SARA Orange Oar 2017 #1 by Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association

Volume XVIII

No. 1

April 2017

SYRACUSE ALUMNI ROWING ASSOCIATION, INC. APRIL 2017

INSIDE THE ISSUE

DEAR SU ROWING ALUMS

03 LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

SARA EXECUTIVE BOARD

04 FUND RAISING INITIATIVES IN 2017

Joseph Paduda ’80 President

It’s an honor to serve as SARA President for another year, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the progress both on and off the water.

08 MEET THE ORANGE OAR CORRESPONDENTS

Paris Daskalakis ’98 Treasurer

14 Q&A WITH COACH DAVE REISCHMAN

Gillian Carlucci ’14 Secretary

There’s a lot of information in this issue of the OO (thanks Hugh and team) that doesn’t need repeating here – although I do want to profusely thank the alums who’ve done great work over the past year.

18 Q&A WITH COACH JUSTIN MOORE

Josh Stratton ’01 Vice President / Digital Director

24 FOLLOW THE LEADER 30 INTERVIEWING THE CAPTAINS 36 THE ART OF ROWING 40 WHO I AM 44 TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS FOR TRAINING

CLASS OF 1973-ish OUTREACH

THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP

54 BACKSPLASH

CREDITS: Editor: Hugh Duffy ’80 Art Director: Ryan Armstrong ’08 OO Correspondents: Zachary Michael Vlahandreas, Sydney Egan Rodriguez, Haley Jones Photography: Marlis Humphrey, as well as the OO Correspondents If you are interested in joining the Orange Oar team as a writer or photographer, please contact duffyfamily7@comcast.net. Thanks.

WWW.SARAROWING.COM 2

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

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

Jason Premo’s and Beth Marks’ work on our contact database is perhaps the most valuable contribution of all. Jason and Beth have put in hundreds of hours of work finding alums, correcting addresses, and putting it all together. Soon we will have – for the first time in my memory – an almost-complete, accurate and useful database. Thanks to Jason and Beth! Class captains will use the database to reach out to their rowing buddies, reengage long-lost alums, schedule meet-and-greets around the race schedule and continue to build SARA’s membership. Fund Raising Czar Adlai Hurt’s efforts to help the boats go faster with better equipment, technology, and recruiting support will rely on the database. He’ll be working with Orange Club Director April Maw to get donations for the Men’s and Women’s Coaches’ Funds – you’ll read about that elsewhere. Be on the lookout for announcements on race broadcasting. Colin Goodale has been working with SU’s Athletic Department to determine the most economical and most accessible way to get real-time racing to you. We aren’t all the way there yet, but making a lot of progress. Stay tuned! I’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the academic performance of both teams this fall. Men’s rowing had the highest GPA of any men’s sport, and our women’s average GPA was over 3.4. Impressive indeed – remember this when your company or agency is looking for talent! Both teams are actively and aggressively recruiting talent, both here and abroad. Those efforts have certainly paid off and I fully expect our coaches will have more success bringing talented, smart, hard-working athletes to the Hill. Finally, thanks to all the alums who trekked to sunny Syracuse for the Annual SARA Meeting in January. Several got to sit courtside and watch the men’s basketball team defeat FSU – thanks to the SU Athletic Department. Much was accomplished, thanks to the participation of all involved.

EDITOR, ORANGE OAR Hugh Duffy ’80

As we will undoubtedly see when the crews hit the starting line for the first time, the boats are getting faster. Thanks for your support – and I hope to see you at a race this spring.

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

Bleed Orange! Joe Paduda ’80 SARA President

THE ORANGE OAR

APRIL 2017

CAMPAIGN FOR MEN’S CREW HEAD COACH’S FUND

CAMPAIGN FOR MEN’S CREW & WOMEN’S ROWING HEAD COACH FUNDS SIT READY: SPRING 2000-HOUR CAMPAIGN

As we prepare for the start of our annual Spring 2000 Hour Fundraising Campaign, I want to inform you of a change to our fundraising priorities and provide context. Between 2002 – 2009 we ran an annual fundraising campaign for various program initiatives that was a combined effort between the Orange Pack (now the Orange Club) and our coaching staff. In 2010, however, SARA approached me about starting an endowment to ensure the long-term health of men’s rowing at Syracuse. In order to “seed” the new endowment, SARA and I agreed to focus fundraising efforts on the SARA Endowment for three years, during which time we abstained from any other public fundraising.

Between April and June, there will be men’s and women’s team campaigns for their respective Head Coach Funds through the SU Orange Club. As a testament to SARA and the programs, the campaigns will run for 2,000 hours. The strategic purpose for increasing annual giving to these funds is to promote immediate impacts on the crews and the programs at-large.

Due to the resounding success of the SARA Endowment campaigns, led by alumnus Joe Kieffer, and some timely gifts to the SU Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund to address our ongoing priorities, we focused on the SARA Endowment for an additional four years – 7 years in total! As of this writing the SARA Endowment is well established with just over $510,000 in principal and I want to express my gratitude for the efforts and generous support of so many alumni, parents, and friends in this very important project. The SARA Endowment represents a significant start to ensuring there will always be rowing at Syracuse. It remains an important SARA initiative and efforts will continue to build the endowment with targeted gifts and other long-term planning options like Charitable IRA rollovers and estate planning.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Recently, however, I analyzed the men’s crew funding priorities and, after discussions with the SARA Executive Board and the Orange Club, we have decided to focus the Spring 2000-Hour Campaign on our Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund. This fund is used to address areas that fall outside the scope of our current operating budget like enhancing recruiting travel, retaining and recruiting Assistant Coaches, equipment purchases (oars, ergs, shells, etc.), and minor facility improvements. I am confident that SARA members and alumni at-large will remain passionate champions for efforts that empower our pursuit of excellence throughout the SU men’s crew program. Therefore, a new Spring 2000-Hour Campaign will start on Monday, April 3 and I ask that you direct your generous annual financial support to the Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund. The Orange Club will be sending coordinated emails using a new “’CuseFunder” fundraising platform and gifts will be deposited directly in our Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund. I think you will be impressed with this new fundraising tool and the live updates it provides on progress toward our $50,000 goal. Surpassing our $50,000 goal in the span of April – June will have roughly the same impact as a $1,500,000 endowment! As a further incentive this spring, the Orange Club will count eligible gifts in the Orange Team Challenge. The Orange Team Challenge winner is the team that has the highest participation rate of $44+ donors amongst their alumni-base. First prize is an additional $10,000 credited to the winning team’s respective head coach’s fund! Currently we are in third-place behind Men’s Cross Country and Men’s Lacrosse. The Spring 2000-Hour campaign will be crucial in achieving the $10,000 bonus from the Orange Club! SARA is working closely with the Orange Club on this effort. They have proven to be a great partner, terrific resource, and strong supporter of our rowing program. While we are prioritizing the Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund for our 2000-Hour campaign, we are aware there may be individuals who are committed to the SARA Endowment and more long-term program support. You can give to the endowment by clicking on the following link to the SARA Endowment (www.cnycf.org/sara). Once again, I am grateful for the passion and generosity exemplified throughout SARA and I encourage you to continue your annual participation in our Spring Campaign.

EmPower Oarlocks to refine training and rowing technique, Additional recruiting trips to secure talent and cultivate long-term recruiting pipelines, Hiring and retaining excellent assistant coaches and staff, High-tech fitness and recovery testing tools, and Other opportunities in the pursuit of consistent top performances.

Sit ready to participate knowing that gifts during these campaigns count toward participation in the Orange Team Challenge. That means Men’s Crew and Women’s Rowing have a built-in structural advantage, thanks to the Orange Club, to finish in the Top 2 of the Orange Team Challenge!

Click For Men’s Crew CuseFunder

Click For Women’s Crew CuseFunder

ORANGE TEAM CHALLENGE Syracuse University Athletics has challenged its alumni to join the 2016-17 Orange Team Challenge! The OTC is an annual contest based on participation: the team with the highest participation of former student-athletes who make a gift of $44 or more to their former team’s head coach fund wins. In 2015-16, men’s cross country won with 45% participation. As a result, the men’s cross country head coach’s fund received a $5,000 bonus from SU Athletics. In 2016 – 17, the winning team’s head coach’s fund will be awarded $10,000 and the runner up will receive $2,500. As of February, men’s crew, once in the lead by a seat, finds itself in third-place behind men’s cross country and men’s lacrosse. Women’s rowing has dropped a seat to men’s basketball and currently sits in fifth-place. Let’s make a move throughout April – June (the final 500m) and increase our programs’ participation percentages as we drive for the line! If you have not already made a gift of $44+, your participation during the upcoming Campaign for Head Coach Funds will count in the Orange Team Challenge. Thank you to the many alumni who have participated since July 1, 2016. You have placed the programs in wonderful positions.

– Coach Dave

Your philanthropic investments through the Men’s Crew Head Coach’s Fund and the Women’s Rowing Head Coaches Fund enable the coaching staffs to address priorities that promote excellence. Examples of recent investments include:

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APRIL 2017

CHARITABLE IRA ROLLOVER DONATION OPTION Use Your Traditional IRA to Make Your Charitable Gifts in 2017 and beyond! The Charitable IRA Rollover provides a tax-wise opportunity to make a gift from an asset that would be subject to multiple levels of taxation if it remained in your taxable estate. Transfers must be made directly from a traditional IRA account by your IRA administrator to an eligible charitable organization. Funds that are withdrawn by you and then contributed do not qualify. Gifts from 401k, 403b, SEP and other plans also do not qualify. Common Charitable IRA Rollover questions and answers:

Q: Who qualifies? A: Individuals who are age 70½ or older at the time of the contribution

These women have banded together to produce a gift of $2,500 that has allowed us to purchase four new “Empower Oarlocks.”

