is phenomenal … the excitement of getting together again after two or twenty years … I have noticed the camaraderie that simply re-ignites when folks come back. I hear this a lot: ‘Do you remember me? I wanted to let you know how much rowing meant to me …’ ” Pausing … he adds: “Please come back once. Enjoy the time, reconnect with your friends. Relive your memories. Tell some stories. If you like it, come back again. Become an active alum.” OO
Orange Oar Editor Hugh Duffy (Student Manager, class year 1980)
Responding to the age-old coach question: How do athletes excel on the water? Bill reflects this way: “Nothing happens without support.” “Support from the alums: the oarsman benefit from being around the THE ORANGE OAR
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JASON PREMO
FROM THE ARCHIVES 38 38
THEORANGE ORANGE OAR THE OAR
ONE OF THE JOYS OF BEING AN AMATEUR SYRACUSE ROWING HISTORIAN IS THE HUMAN ELEMENT – being able to navigate through decade upon decade of race results, facility creation /upgrade, landmark events, regime changes, etc., while learning about the human beings that weave the fabric of our history. Through our people, our story can be told! That’s why this “From the Archives” chapter is focusing on some of the most prominent people in our program’s history – The Sibley Family. This story comes together best in reverse-chronological order. In 1979, four year stroke of Syracuse’s ‘A’ Boats, Arthur “Skip” Sibley earned his third IRA medal, winning a bronze at the IRAs a feat unlikely matched in 146 years of Syracuse Rowing. And that wasn’t the only first for him! That very same year, Skip’s sister Katharine was stroke of the Varsity in the freshly christened Women’s program! Says Skip, “She was much tougher than me.”
… Throughout her career, she befriended students, improved faculty, and ultimately benefitted countless women students through her tireless efforts to improve the quality of women’s physical education.” She founded Syracuse’s Department of Physical Education for Women. She also chaired numerous committees and programs championing the betterment of women’s athletic experiences. She was given the honor of ‘first shovel’ at the groundbreaking of the Women’s Building, and the Katharine Sibley Pool was named in her honor. Reaching further back still on the Sibley family history lesson … Great, Great Aunt Katharine’s father Arthur Sibley rowed for Harvard way back in 1862! OO
For Skip, this wasn’t his first taste of Syracuse Rowing history. Surely it’s no news to most of us that his sophomore campaign in 1978 concluded by stroking the Varsity to its first IRA Championship in nearly 60 years. Perhaps less known but no less impressive, he also Stroked his Freshman squad to a Championship in 1977! And let’s give a quick nod to Gerry Henwood, who was in each of those boats with Skip – and whose daughter Liz rowed at Syracuse as well! Family! The Sibley story at SU doesn’t begin and end with Skip and Kath, however. The Sibley Syracuse legacy had decades-long roots, as Women’s Athletics / Rowing was made possible in part thanks to the efforts of Great, Great Aunt Katharine (young Kath’s namesake!). In the attached postcard, you’ll find her being coached by Jim Ten Eyck as she sits in – you guessed it – stroke seat in the Archbold tanks, 108 years ago! Note that Skip himself wasn’t aware of this until the postcard was brought to his attention!) Katharine was a pioneer in women’s athletics, and was responsible for the advancement of the women’s rowing program, among others, at Syracuse. A lovely piece written on her says she, “Spent almost fifty years working in the field of physical education at Syracuse.
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BACKSPLASH BACKSPLASH NEWS OF OUR ALUMNI
Gerry Henwood ’80 Gerry reports the birth of his second grandchild; Eleanor was born to Elizabeth (SU class year 2009) on February 20th.
Walter (Mac) McVittie ’78
John Watson ’77 “In the Fall ‘’74 mixed-eight boat we had seniors, juniors and sophomores in the boats during the fall. Rowing the fall season was optional and many elected to spend a little more quality time with the books during the first semester. Some of us made it to the V8 in the spring, some to the JV8, and then there were transfers back and forth as the racing season of ’75 got underway.”
In addition to honoring the 1978 Varsity Crew many of the Class of ’78 have discussed a 40th reunion. The years 1974-1978, the years we rowed, were some of the finest years of Crew at Syracuse. It would be great to get all the men that rowed during those years together again. I have volunteered to take the lead to organize a fun weekend for our class reunion. If you are interested in participating please contact me at wmacv@pacbell.net so we can make this happen.
Jeff Trombetta ’77 It is nice to be part of the e-mail circulation and a member of SARA. Thanks for including me. I have to admit that I don’t feel deserving of the honor since I was only rowed one year. Nevertheless it was a hell of a year that allowed me to grow and be part of something that I regret to this day that I didn’t stay with. Crew is the Champagne of Sports was the title of my first college speech where I highlighted “‘The power 10’s,’ ‘stay even keel,’ ‘tight swirls,’ ‘bring it up to 36 (and perhaps an occasional 40)’, ‘the brotherhood,’ ‘the unity,’ as well as ‘we got ’em by a bowball.’” The last several years I have cooked for the Harvard side of the annual Yale – Harvard Regatta on the Thames River in Groton. I saw an opportunity and I couldn’t leave the opportunity alone. It’s been a pleasure feeding those guys and doing my best to keep them strong and nutritionally healthy.
Photo Caption: Joan treats 2-time NBA All-Star Andre Drummond (Detroit Pistons) from her wheelchair.
George Chapman ’73 Joan Rubinger ’99 Joan Rubinger, who was paralyzed from the chest down two years ago after falling off a cliff (featured in the March 2016 issue of Orange Oar), continues to enjoy success in the field of sports medicine, treating professional athletes all over the world. Her clients include future basketball hall of famers Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Amar’e Stoudemire. She has recently begun to help rehab Syracuse’s own Dion Waiters of the Miami Heat from his seasonending ankle surgery. Joan says that despite still experiencing terrible pain around the clock, she feels that she still has more to offer the world, and will work until she is no longer physically able.
‘Chef Jeff’ lives in Guilford, Connecticut.
John currently lives in Houston, Texas.
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George Chapman and Jim Lastowka (class year 1973), celebrating SU upset victory over of Wake Forest in the fall. Jim and his wife Sandy (Wake Forest grad) flew up for game from D.C.
Rose Aschebrock
Brandis (Arcadia) Turner ’81 I am e-mailing with a baby announcement for my husband and I, (Dan and Brandis (Arcadia) Turner). We are both alumni from the men’s and women’s teams class of 2011. Jack Alexander Turner; born January 26, 2018 weighing in at 8 lbs and measuring 20.5 inches long. Jack is the first grandbaby for both my parents and Dan’s!
Friends that row together, stay together! Coach Moore used to always say that the girls in the boat would become friends for life and he wasn’t kidding. Having all these incredible ladies come to New Zealand to celebrate with Aleks Strapans (class year 2015) and I was the best wedding gift I could have hoped for.
Historic Image - Open Water Board
Currently we live in the Chicago suburbs, Villa Park IL. I am a Business Analyst for Life Fitness, and Dan is a Mechanical Engineer for PeopleFlo Manufacturing. THE ORANGE OAR
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