The Syracuse men’s rowing team won its second dual race since 2002 Saturday in the Ten Eyck Cup at Rutgers. But Orange head coach Dave Reischman hardly had time to celebrate the victory.

No. 14 Syracuse’s only home race of the season is Saturday at 8 a.m., and Reischman has been busy helping his team refine its technique as the Orange prepares for the Goes Trophy on Onondaga Lake. SU’s opponents will be eighth-ranked Navy and 13th-ranked Cornell.

Reischman hopes to build on renewed confidence and impress a home crowd filled with not only students and families, but alumni who are eager to see Reischman bring back SU’s strong legacy.

Reischman is in his fourth year of rebuilding the SU men’s rowing legacy which began a steady decline in the recent years before Reischman’s arrival. Before accepting the job at SU, Reischman spent eight seasons constructing Oregon State into a West Coast powerhouse. When offered the opportunity to rejuvenate a former rowing power, however, it was an offer that Reischman could not turn down.

‘I am always looking for a new challenge,’ Reischman said. ‘Syracuse had everything I expected – great water, great facilities and excellent alumni support. It was a great foundation.’

In his fourth season, Reischman is excited about the progress the program has made. He knows there needs to be patience before Syracuse can become a championship contender again, but he feels this team is the best he has had at Syracuse.

Reischman believes the win to open the season has helped relax and focus the team more.

Senior Dan O’Shaughnessy agrees the team feels more prepared than they have in previous years.

‘I say in the last couple seasons we’d come out of the first race with a different mentality,’ O’Shaughnessy said. ‘We’d have to overhaul so many things, but now its just technical changes, ways to get a couple more seconds.’

Reischman and O’Shaughnessy both believe Saturday is SU’s first true test in measuring how far the team has come over the years. The Orange has not won the Goes Trophy since 1999.

Reischman feels a win is not necessary. He just wants to continue to see steady improvement and have his team give a strong showing. Since this is Syracuse’s only home regatta of the spring season, Reischman feels a formidable performance is even more important for this week. Many SU rowing alumni will be attending the regatta, and Reischman would like to show them Saturday the positive direction in which their program is headed.

Of course, the alumni already knew from the day they learned Reischman would be hired, that SU’s legacy would continue to grow even if it took a few seasons.

John Nicholson, former president of the Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association and a broadcast journalism professor, said he was ecstatic to learn Reischman was hired as the new coach.

Nicholson, who will also be announcing Saturday’s race, said former SU Athletic Director Jake Crouthamel had allowed S.A.R.A. to have a member join the search committee for a new coach to replace Bill Sanford after he stepped down after coaching for 34 years. The committee emphasized finding a coach who was successful at another school and well-versed in modern technique. Reischman fit those qualifications.

‘We were extremely fortunate to get Dave, and I couldn’t be happier,’ Nicholson said. ‘I think he’s off to a terrific start.’

When Reischman first arrived at SU, the rowing team finished in dead last in the IRA third-level final, a strong improvement for two years. Still, Nicholson knows there is still much more to come from Reischman. His first recruiting class is only juniors, a sign the program will only be achieving greater goals in the future.

SU has not won a national championship since 1978, but it is still one of Nicholson’s fondest memories. He can still clearly recall the elation he felt for his school and for his former teammate Sanford, who coached the SU team to their historic victory on Onondaga Lake. It has been almost 30 seasons since that victory, but Nicholson thinks the Orange is reaching that level again with Reischman.

Nicholson believes the alumni would like to see again a team that can consistently compete to reach the Grand Final and a national championship. He emphasizes that Syracuse is a sleeping giant, and Reischman will be the one that gives Syracuse the chance to be a giant again.

‘My heart swells each time the crew crosses the line in first and I get tears in my eyes,’ Nicholson said. ‘Dave (has the chance) to make the crew team very successful over the years.’

Published on April 12, 2006 at 12:00 pm