Q: How much can I transfer? A: Up to $100,000 per year. Q: Can my spouse also make an IRA Charitable Rollover, even if we file jointly? A: Yes, every individual can use the IRA Charitable Rollover up to $100,000 each year. Q: To what charities can I make gifts? A: Tax exempt organizations that are classified as 501(c)(3) charities, including Syracuse University and the Central New York Community Foundation. Note: The material presented here is not offered as legal or tax advice. You are urged to seek the advice of your tax advisor, attorney, and / or financial planner to make certain the gift you are considering fits into your overall circumstances and planning. Information for SU-related giving: Information for SARA Endowment giving: Doreen Henson ’05 Thomas Griffith, CAP®, ChFC® Director, SU Gift Planning Director of Gift Planning Syracuse University Central New York Community Foundation Tel: 315.443.3555 Tel: 315.422.9538

Still Pulling for the ’Cuse

Whereas SARA appreciates the uniqueness of the Women’s Class of 2005 making this significant donation to the program, Coach Justin Moore expresses his gratitude this way, “Technology is playing an increasingly important role in training our athletes. This gift is critical to keep our boats fast on the water. We certainly appreciate the generosity of the Class of 2005 to help us purchase this essential technology. And, it is great to know that the Class of 2005 is still pulling for the ’Cuse.”

Photo Credit L-R: Shawna (O’Brien) Morasco, Kelly (McGrorery) Broderick, Anna Goodale, Makiko Muraoka, Chrissy Chamberlain, Carolyn Taylor, Tori (Amling) Field, Beth Landgraf

Chrissy Chamberlain Reflects: Syracuse Rowing becomes a part of your being and it stays with you forever. It’s been almost 12 years since we graduated, but it still feels like yesterday. If you’re lucky, the relationships you developed on the team continue to grow and thrive in new ways you didn’t know possible. Instead of navigating school and collegiate athletics together, you’re navigating life and celebrating the ups and downs of growing up. If you allow it, the tenacity and tough skills you earned (and I mean earned!) on the team continue to drive your everyday – the ‘third 500’ all of a sudden becomes a metaphor for thriving through life’s tough times. We came together as a class to donate to the next generation of women because we all recognize just how much the team still contributes to us – in our marriages, as parents, as professionals and as friends. We wish nothing but the best for the Syracuse Women’s Rowing program and hope to continue donating as we are able, to an organization that has changed our lives forever. Go ’Cuse!

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APRIL 2017

OO MEET THE CORRESPONDENTS

ZACHARY (ZACK) MICHAEL VLAHANDREAS

Zack is a sophomore majoring in Economics with a minor in Spanish in the College of Arts & Sciences and minoring in Finance in the Whitman School of Management, and coxes for the Men’s team. Zack “loves to compete,” whether it is to be the chosen coxswain by the oarsmen, or in a race. “Competition is huge!” as he comes from a competitive family in the northern suburbs of Chicago, the oldest of 4 children. Zack chose SU because of the competitive academic lifestyle and the determination of the coaching staff. “I am glad on both counts!” Commenting about his family, Zack adds: “My parents and siblings always believe in me and support me through every step I take in my academic and athletic career.” He enjoys the atmosphere of the team, especially being able to compete for a Division I University, and likes everything about it “… from the top down.” The coaches were a big influence in his choosing SU over other schools. Zack adds: “I am willing to work hard, 8 8

either on the water or in the Crew Room, to build the team up!” Look for a stronger team under Zack’s watchful eye this Spring.

HALEY JONES Haley hails from Jamestown, New York, and is a dual major in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communication and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. She is a junior oarswoman, with lots of experience having rowed at Jamestown High School. She was always in the recruiting process to row at Syracuse, but her interest wasn’t always in rowing. She admits: “I used to use rowing to stay in shape for volleyball in high school, but then switched that to using volleyball to stay in shape for rowing.” While her THE ORANGE OAR

height at 6’-1” gives her an athletic advantage, she doesn’t take that lightly. “It was the coaches seeing potential in me to mold me and make me a better athlete.” “I try to lead others by leading myself, and therefore try to lead by example. I trust the coaches, so I feel comfortable going to them about certain things. I think leadership is definitely a lot about respect. You don’t necessarily need to be best friends with everyone, but you definitely need to respect them and hope they respect you, too.” Look for Haley to emerge as a leader this spring.

SYDNEY EGAN RODRIGUEZ Sydney is a sophomore S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications student, and coxes for the women’s team. She had 4 years of prep coxing under her belt. Ashton Richards (SU class year 1982), her coach at St. Ignatious College Prep, encouraged Sydney to consider Syracuse. Sydney feels that she wanted to see new things, meet new people – “Which explains my journey from the Bay Area to Syracuse.” She was interested in attending a school with a Top-20 rowing team. She considered Stanford and CAL, among others. But an October visit to both the Boathouse and Newhouse inspired her. Once Sydney met some of the rowers, “I became fascinated with the team, I loved the team. Fellow rowers Shannon and Bridget became my friends, we have similar personality traits, we mesh. It is great being on the team with them.” Sydney credits Assistant Coach Alicia Kochis (SU class year 2002) with being an encouragement to her once she arrived on campus. “Since my decision to cox, it has all be a great experience.” She adds: “I realize my education comes first, but I love coxing, I love the competition. I love motivating the rowers, I love helping

APRIL 2017

them with their metrics. I see technology as an avenue to motivation.” Look for enhanced motivation based upon technological feedback under Sydney’s leadership this Spring. OO

SARA is committed to engaging the emerging generation of athletes as they transition from the classroom and rowing community to graduates and ultimately as active members of SARA. SARA currently gives a reduced rate membership for recent graduates for their first five years after graduation. Another creative way that the Orange Oar can help is by engaging today’s athletes with creative interests such as writing, journalism, photo-journalism, graphics and social media. SARA Board 2017 initiatives such as improving the SARA database, increasing networking and marketing opportunities, as well as carrying the Syracuse Rowing message to a worldwide audience – can all be supported by engaging emerging generation of athletes in the production of the Orange Oar. The Orange Oar occupies a prominent place in the SARA communications plan. Its high quality lend itself to the current SARA initiatives. Through creative writing, journalism, photography and graphics, and with outstanding publication techniques the Orange Oar will continue to support SARA’s annual and long-term initiatives. Insights from current athletes, their ability to sense feelings and emotions from their teammates, and their ability to interact at both levels – with coaches and athletes – uniquely positions them to contribute meaningfully to future editions of the Orange Oar. SARA’s hope is for periodic contributions from current athletes. So we hope that you enjoy reading insights from our athletes as much as you look forward to cheering them on out on the water.

MEN’S CLASS OF 2020 ROSTER

RACING SCHEDULE

ANDREW CUMMINGS

NICK ORMSBY

6’-6”; 191 LBS.; PITTSBURGH,

6’-6”; 185 LBS.; WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS;

PENNSYLVANIA;

WESTFORD ACADEMY

TAYLOR ALLDERDICE HIGH SCHOOL

SVETA RADOVIC

BRENNAN FINLEY

6’-6”; 205 LBS.; BEOGRAD, SERBIA; SPORTSKA

6’-6”; 192 LBS.; OCEAN CITY, NEW JERSEY;

GIMNAZIJA; ROWING CLUB: PARTISAN

ST. AUGUSTINE PREP

SAT APR 8, 2017 VS WISCONSIN | SKOKIE, IL.

SAM SNEDDEN

DECLAN FISCHBACK

6’-4”; 190 LBS.; WASHINGTON, D.C.;

6’-2”; 190 LBS.; ROCKY RIVER, OHIO

WOODROW WILSON HIGH SCHOOL

SAT APR 15, 2017 GOES TROPHY (CORNELL, NAVY) | ITHACA, NY.

ROCKY RIVER HIGH SCHOOL

SAT APR 22, 2017 CONLAN CUP (BOSTON

HADLEY HOYLE

6’-3”; 182 LBS.; FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA;

6’-5”; 190 LBS.; ORLANDO, FLORIDA;

THOMAS JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL

UNIVERSITY, COLUMBIA) | LIVERPOOL, NY.

DR. PHILLIPS HIGH SCHOOL

SAT APR 29, 2017 DARTMOUTH (PACKARD CUP) | LIVERPOOL, NY.

SUNLEE STECHUK

SILVIU TUDOR

KENNETH HUBBARD

6’-4”; 185 LBS.; FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT;

6’-4’; 190 LBS.; BOCA RATON, FLORIDA; VENICE

FAIRFIELD LUDLOVE HIGH SCHOOL

SUN MAY 14, 2017 EARC SPRINTS | WORCESTER, MA.

HIGH SCHOOL

LUKA VRBASKI

FRI JUN 2 - SUN JUN 4, 2017 IRA CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA

PIETER KERPESTEIN

6’-4”; 190 LBS.; NOVI SAD, SERBIA; ISIDORA

6’-4”; 207 LBS.; AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS;

SEKULIC; ROWING CLUB: DANIBIUS 1885

| SACRAMENTO, CA.

HERVORMD LYCEUM ZUID; ROWING CLUB: R.V. WILLEM III ALEX MANFREDI 5’-5”; 120 LBS.; VIENNA, VIRGINIA; JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL ALEX ORMSBY

NICK SCHREIBER 6’-5”; 185 LBS.; NORTHAMPTON, PENNSYLVANIA; NORTHHAMPTON AREA HIGH SCHOOL ISABELLE RITTENBERRY 5’-1”; ALLENTOWN, NEW JERSEY; ALLENTOWN HIGH SCHOOL

6’-6”; 190 LBS.;WESTFORD, MASSACHUSETTS; WESTFORD ACADEMY

THE ORANGE OAR

APRIL 2017

LIVE

BROADCASTING

RACING SCHEDULE SAT, MAR 25, 2017 SCRIMMAGE WITH CORNELL | LOCATION TBD

WOMEN’S CLASS OF 2020 ROSTER KATE AEMISSEGGER

MADDY HORRIDGE

5’-11”; ORELAND, PENNSYLVANIA;

5’-10”; BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA;

GERMANTOWN ACADEMY

SOMERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL

MAGGIE BLOCK

HAILEY HUDSON

5’-7”; BOXFORD, MASSACHUSETTS;

5’-11”; EXETER, NEW HAMPSHIRE;

MASCONOMET REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

PHILIPS EXETER ACADEMY

LILLY BLOUIN

CAROLINE KRANZ

6’-0”; MONTREAL, QUEBEC;

5’-10”; CINCINNATI, OHIO;

TABOR ACADEMY

SUMMIT COUNTRY DAY

SARAH CRUMMEY

OLIVIA KYLANDER

5’-7”; AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND;

5’-3”; PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

GLENDOWIE COLLEGE

MOUNT ST. JOSEPH ACADEMY

TARA EATON

LUCY PEARCE

5’-1”; SARATOGA SPRINGS, NEW YORK;

6’-2”; MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA;

SARATOGA HIGH SCHOOL

HAILEYBURY COLLEGE

MADISON FALZON

LIZ TARRANT

6’-3”; AUBURNDALE, MASSACHUSETTS;

6’-1”; MARION, MASSACHUSETTS;

ST. MARK’S SCHOOL

TABOR ACADEMY

MADELINE HOLZMAN-KLIMA

EMILY SPENCER

5-8; EDMONDS, WASHINGTON;

5’-10”; WINCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS;

HOLY NAMES ACADEMY

DANA HALL

SUN, APR 2, 2017 THE “DOC” HOSEA INVITE (ORANGE CHALLENGE CUP, KITTLE CUP AND OTHER CREWS) | CAMDEN, NJ.

SAT, APR 15, 2017 DARTMOUTH, HARVARD | SARATOGA, NY. SAT, APR 22 – SUN, APR 23, 2017 CLEMSON INVITE | CLEMSON,SC SAT, APR 29, 2017 PRINCETON, IOWA | PRINCETON, NJ SUN, MAY 14, 2017 ACC CHAMPIONSHIPS | CLEMSON, SC.

THE ORANGEOAR OAR THE ORANGE

APRIL 2017 MARCH 2015

QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS WITH COACH REISCHMAN 14 14

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15 15

OO: Hi Dave, please reflect on the fall training season and the transition to the winter program. DR: I thought we had a very useful fall season from a training / technical perspective. We have a lot of young athletes we introduced to our way of doing things and I feel like we made a lot of progress. I think the most difficult part of the year for our young athletes is the transition to winter training mode. In high school you usually get some time off after the fall season and then you erg maybe three times a week until you get back on the water in the spring. Some programs erg more but very seldom do they row the same volume or intensity that we do. I think it is challenging mentally and physically learning how to be a ‘full time athlete.’ We have had a few stumbles here and there but the guys are handling that transition well.

OO: How did winter training go, especially the winter trip? DR: Winter training was an excellent trip! The guys showed up in shape and were pretty eager to make changes. I thought it was a very effective week. In January we opted to stay in our ‘indoor training’ routine. We did however go on the water for the first time on February 18th and have been getting out three times a week since then. It has been very helpful. If we have significant water time prior to heading to Clemson for spring break it changes the nature of the work we can do. The winter training has been very methodical. The guys that did the work over Christmas (and most did) and the guys that have stayed healthy (and most have) have been making very steady progress on their fitness. I also feel like we have made some very good technical changes between the tank and the various ergs we have.

OO: How do you see the boats shaping up? DR: I don’t have any thoughts on the boatings just yet other than our top boat looks like it will be young. That is not necessarily a bad thing as long as we can absorb the ups and downs of racing season and focus on the daily grind of getting better.

OO: How is the morale of the team? DR: At Syracuse, we use the philosophy that everybody on the team is a leader. Anytime you are in a group situation everything you say or do, positive or negative, is a form of leadership. There is no question that our two team captains are driving the bus. Andrew Reichard ’17 and Sam Busco ’18 are doing a great job of leading by example and being vocal when necessary.

OO: How are your coxes doing? What do you expect of your coxes during winter training? DR: Much like the rest of our squad the coxes are jockeying for position. During winter training some of them work out with the guys when the workout allows. At other times they are running tank sessions and helping organize run the practice as well as recording scores. We do a lot of work in groups of 8 to 12 during the training where the guys rotate through various activities and workouts. We assign the coxswains to groups and they run the show.

OO: Reflect on the depth of the team. Any surprises?

AT SYRACUSE, WE CHALLENGE OUR ATHLETES TO BE EXCELLENT IN THREE AREAS: ACADEMICS, ROWING, AND CHARACTER.

OO: How is the 1V8 looking? DR: We haven’t even had a V8 even remotely together yet and probably won’t until the week before WISCO. It is a long season and my experience is that the longer you can keep guys fighting for seats the better. Having said that there is a group of 10 to 12 athletes that have demonstrated they have the fitness to be considered for that boat. But I never discount the potential for someone from lower on the team to emerge from the seat racing mix. If anyone on the team suspects they have a seat locked up in any particular boat that would be a mistake at this point.

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DR: It depends on what you mean by depth. We have better fitness than the last couple of years so from that standpoint we are deeper in raw talent. But we only have six seniors and five juniors on the squad so we don’t have a lot of depth from an experience standpoint. Some of the lack of numbers in the senior and junior class is due to recruiting and athletes making decisions that by the performance standards of the team – academically and athletically – have passed them by. We currently have 34 rowers and six coxswains.

OO: Who is your competition shaping up to be?

OO: Reflect on the academic expectations for rowers at Syracuse. DR: At Syracuse, we challenge our athletes to be excellent in three areas: academics, rowing, and character. We practice eight to nine sessions a week through the school year as NCAA rules allow. There are certain times of the year where NCAA hour limitations only allow for six sessions. There are several schools who do more, as many as 11 to 12 sessions. I don’t think that allows for excellence in academics. If we only go eight to nine sessions, then that puts pressure on our coaching staff to be really efficient with our training program design to make sure that we still get everything in that we need to be competitive. Our athletes have to be especially disciplined with their training program to make sure they meet all of their academic and athletic obligations. It all comes with signing up to attend Syracuse. It has become a disturbing trend in college sport, and our sport in particular, to put sport above academics – or at least to pontificate about the importance of academics – and then having a sport workload that makes excellence in the classroom impossible for all but the gifted students. We have stumbles occasionally but it usually is because the ‘other aspects’ of college life interfere. As a D1 athlete there are times when those ‘other aspects’ need to take a back seat. We work really hard to create a culture where excellence is possible and athletes make good decisions in this regard. This particular group has bought into our value system. OO

DR: I think over the past two years there have been four teams that are usually at the top of our league: Brown, Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. Others have occasionally worked into that mix but only occasionally. Then from the five spot down to the 13 spot has been a rotation of everyone on our schedule and a few others. This year should be no different. Who finished where in the second group could be whoever is having the best day at the time. When you get to the IRA you can throw Washington and CAL in with the top group and Stanford in with the ‘fighting for spots’ group. We hope to be closer to the top of that group rather than the bottom but will spend most of our time really focusing on the day-to-day things we need to do to keep adding speed right up until the IRA. APRIL 2017

QUESTIONS AND

ANSWERS WITH COACH MOORE

18 18

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OO: The Women will row in a new racing shell in the spring. Reflections on the naming process? JM: Syracuse has a great tradition of Women’s Rowing … of athletes who have succeeded at all levels. They all have a common trait: they are humble. While the tendency to name a boat after an athlete seems like an easy solution, working that out in real life is a challenge. Our women today toil in the humble tradition of the those who went before them. The short racing season, the grueling training, the hardships that have been overcome … convince me that women don’t row for the glory. They row for the friendships they develop. They row for the satisfaction of rowing. They row for Syracuse! So we are in process of selecting a name for our new boat. Many names have been tossed around. We are likely settling down to about five choices. Maybe the shell’s name will be a characteristic trait of the women who rowed for Syracuse. Maybe it will be thematic. Maybe it will be a name. We are seeking to honor our tradition, but with consideration to the humble character of the women who have rowed here. I will engage our current athletes and develop a process to select a name for our new shell. It may come down to a vote. We will seek to make a decision while on the spring training trip. I only need a few days before our first race to have the graphics made and applied. So, look for that name to be on the boat when we scrimmage Cornell.

OO: You were recently contacted by Anne Lederhos (class year 1975) who rowed in the ‘Early Years’ of Women’s Rowing. This contact turned into a story for the OO. Reflections? JM: Now is the time to honor the history of the of the ‘Early Years’ of Women’s Rowing. Mark I does not contain compelling stories on those early years. There is the potential for new content to be developed to further document those years.

One meaningful aspect of the Syracuse Rowing Community is to stay connected, or to reconnect, to be able to reflect with your friends on your rowing years. I understand that there were hardships in those early years, and that change comes slowly. But if we can focus on the positive stories, we can help strengthen our community. Discussing the difficulties can ease our common burdens and allow us to all grow together. Athletes can reconnect, and they can re-live their memories. Our rowers today rest on the shoulders of predecessors. Let’s honor those who went before us!

OO: Talk about what you see as the leadership progression of your athletes. JM: The first two years at Syracuse are hard for student athletes to adjust to. Academics are rigorous. We have high expectations for our athletes as students. Balancing classes and workouts is not easy. My hope in the first two years is that the athletes learn to lead themselves first … then progress in their upper years to lead others. In a student’s freshman and sophomore years, we look for athletes to learn to ‘lead herself tremendously well.’ This includes: 1. ACADEMICS – time management, study skills, and personal accountability to professors 2. ATHLETICS – learning to train like a top flight D1 athlete, athletic durability, learning to earn trust and respect, learning to give trust and respect, and learning to compete 3. TRUTH OVER HARMONY – developing the skills to have ‘challenging conversations’ that will help lead the team, and the individuals on it, toward their ultimate goals In the student’s junior and senior years we look for athletes to learn to ‘lead others well.’

This includes: 1. USING THE TRUST AND RESPECT capitol the athlete has developed to influence behavior through actions and words 2. POSITIVELY CONFRONTING anything that threatens our culture 3. DEMONSTRATING A WILLINGNESS to take risks based upon a strong belief in oneself and learned resilience. It is all part of our expectations for those who choose to row at Syracuse.

OO: Spring Outlook JM: I am very excited for this year’s boats. We have offered over 20 workout times for the women to allow flexibility for them to train and also meet their academic schedules. We always remember that our athletes are students, and Syracuse Women’s Rowing has a great academic tradition. So the winter training workouts boil down to the question: How are we doing? This year’s team will likely be my deepest team. We have strong participation form the 1V to the 2V all the way to the V4. Our measurements all point that direction. We just completed our first team 2K. The results were quite exciting for the team. When I arrived at Syracuse, our ‘Best Ergs of All Time’ had 7 women with sub-7:00 erg scores. This weekend four of our women broke 7:00, with Hattie Taylor setting a new all-time best of 6:47 for a 2K. This is an exceptional feat, because the previous #1 and #2 record holders went on to be Olympic Gold and Silver medalists. There are three more women on our squad with the potential to break 7:00 this year (one went 7:01, another 7:02, and another was out with an illness). The training program that the women undertook this year was the hardest in my time as Women’s Head Coach. It was great too see the hard work our women put in over the winter pay off with such good times on testing day. As we look at our squad list heading into the spring training trip, our depth continues to stand out. During

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the planning phase for training, we look at how we need to design the selection process for each woman a ‘fair opportunity’ to show her speed on the water. This year’s team is so deep, we are finding ourselves challenged to produce the selection opportunities required to meet this goal.

OO: How do you see the season unfolding? JM: I have no idea, that is why we race.

OO: Were the Women on the water in January and February? How will that affect the season? JM: Yes, we were on the water for a few days each month. We had temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s. Getting on the water early allows us to work on technique more which will benefit racing. There is a tradeoff however, as the winter training builds strength and fitness.

OO: Haley Jones and Sydney Egan Rodriguez are stepping up to be Orange Oar Correspondents. Do you have any reflections? JM: Newhouse is a great communications school. Imagine, if you will, however, being able to combine your academic interests with your athletic pursuits, and being able to write about it for the Syracuse Rowing Community. Adjustment to academics and rowing at Syracuse is hard. It takes a couple of years. Stepping up to represent the team this way shows increasing maturing and more leadership. Communication is a common skill of successful professionals. Haley and Sydney are seeking to enhance their communication skills. I am all for it. My hope is that the correspondents get a few opportunities to add creative writing pieces to their résumé. Our athletes know the other athletes, and they interact with the coaches. They have insights that will benefit our alums. I am looking forward to their continued participation. OO 21

G’Rowing the SARA Community 22 22

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STAYING CONNECTED ... RECONNECTING …

Jason is presently enlisting Class Captains who will be reaching out to you – their peers – soon to help make sure we all stay in touch with the program and each other. A big thank you to these folks, and anyone who has been so helpful thus far. Stay tuned! We want this effort to serve as an opportunity for you to reconnect with your old friends, and if you have not yet responded and verified your contact information, or if you have any questions / comments, or wish to help, please email Jason at jmpremo@hotmail.com today. Let’s team up to G’Row the SARA Community!

Perhaps the most important task SARA is undertaking is the most mundane – getting an accurate, up-to-date SARA Database of Alumni and Supporters (alumni, parents, friends, and supporters) we can use to connect in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. It’s important to have one source of information on all our rowing friends so that SARA can reach you all with information on the program (like the Orange Oar, for example). Whether it’s getting alums together for an away race, updating fans on changes to the race schedule, disseminating the coaches’ race reports, or getting funds to help our athletes get equipment they need a – current database is critical. Jason Premo (class year 1998) and Beth Marks (class year 1983) have worked tirelessly to clean up old data, get more contact information, reach out to fellow alums to enlist their help, and put it all together in a format that SARA can use. While the task will never be ‘finished’ as there are always updates to be made. Once completed, SARA will keep and maintain the database. We have to make sure the work invested to clean up our data won’t be lost if inaccurate data finds its way into the databases. To date, Jason and Beth been able to verify information over 600 of you, and have added more than 275 names to our list that had fallen off our radar! Each name is an opportunity to broaden the reach of our community and increase the size of our support base. These are good things!

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“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

... CHERISHING THE MEMORIES! 23

ZACK VLAHANDREAS

FOLLOW THE LEADER Coxswain Roles During Winter Training

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A fter the famous Syracuse cold front starts to come in around the end of October / beginning of November, the mindset of ‘winter training’ starts to set in. The official winter training season starts once we have our first ‘Hell Week.’ This week consists of a 5K test on Tuesday and a 2K test on Friday and then we head home for Thanksgiving break. It is after that week that we all as a team have an understanding of where we are on the ergs and allows us to set a goal for where we want to be at the end of winter training. We will know how we are doing after the second hell week in late February. In between Thanksgiving break and the beginning of March, my teammates are constantly ‘putting in the miles’ to be where we need to be come race day in April. Winter training is probably the most tiresome and painful part of the crew team’s exercise regimen. For eight solid weeks, my teammates are spinning the ergs, pedaling the bikes, and grinding in the tanks. Coach Reischman prepares his plan for workouts every day in hopes that we get a little better each spring season. Coxswains are often overlooked during winter training; we do not get the same type of rower-coxswain feedback or technical work out as we would during fall and winter water practices. Although coxswains are not doing the same workouts during designated practice time, there are still very important roles that we play during the winter training season. This year, Coach Resichman has implemented a new expectation for coxswains during winter training … record everything. This is so the coaching staff, as well as our oarsmen can see the progression of workouts throughout winter training. Coxswains now record every erg workout we do and then transfer the data from our clipboards into a master MS Excel spreadsheet by the end of each day’s workout. 26

Having gone through my 2nd year of winter training, I have the following recommendations for roles and expectations for Syracuse coxswains to help make winter training more successful. ROLE #1: ALWAYS BE PREPARED. You never know what the coaches might throw your way for a certain practice. Just like you would for water practices, come to the erg room ready with your clipboard, pen, positive attitude, and workout clothes. Always be ready to go, and always be ready if the coaches need assistance somewhere. ROLE #2: RISE TO THE LEADERSHIP ROLE COACHES EXPECT OF YOU. Whether it’s leading warm-ups, timing rest periods, creating and managing the MS Excel spreadsheet, working out with the ‘Tour de France Team’ or ‘Dome Team,’ being a leader is in each coxswain’s mindset. (Coach Reischman has assembled training teams for athletes in recovery from injury or illness. He has dubbed them the ‘Tour de France Team’ and the ‘Dome Team.’) Coxes play an integral role in managing and monitoring all of the teams. During winter training that mindset can change since one of our roles is to monitor the gentlemen as they erg for eight weeks. Keeping the mindset that we as coxswains are leaders no matter the time in the season will rub off on the guys. And they will be amped up to have encouragement from someone who is as motivated as they are, and from someone who wants to make a difference this spring as much as they do. ROLE #3: BE COGNIZANT OF YOUR WEIGHT. Winter training is a long 8 weeks of erging, biking, Dome stairs, and tank work. It is cold outside. The stress levels are rising from the fall semester ending and rising more so to start off the spring semester as THE ORANGE OAR

well. Finding time and energy to work out and keep your weight at 125 lbs. can sometimes be as mentally straining as it is physically straining. Although our first official weigh-in is not until our first race against Wisconsin in April, too much time saying, “I need to relax” instead of “let me get a quick run in” will catch up to you in the blink of an eye and it will be April racing season before you know it. ROLE #4: DO EXTRA RESEARCH. The start of the new year of winter training we get right into 8 hour weeks – this year we had 4 coming back from the Palm Coast, Florida training trip – due to NCAA rules. That’s 12 extra hours a week which the whole team has off to do whatever they please. As a coxswain that can be dangerous as well as advantageous. With the extra time, you are most definitely going to go home and APRIL 2017

procrastinate on your studies until you would regularly arrive home from practice during 20 hour workout weeks … and then start your homework. With this extra time, it would be very helpful to your improvement and development as a Syracuse coxswain to develop strategies for improvements in the following areas: • Review notes that you have taken while in Florida about the guys’ rowing technique, • Review coxswain evaluations, • Watch professional owing videos and listen to elite coxswain recordings (only those approved by Coach Reischman of course), and • Review the master Excel workbook to see who has been improving, struggling, or has been consistent throughout the winter training period. 27

ROLE #5: “KEEP THE AIR POSITIVE!” Coach Jason Cottingham. Keeping the air positive is probably the most important role of the five. As I mentioned earlier, the winter training months are long and tiresome. Some of the guys temporarily lack motivation and will find it hard to gain it back. As a Syracuse coxswain, if you can keep the winter training air positive then it will brush off on the guys; it will help the ones who are already motivated to get back on the water and to go fast to get even more excited. Keeping the air positive will also help those who are struggling to find motivation to find it, thereby helping them get better prepared for the spring. As we conclude this season’s winter training with our second hell week and set our eyes to getting back on the water, I can say with certainty the atmosphere on our team has changed drastically since last year. We have had zero Freshmen recruits quit or get cut and we have made incredible gains on the ergs – and even out on the water recently due to mild weather – getting ready for the Clemson spring break training trip March 10 – 18.

“RUNNING PRACTICE SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY, ESPECIALLY THE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS, AND KEEPING THE AIR POSITIVE.” – COACH JASON COTTINGHAM “MAKE SURE THE GUYS STAY ON TOP OF THEIR CLASSES AND ALTERNATIVE ERG WORKOUTS.” – ALEX MANFREDI ’20 “TO UNDERSTAND WHAT EACH GUY IS WORKING ON AND TO HELP HIM MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.”

Although our first race is not until April against Wisconsin, I have no doubt that this new group, a new generation of Syracuse oarsmen are ready for the fight. Regardless of what the initial rankings might say, which we all know do not mean a whole lot when it comes to IRA race day, our team is hungry and ready to chase down any group of elite rowers this season might throw at us. OO

– JACK MANCINI ’19 “BE LESS ENGAGING. FIND THEIR PAIN GAUGE. EARN THEIR RESPECT BY SILENTLY PUTTING IN THE WORK YOURSELF.” – DOMINIC SANTORA ’18 “TO NOT STAND AROUND LOOKING BORED.” – COACH KARI TOMENY “BE USEFUL! [YOUR] POSITION DOESN’T CHANGE.” – MOLLY KOLLMAN ’17

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INTERVIEW WITH

THE CAPTAINS WOMEN’S & MEN’S CAPTAINS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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WOMEN’S ROWING – SYDNEY EGAN RODRIGUEZ WITH THEIR FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2002 AND AN OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, LAST YEAR’S WOMEN’S ROWING TEAM RAISED THE BAR MONUMENTALLY. THIS YEAR, THE ORANGE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO EVEN BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS. SENIOR CAPTAINS HATTIE TAYLOR AND SHANNON MCCANN DISCUSS THE TEAM’S NEW GOALS, HIGHER EXPECTATIONS, AND POSITIVE ENERGY.

OO: After completing the previous goal of qualifying for the NCAA Championships, how do the team’s goals this year differ from last year? Shannon: Last year, we knew that we wanted to make it to NCAA’s because that’s been a goal for the past few years. Since we came out of last spring ranked 13th in the country, our next goal is to finish in the top ten. Hattie: The top boats finished well last year, but another goal is to build up the lower part of the team. We want to increase our depth and make everyone really fast, rather than just the top portion of the team. At the ACC Championships, all of our boats, including the 2V4+ and the 3V8+, earned points for the team. Every person on the team is important to our collective success.

OO: Last year was a great year for academics as well. How does the team manage 20 hours of training a week while excelling in the classroom?

OO: How would you describe this year’s team dynamic? Is the energy the same as years past?

Shannon: Since the rest of the team is so hungry to perform well, they are definitely rising to the occasion and exceeding expectations. They are making boats go fast very early in the season.

Hattie: After being at NCAA’s last spring, a majority of the team knows what it’s like to go, how hard you have to work to get there, and the level of competition. Everyone is willing to train really hard and excited to get back to that point.

OO: Is there anything in particular that you have seen – whether it be through intensity of training or even just overall attitudes of the team – that you are excited for this season?

Shannon: Now we are training to finish with a higher ranking than last year, so the energy level has to go up. It’s not just about making NCAA’s, it’s about doing well at NCAA’s.

Hattie: Coach Moore has always emphasized the importance of the ‘student’ part of student-athlete. With a very intense training program, we are forced to be on top of our time management skills. It is now just a habit more than anything else.

OO: The team added 14 members in the freshman class. What do you think this group brings to the team?

Shannon: Last year, seven women received a 4.0 GPA in the Fall semester. Now we have that as an expectation, not just our 3.0 GPA team minimum. We hold ourselves, and each other, to a higher standard academically.

Hattie: Aside from the raw talent the freshmen have – they are definitely the tallest and most powerful recruiting class we’ve had – they have come into a team that is much more excited to work hard, and they are feeding off of it.

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Shannon: One thing that I’ve noticed is that we are not only getting stronger on the water, we are also getting stronger in the weight room. Everyone is excited to build on that for the rest of the year. The weight training is affecting our fitness. In addition, it’s going to help us prevent injuries later in the season. Hattie: Our opening two erg test have had great results. The benchmark is higher. Everyone is getting faster, it’s not just a few people. New standards are being set and people are rising to them every day. There is a very productive and driven energy throughout the team.

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OO: Do you have any team goals that extend beyond the water? Hattie: Building and emphasizing trust is a really important thing for us this year. We can already see each other working hard. This has already begun with the pain and effort people are putting themselves through, especially on the erg and in the weight room. Shannon: As a team, we are buying into one another. We’ve really committed to that this year. I think it has to do with our attitudes as a whole. If we understand that we are capable of controlling our approach towards a workout and that we don’t have to do this, we get to do this, then we will be much stronger as a team in the long run.

OO: Finally, what does it mean to be a senior on this team? Hattie: I think we have already started out the season very well and the team has potential to be fast in the coming years. As seniors, I think we are going to be really sad leaving the program at this exciting point in development. 33

Shannon: We were both recruited at a time when Syracuse Women’s Rowing was on the rise. Our class was able to be a part of the group that helped make the breakthrough happen. It’s something that we are all grateful for. It makes us excited for the future of this team and what’s to come.

MEN’S ROWING – HALEY JONES AFTER A STRONG SHOWING AT THE IRA CHAMPIONSHIPS, THE SYRACUSE MEN’S CREW TEAM IS KICKING OFF THE FALL SEASON AT THE HEAD OF THE CHARLES IN BOSTON. FOLLOWING THEIR PAST SEASON AND CRACKING INTO THE TOP 10 IN THE COACH’S POLL FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THREE YEARS, THE ORANGE ARE LOOKING TO USE THAT MOMENTUM INTO THIS UPCOMING SEASON. CAPTAINS, SENIOR ANDREW REICHARD AND JUNIOR SAM BUSCO, TALK ABOUT HOW THE TEAM HAS CHANGED AND WHAT THEIR GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS ARE FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON.

OO: Both of you have been on the team for a while now and are leading the team in your captain positions, how would you say the team’s dynamic has changed since you both have been here?? Andrew: Overall the team has definitely gotten younger, we have very small junior and senior classes and I think we have a lot of good talent in younger classes so it’s just the older guys that are left trying to pass on the right traditions and the right work ethic to the younger guys. Sam: Yeah I think since I was a freshman a lot has changed. There is just more of a hunger for results. The guys are willing to put in the work for it. And in this change of culture, everyone seems to be on board with it.

OO: What would you say your team’s goals are for this year, and do they differ at all from last year? Sam: I would say they are pretty similar to last year, just to get better every year. And that just includes doing more and more work and just building on top of what we have done previously. Andrew: I think it is just to keep moving forward and to keep getting faster every day. We have had some improvements on the erg and some improvements on the water and just getting better every day and putting in the work to see the results that will overall make us faster.

OO: As we saw with the results from the Evening at Ten Eyck class day racing, you have a very strong freshmen class. What do you think they add to the team? Andrew: I think the international experience. They’ve raced at those big races and they have been at that big level. We have a lot of older guys that are all American so having that younger international experience coming in is really going to help us teach them and they are going to teach us a little bit as well. Sam: The team is really young right now and it’s great having these freshmen with this international experience, not only in rowing. They are also coming from a different culture so we can learn what other cultures are like and not just be with the same people from America but can find out what other people from other countries are like and learn about their values and things like that.

OO: Is there anything in particular that you have seen – whether it be in training or even just attitudes of the team – that make you particularly excited for this season? Sam: It seems like everyone is pushing themselves and pushing the guys around them to get better. Like Andrew said, each and every day we are just getting faster. It is really exciting to see when the team whole buys into that.

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Andrew: We just have a lot of guys who are not afraid to put in the extra work and aren’t afraid to push themselves at practice every day. People are pushing themselves harder than I’ve ever seen and the coaches are pushing us harder than I’ve ever seen. I think people are just kind of stepping up to that challenge and doing well with it.

OO: This year you went to the Head of the Charles for the first time in a couple of years. What do you think the team is going to get out of this fall racing and how do you think it will impact the spring? Andrew: With just how young the team is I think just getting the guys in for races this fall with all three of our fall races will be huge. We have a lot of freshmen that are going to be racing in the top two or three boats, so getting some time down the course and letting guys kind of know the level that is expected of them as varsity rowers going into winter training is going to be huge for getting ready for our cup races.

PEOPLE ARE PUSHING THEMSELVES HARDER THAN I’VE EVER SEEN AND THE COACHES ARE PUSHING US HARDER THAN I’VE EVER SEEN. I THINK PEOPLE ARE JUST KIND OF STEPPING UP TO THAT CHALLENGE AND DOING WELL WITH IT.

Sam: I think the big thing with the Head of the Charles is seeing what the competition with other schools is like and what we are up against. That’s just good motivation going into winter training and towards the end of the fall season to see what we are competing against and the level of these other teams.

OO: Do you have any team goals that extend beyond the water? Andrew: We have already made a push to do more team community service this year. We did a service project with Hospice of Central New York and we are also trying to line up a few other service projects for this fall and this spring. I think getting our team back on track with that and doing more than just be athletes and be students and reaching out in the community and being seen – since we are a more low profile sport – is important. I think it is really good to reach out and make a difference. Sam: I agree with what Andrew said, just having a more positive impact on the community is really cool and I think it is really great for our team. APRIL 2017

ANNE LEDERHOS

THE ART OF ROWING “… hardy group of women in the early seventies who wanted nothing more than a chance to row for Syracuse” (Mark II (SARA, 2014)).

Note Anne’s hobby of painting landscapes of our National Parks.

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COACH JUSTIN MOORE WAS RECENTLY CONTACTED BY ANNE LEDERHOS (CLASS YEAR 1975, WHOSE DEGREE IS IN ILLUSTRATION) WHO WAS WILLING TO SHARE HER MEMORIES OF WOMEN’S ROWING AT SYRACUSE. ANNE WAS ONE OF THE “… HARDY GROUP OF WOMEN IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES WHO WANTED NOTHING MORE THAN A CHANCE TO ROW FOR SYRACUSE” (MARK II (SARA, 2014)). Anne rowed for SU in the program’s ‘Early Years’ (pre1978 achievement of the women receiving Varsity status). Building upon her multi-sport (lacrosse, field hockey and basketball) athletic achievements in high school and at Colby Jr. College in New Hampshire, Anne was ‘recruited’ on the quad as a transfer student (Colby Jr. College, 1973) by original club members. Mark Casey, who rowed for Holy Cross, was Anne’s coach. She quickly got caught up with the enthusiasm of being on the team: “I loved being on the water. My favorite memory was rowing on Onondaga Lake early in the morning. I don’t think there is anything that compares to moving an 8-oared shell smoothly through flat water.” Every team member was a walk-on, as high school rowers were not recruited then. Anne was also coached by John Duckworth and Dan Fisher. Whereas Anne remembers the hardships of the ‘Early Years’ of Women’s Rowing at Syracuse, at the same time, she cherishes several vivid memories. “I rowed starboard, but also learned to row port. I wanted to be flexible so that I could be used where I was needed. During my senior year I endured many seat races, due to the fact that I was the shortest member on the crew at 5’-4”. I remember seat racing … a lot! I was devastated to be moved out of the varsity boat for one race. However, I was determined to regain my seat and I did for the next race.” Anne remembers one race against BU, U Penn, and Williams. “We finished 2nd which we took great pride in. We had veterans in that boat from the ’72 – ’73 years, so we were not novices. We competed well.” Anne remembers the 1974 100-mile Row-a-thon which covered 24 hours, rowing 2-hour shifts along the Seneca River and Erie Canal. She remembers rowing into a canal lock, and waiting for the lock to fill with water, before opening to allow the boat to continue. 38

“What an accomplishment!” – she remembers. “We came together to raise funds for our crew. We knew we had to raise a lot of money to be able to be competitive against other colleges that had funding. All members found as many sponsors as we could at 5 cents a mile. One parent owned a large boat so he followed the shell and we would swap rowers in and out over the day of the Row-a-thon. It ended up being a very successful event and we knew someday we would be able to purchase our own shell. We raised $1,500.” Rowing ’round the clock seems like a memory that she has not lost, as she was in the last shift, arriving back at the Ten Eyck docks, late at night, exhausted but with a sense of achievement. Obtaining the Women’s Rowing first Schoenbrod shell is a memory Anne will also not forget. The fruit of the Row-a-thon and other fundraisers was the ability to purchase a boat built for women (lighter), rather than using a (loaner) boat built for men (Pocock shells are heavier). “Whereas Men’s Coach Bill Sanford was gracious in providing equipment for the women to borrow, when we received our own boat, we realized that we were making progress. We achieved something meaningful.” During the winter season of 1974 – 1975, Anne remembers the hard work required. “We were in the tanks, we were constantly being timed, we were on the ergs, we ran the stadium stairs, … we were always being challenged … . ” Anne remembers 3 races and the Sprints in 1975. “The team was growing, its’ impact being felt.” A foundation had been set. Building blocks were being put in place for more success. “We rowed a full spring schedule against the other Women’s teams from the Northeast. We rowed against Marist, Williams, Cornell, Boston University and others.” In closing, Anne honors Mark Casey’s role in the startup of Women’s Rowing this way: “SU women rowers owe Mark a debt of gratitude. Because of his perseverance and dedication, SU Women’s Rowing became a reality.” Anne is currently an Art teacher at Bedford High School, in Bedford, New Hampshire. OO

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OO: What does it mean to you that your Mom, Pat, attended the LetterWinner Banquet?

TRACY BROWN

TB: It means a lot to me, what an honor to have my Mom, Pat, who has seen it all, be there with me!

WHO I AM

OO: In your acceptance speech at the Awards Banquet you credit SU Women’s Head Coach Gary Jordan as someone who “ … saw in me someone that I could not yet see in myself.” What did Gary see? TB: I was a multi-sport athlete in high school. I competed in cross-country, track and rowing. Alas, I was usually in the middle of the pack. I rowed for Narragansett Boat Club in Providence, Rhode Island. My club coach was Albin Moser who rowed for Brown University in the late 1960s. He took video or me and forwarded it to Syracuse. Gary offered me an official site visit based on the video. His interest in me was edifying. He wanted me to look at the school, not just the rowing program. I was interested in studying communications. Obviously Newhouse was a big draw academically. I had no idea that I could compete athletically at the Division I level. During my visit, I started to think to myself: “I can do this, I can row here, I can row for a Division I University. It became a self-reflection, an awareness. It was eye opening, especially when I got in a boat and rowed with the team. It became intoxicating.”

In October 2016, Tracy Brown (class year 1990) received Syracuse University’s highest athletics honor by being recognized with the LetterWinner of Distinction award. Previous awards include being inducted into the Syracuse University Orange Plus Hall of Fame. And Tracy was the 1988 and 1989 Syracuse University Rowing Verhulst Sportswoman of the Year.

It was the sincerity of Gary’s athletic and academic interests that hooked me. So yes, Gary saw in me someone that I could not yet see in myself. I thought: “Maybe I should give Syracuse and Division I collegiate rowing a try.” My parents were both teachers. We lived modestly. My parents were looking under the proverbial rock to find money for me to attend college. Syracuse helped with some of the finances. So choosing Syracuse was an easy decision.

Tracy now is the Director of Individual Giving at the Lincoln School, an all girls school in Providence, Rhode Island. The following reflections of her many achievements help us understand who she is – in her own words – “It’s Who I Am.”

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OO: Do you still visit Syracuse? How often do you go back? What are your memories? TB: Sure, I still go back. My two children, Jack (CAL 2020), and Grace (UCLA 2018), are on the West Coast, so it is harder to squeeze in trips to Syracuse. But I go when I can. I still love going to the Boathouse. I love the memories. What I love specifically is that the Boathouse hasn’t changed since my time there. It probably hasn’t changed much in all of its years. That consistency is reassuring. I loved the bus rides to the Boathouse from campus. I loved the bus rides to away races. I loved time with my friends eating in the dining halls. I have incredible memories. I am on Facebook with my rowing friends. I don’t see them much because of the distance we are apart, but I follow them and see photos of their children. It is nice to keep up to date on their lives. My time at Syracuse was blessed. Who can say what paths we could have taken? Syracuse was on my path. Both the athletics and the academics at Syracuse have shaped my life since. At Newhouse and with rowing, those two activities took 1,000% of my focus. It was tricky balancing classes and workouts. It worked somehow. The benefits of having attended Syracuse changed my life. Everything I have succeeded at recently is based upon my career at Syracuse and rowing. The rowing community is so close knit. It is a small community with common bonds. When you talk about rowing with someone who rowed, you already have something in common. The hard work, the loneliness of training. Those are common bonds for all rowers. Rowing’s obscurity binds all of us rowers together.

OO: What would you tell the women who are rowing today at Syracuse? TB: Rowing has opened doors for me throughout my life. Rowing will open doors for you for the rest of your life. The rowing community is small, even in Boston, it is tight and strong. It will connect you with job interviews, but in this way, is probably underutilized. Tapping into it might take creativity.

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The sport continues to grow especially in the Masters category. Your mentors to you when you were an underclasswoman may very well connect with you down the road. Rowing has a universal language, people who know the sport know its unique language. This will always be a benefit to you, a foot in the door when you might need it. So it will give you both personal connections and professional connections.

OO: Achievements in higher-level athletics has built-in risks as well as rewards. You rowed at the national and international levels. You represented your country at the Olympics. Reflections? TB: Achieving anything worthwhile takes sacrifice, and has hardships that go with that success. That’s a given. There aren’t many accolades in rowing. Many of rowing’s rewards are internal. The hard work; being able to work hard is a gift. Learning about yourself; learning to become resilient. Continually asking yourself: How capable am I at what I am trying to do? Rowing teaches you what is important. Rowing makes you sacrifice to achieve your goals. The friendships and bonds I developed with my teammates are still very strong. The time I had for self-reflection is what I cherish. And rowing is still the purest of sports.

OO: How is SARA doing? TB: I think the Endowment and the Coaches’ Funds are great achievements. The nuts and bolts of SARA are coming together. Preserving rowing at Syracuse has got to happen, regardless of University support. So SARA is on the right track. Communication is improving. Involvement is improving. It is nice to see. My time on the Board was great. We all shared the common experience of rowing for Syracuse, and we were all trying to make it better for today’s students to have that same experience. Yes, the other Board members probably thought I was a little quirky at times, but I thought some of them were a little quirky also. Together we improved the landscape for the Syracuse 42

Rowing Community, you can’t argue that.

Pictured above (L-R): Lynne Pascale ’81, Jason Premo ’98, Martha Mogish Rowe ’81, Joe Kieffer ’88, Tracy, Dave Reischman, Bob Miron ’59

OO: Here is your opportunity for some final reflections … specifically how your career path led you to where you are today … TB: I had a blessed time at SU. Racing was a big part of it. I have plenty of memories to cherish. Rowing opened doors for me I would not have had otherwise. I am helping develop the next generation of leaders at the Lincoln School. Some think it is a hard job. It is not a hard job. It is an easy job. I know that I am helping equip women to be more successful, to be physically and emotionally strong, and to be well educated. We are striving to give them every tool that they will need to be successful. If we overlook the early educational years of women, we may miss out on their gifts and talents later in life, which we desperately need. We need women to be on an equal footing with men in all fields. So I am helping do that.

CONGRATS SAYDEE! SAYDEE MCQUAY IS ONE OF THREE SYRACUSE STUDENT-ATHLETES BEING REWARDED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC AND ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS WITH WEAVER-JAMES-CORRIGAN AWARD POST-GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS FROM THE ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE. Saydee, one of 54 overall recipients throughout the ACC, will receive $5,000 towards her postgraduate education. Those honored have performed with distinction in both the classroom and their respective sport, while demonstrating exemplary conduct in the community. Saydee is no exception. Saydee is a two-time CRCA National Scholar-Athlete Award recipient and was a 2016 All-ACC Academic Team honoree. She sat in the 1V8 boat as a junior and helped the 1V8 crew to a 12th-place showing at the 2016 NCAA Championships, its best finish since 2002.

A North Dartmouth, Massachusetts native, Saydee was a member of the second varsity eight boat as a sophomore and rowed in the 1V4+ crew as a freshman where she collected ACC Crew of the Week accolades after the team’s performance at the Monticello Invitational in 2014. At the ACC’s that spring Saydee was moved up to the 2V8+. That team was the first to beat Notre Dame in Justin Moore’s tenure as head coach of Women’s Rowing. Saydee is majoring in biology and neuroscience in the College of Arts and Sciences at SU.

Each milestone on your path shapes who you are. Syracuse rowing was on my path. Marketing was on my path. Working in the rowing community was on my path. Now I am helping women be prepared for a complex future. It’s who I am. I still have work to do.

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SYDNEY EGAN RODRIGUEZ

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS FOR TRAINING 44 44

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AS A HIGH SCHOOL COXSWAIN, YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY A CHEERLEADER. WHEN I LISTEN BACK TO MY PREP SCHOOL COXING TAPES, THE MAJORITY OF THE RECORDING CONSISTS OF ME SAYING, “YOU GOT THIS!” I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAD A SET OF POM-POMS IN MY HAND. IT WAS ONCE IN A BLUE MOON WHEN I MADE A CALL TO CHANGE A TECHNICAL, STROKE-RELATED ASPECT OF THE BOAT. In college, this is not the case. My role as coxswain is not just to motivate, but to be a coach on the water, and the eyes and ears of the rowers during a race. As our coxswain Coach Steve Sawyer says, “you be the brain and let the only thing your women need to worry about be just to push their legs harder.” My first weeks of training freshman year consisted of a few reminders from Coach Moore that it’s not about how much you can say, it’s about what you say. Today’s coxswains and coaches have access to an assortment of new technology to help improve rowers. Even in my three years on the women’s team, there have been noticeable advancements in the technology I have access to. With this, coxing is not just about the blade work and push timing I can see in front of me or what I feel in a bowloader 4+ when all four women are behind me. I now have a speed coach that gives me 500-meter splits and average stroke length, the cox box with rating and time, power measuring oarlocks that show how much force a rower is exerting, and mental notes about the strengths and weaknesses of each person’s stroke. It sounds like information overload, but now I can maximize the calls I am making to ensure they make us go faster and not just hope that they do. My first introduction to combining coxing with technology was freshman year and the introduction of speed coaches. The speed coach is a small, cox-box like gadget that gives us splits while on the water along with average distance per stroke, time, and stroke rate. We can also record splits throughout a race or practice piece and then recall the data to analyze where we sped up and slowed down. With the speed coaches, coxswains are now able to monitor training paces more accurately. This has enabled us to run practices more successfully. There is more control over light days based off of the splits we get from the speech coach 46

and we know when to ask for more if we are not getting the numbers we want to see. For racing, coxswains use the speed coach to see the average length per stroke. This allows us to call for rating shifts to get the most distance per stroke. As well as speed coaches, the women’s team uses Empower Oarlocks on the water. We had four to use during our most recent Winter Training Trip in Florida and the Women’s Class of 2005 graciously donated four more for us to use in the upcoming Spring season. The oarlocks connect with Bluetooth to our speed coaches. With the oarlocks, data from every component of an individual’s stroke is measured. The device gives us readings on a rower’s catch and finish angle and their force through the water. This allows coxswains and coaches to pinpoint a certain aspect of the stroke for a rower to focus on. Sometimes a woman can have a fast erg time, but it doesn’t always translate to the water. Because we spend the winter months training indoors, rowers can sometimes lose their sharp technique. With the Empower Oarlocks, we can help each athlete adjust from the erg to the water.

Let’s Get Social... ONE OF SARA’S MEMBERSHIP GOALS FOR 2017 IS TO INCREASE THEIR PRESENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA. Our emerging generation of athletes and their families, as well as friends and supporters are connecting on social media more and more. 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 get directions to races, race reports and host tent information. And you can make professional connections on LinkedIn. See you there!

Off the water, both the men’s and women’s team use Row Perfect III Dynamic Rowing Machines (RPIII). The machine looks like a normal static erg, but instead of just the seat moving, the wheel moves as well. The athlete is required to maintain good technique and balance because it mimics the sensation of being on the water. The RPIII gives accurate power curves about how a rower applies force. Using the RPIII data combined with the information we get from the Empower Oarlocks, coxswains and coaches have a pretty full picture of how we can help each rower to the best of our ability.

@syracuserowing

Syracuse Alumni/ae Rowing Association

So this spring, look for Syracuse crews to benefit from technology! OO

@cuse_mrowing

Syracuse Row-O-Rama

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C L A S S

JIM L. TO WOODY Hello George. It’s been a while since we rowed in the ’69 – ’70 Frosh boat but my memories of that year are (mostly) clear. Hope all is well with everyone. I recently was rummaging through a box in my basement and came across some remnants of the shell we sunk (the ‘Seneca Clipper’?) in the flooded canal when we jumped the gun in trying to get some rowing time in too soon after the spring thaw. Let me know if there’s a place on a wall in one of the boathouses for this memorabilia. I’m listening to music while putting the finishing touches on my tax returns and just heard a blast from the past: Neil Young’s “Helpless” (“Blue, blue windows behind the stars, Yellow moon on the rise, Big birds flying across the sky, Throwing shadows on our eyes … ”). I seem to recall, but can’t remember exactly why, this song came to be associated with our boat. In any event, it reminded me that I owed you a response, at east to say “Hi” to all.

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– James (Jim) A. Lastowka (Class Year 1973)

FROM WOODY TO JIM L.

SARA Class Year 1973-ish Captain’s Outreach Initiative

Hey Jim, great to hear back from you. I was laughing to myself as you recalled the memory of us singing “Helpless”. (Trying to remember who sang lead for us.) Dave Preis and I were just regaling about the ‘ship wreck’ that day on the river. I was stroking the other boat with Dave as cox. Mike Minor was cox for the Titanic. It was a race to the boathouse. We were up a length or two when Mike decided to cut corners and went INSIDE the buoy. I can still hear the crunch of oars and rigging. Glad no one froze to death. I assume you are a CPA in the middle of “busy season” so appreciate hearing from you.

GEORGE (WOODY) CHAPMAN T O

T H E

C L A S S

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1 9 7 3

– Woody

!!!! Has it been almost 45 years? Really? Guys, this is “Woody.” I am glad to report I am still alive and the blisters on my hands have healed. I am helping Jason Premo (’98) maintain / renew communications with all of us who rowed for the ’Cuse. I am focusing on 1973-ish. I relive the rowing experience as I drive over the John Glenn Bridge every day on the way to work. I actually live on the Seneca River just past the Belgium Bridge.

FROM JIM L. TO WOODY Funny that you and Dave were recently discussing the sinking of the shell. From my vantage point in seat 7, I saw Coach Mac [Gary MacLachlan] waving his arms vigorously and the seeing his head sink into his chest as our oars and outriggers slammed into the channel marker. The shell started going down. One of the oarsman (Eric Williams?) tried to scramble forward in the shell to no avail. We all went into the icy canal in full sweats. The coach’s launch rounded us up and put us on a dock at a marina. The dock surface was below water due to the flooded canal. Eric stepped the wrong way on the dock and went back into the water again. We shivered in the marina until the bus was dispatched to retrieve us. The shell was towed back to the boathouse and was in shambles when it was brought ashore. Coach Mac was devastated that the shell was destroyed. What a fiasco!

If you haven’t been back to the Boathouse in several years, you would be shocked. There are now three separate boat houses that store dozens of shells. At 4 p.m. the dock is swarming (they need a traffic controller) with SU men / women crews, Baldwinsville and Liverpool HS crews and an occasional Masters crew. There is a reunion / mixer every September. It would be great if you could make it one year. Anyway, I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you have been doing, year by year, for the last 45 years. Kidding. We just want to stay connected. I will be sending you information about SU rowing on occasion. Any interesting info / news from you can be used in the Orange Oar publication. Please take a couple minutes and give a shout back. I miss you guys.

– Jim L. – Woody (Class Year 1973)

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Add Them To The Queue...

RICARDO HERRERA TO GARY C. My rowing career didn’t end when I left SU. The 1979 Pan Am games were held in San Juan, and Puerto Rico competed in rowing. I joined the team in 1978, and was the only oarsman with rowing experience. It was like freshman year at SU all over again for the rest of the team members. Needless to say, we had no chance to win a medal against the US, Canada, Mexico and others countries that competed. It was good nevertheless to train and get back in the shell for the year before the games. I had a chance to see Coach Sanford the year he brought the SU Rowing Team to Puerto Rico for spring break a few years later.

SINCE SARA’S FOUNDING IN 1954, ITS MISSION HAS BEEN “… TO AID, ENCOURAGE, FOSTER, SUPPORT, AND PROMOTE THE SPORT OF ROWING IN SYRACUSE.” TWO PROMINENT SARA PRINT PUBLICATIONS CLEARLY EXEMPLIFY THIS. THE FIRST: MARK OF THE OARSMEN, MALCOLM R. ALAMA (SARA 1963); AND THE SECOND: MARK II – 50 YEARS OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY ROWING, JOHN NICHOLSON & JOE PADUDA (SARA 2014) ARE TESTAMENTS TO THE DEPTH OF SARA’S COMMITMENT TO KEEP THE HISTORY OF SYRACUSE ROWING THROUGH ITS FIRST 100 YEARS – ALIVE.

My son and daughter both decided to study communications, so we took them to visit SU when they were deciding where to go to college. With my daughter we visited the campus when the temperature was 15 degrees, and left the following day during a snow storm. My son’s visit was in 2003, with the weather less daunting. We managed to drive out to The Boathouse for a visit. That trip also took us to Boston, where we managed to see the SU game with Carmelo Anthony at the Boston Garden. They both decided to study communications in Miami. I keep up with SU games as much as I can, as is expected of any real alumni.

When reading these two outstanding narrative accounts, the history of Syracuse Rowing comes alive. The hopes and dreams of the athletes in their quest for victory become tangible. And the risks and corresponding rewards of coaching also take their place in the reader’s imagination.

Since completing my Masters in Berkeley I’ve been with the same A/E firm in San Juan. I am obliged to retire as a partner per the partnership agreement this year, but I plan to stay working to take on some of the projects that I wanted to set in motion to improve some of our practice areas. I hope everyone gets a chance to contribute to our post SU experiences. If by chance anyone makes it over to San Juan, please let me know so we can share a night out at a good restaurant.

These two outstanding documents are still available. Athletes and their families as well as fans and supporters can all enjoy a relaxing evening reminiscing about the ups and downs of Syracuse Rowing. And these books make great holiday or class year gifts.

- Ricardo “Rick” Herrera

Please see the following links to obtain your copies now:

Please Send Payment of $39.95 per copy and shipping to Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association (SARA) PO Box 7202 Syracuse, NY 13261

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BUY NOW

HALEY JONES

THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERSHIP It is easy to lose sight of end goals throughout winter training. The monotony of it all often makes it difficult to remember that soon we will be pushing and moving with every stroke, not just pulling on a stationary machine with nothing but a slew of numbers staring back at us. If I have learned one thing during my time here in the land of ice and snow, it is that winter training is not only essential in gaining physical strength, but it is critical in building mental strength. Rowing is a mind sport. Sure, you need to be ‘fit’ enough to push your boat through the water at a certain pace, but that fitness means nothing if you are mentally unable to push through the pain you feel during a 2K race. As Mother Nature allows, we have been lucky enough to get on the water early. We were even able to row in early January – special thanks to global warming. These opportunities provide a nice break from the alltoo familiar façade of the erg room and give a friendly reminder that our hard work is going to be put to 52 52

good use in a boat. Despite this change of scenery, it does not come easily. Whether it be rowing while it is snowing, dodging ice chunks in the river, or just facing frigid temperatures, the work we do on the water combined with the elements gives us an even thicker layer of mental toughness – something that makes a Syracuse rower different than any other.

that I hope to lead myself and this team by providing encouragement, motivation, and support. Though I have not always known what role I play on this team, I hope to exemplify the traits and characteristics of someone with whom I would like to be teammates. I aspire to lead by example, and by respecting the people and values that represent Syracuse Rowing.

It took me a while to build up that mentality. This year something really seemed to click. As an upperclasswoman, there is a whole other role I need to play on the team. To be a leader is important, but something we have been emphasizing on our team this year is that the followers are just as important – if not more important – than those who are leading. I needed to work on myself and my own mental toughness before I could ever try to get others to jump on board. Coming off our 13th-place finish at NCAA’s last season, I have tasted what it is like to want something and just how hard you need to work to get there. It is in this way

This year, our schedule will be changing slightly to allow us to utilize the best water possible. Instead of waking up at 5:52 – every minute of sleep counts – we will get to sleep in depending on our own individual schedules and will all get to row together in the afternoon. This change will not only allow us to get more sleep, but will give us slightly warmer temperatures on the water. People will also get to take classes they otherwise would not be able to due to practice conflicts. I was a little sad about this change at first. If we are not waking up at the break of dawn and rowing through ice sheets, are we even rowing at Syracuse? Are we going to be losing that mental edge

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we have built up from the conditions in which we row? The short answer is simply, “No.” We have worked hard on the erg all winter long and building up that mind power, and I think that will translate into our strokes on the water, especially when we do not have to worry about continuously moving to stay warm. We will have more time to stop and perfect our stroke to make sure we get all of the erg scores we have been producing on the blade so none of that work is wasted. Overall, I think this change will prepare us more for when we line up against Notre Dame, Duke, and even the University of Virginia. I am excited for this season. Not just because of the extra sleep we will be getting, but because of the potential this team has to be great. I am also eager to learn what role myself and others will play in leading this team to reach our goal of becoming a Top 10 team. Stay tuned for what we have to offer!

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BACKSPLASH BACKSPLASH NEWS OF OUR ALUMNI

Rick Tremblay ’78

Josh Stratton ’01

Odette Edbrooke ’02

The above image is of Andy Mogish (class year 1978) and myself (class year 1978) proudly representing the Orange at the latest Louisville basketball game.

SARA racing captain Josh Stratton (class year 2001) competed at the 2017 CRASH-B Sprints improving his score from last year’s race by 7.9 seconds to 6:28.6. Josh encourages all SARA members who are interested in racing on the water with him to take the opportunity to join your local rowing clubs and get back into the swing of things!

Odette Edbrooke (class year 2002) (Mitchell-Servilio) and her husband, Todd, welcomed their 2nd child in October of 2016. Her name is Seneca Madden and she joins her older brother, Marcus, and two dogs, Albus and Neville. The Edbrooke family resides in Broomfield, Colorado.

Looking forward to a successful spring rowing season. GO ORANGE! Rick is living in Blue Ash, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati), and Andy is living in Franklin, Tennessee (just south of Nashville).

Jay Rhodes ’89

Sydney Axson ’10

Emily Spitale ’02

From Jay (class year 1989): Thanks, Hugh, for stepping up into a bigger role with the Orange Oar. Having moved from teaching at a private school to a public school, there are tests and classes to take along with increased responsibilities. It’s funny how many people, ‘way out on the West Coast,’ see my SU stuff and engage me. For example, one of my students saw my SARA window sticker and began an ongoing conversation about rowing, and he’s aiming to try it in high school. We may leave Syracuse, but we never leave SU Crew. Above: Jay with Dianne, McKenzie and Addie (age 5)

Sydney (class year 2010) “ … graduated from my nursing program in December of 2016 and am continuing in my PhD program at UPenn. I will be starting work in a cardiac ICU in March. With some fun news, in October of 2016, I had the pleasure of teaming back up with Vesper Boat Club to compete in the World Rowing Coastal Championships in Monaco. My partner and I won the B Final. It was so great to compete again and reconnect with rowing, albeit a very different type of race, and I am looking forward to joining Vesper again at the end of the semester.”

Emily Spitale (class year 2002), a communications consultant, and her partner (writer / director) James Spence welcomed Sophie Penelope Spence on November 20, 2016. She weighed in at 6 lbs., 11 oz and was 19-1/2 inches. The family resides in New York City.

The photo above shows us crossing the finish line in Monaco.

Tyler Toporowski ’13 Tyler Toporowski (class year 2013) is happy to report that he got married February 19th to his college sweetheart, Laura Homann. “It is a big milestone for myself and my bride.” There were many fellow team members in attendance as well.

I live in Poughkeepsie, NY and also coach Women’s Rowing at Marist College.

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Photo credit: of Vesper.

Alexandra

Golazewska

Ashley Rodda ’94 Ashley Ewing Rodda (class year 1994), a Territory Sales Manager at Dentsply Sirona Implants, was awarded both 2016 Rookie of the Year and 2016 Sales Representative of the Year at her annual sales meeting recently.

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SYRACUSE ALUMNI ROWING ASSOCIATION, INC. P.O. BOX 7202 SYRACUSE, NY 13261 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED