In its first two regattas of the season, the Syracuse rowing varsity eight dominated opponents atop calm waters. Now, the team proved it could also survive a race in rougher waters.

On the Charles River in Boston, a strong tailwind made for an unusual race on Saturday for the Orange, which had experienced much quieter headwinds in previous regattas. However, the change in weather did not prevent SU from capturing its third trophy race of the season, as the team maintained an undefeated season.

The 2,000-meter race was Syracuse’s closest of the season. In fact, it was the first time this season the team did not win by a double-digit margin. The No. 9 Orange held off No. 10 Boston University by three seconds to capture the Conlan Cup. No. 19 Columbia finished in third.

SU head coach Dave Reischman was glad to see his team pull out a close race.

‘It builds confidence,’ Reischman said. ‘The water was challenging. Wind can wreak havoc on you. We felt like we’ve been making some progress and it’s nice to know hard work is paying off.’

Instead of practicing on a more tranquil river, the team prepared all week in windy conditions on Onondaga Lake in order to prepare. It focused on how to handle various wind conditions, knowing these techniques would be necessary to improve on if it planned on winning in BU’s waters.

The team received the race it was expecting. The Orange jumped off to a strong start, and the rowers were able to find their rhythm. Reischman said from that point on, it was just a matter of maintaining composure against BU and a raging tailwind.

Nevertheless, SU held off the Terriers’ late charge and added another trophy to the Orange’s collection. The team has been winless in trophy races since 2002, so the triad of trophies is a refreshing sight for the crew members.

‘We set high goals at the beginning of the season,’ SU senior Tim Mambort said. ‘Being able to hold (the trophies) is exactly what we wanted. We all knew we could do it. But to see it happen … shows us all what the boat is made of.’

Mambort is especially proud of how the team pulled through the windy and choppy conditions of last week’s regatta. He feels the fast start set the tone for the whole race because the rough waters make it harder to make a move to pass other boats. Surviving a race in adverse conditions makes the achievement even more inspiring.

Reischman has been pleased to see his athletes taking pride in their accomplishments. Overall, he knows there is speed left to gain and being ready for the Eastern Sprints on May 21 – the equivalent of the conference championship – is the team’s ultimate focus.

Last year, the team finished with a disappointing performance at Eastern Sprints. Reischman said a poor performance leaves a sour taste in the team’s mouth, and he would hate to see it happen again after the great start the team has had to open this year’s spring season.

Junior Justin Stangel is weary of another poor showing at Eastern Sprints. He believes last year’s race motivated the team to really commit to improvement this year.

The cups now stand as an obvious indicator of the team’s impressive progress. The team is still taking it day by day, but Stangel feels this year the team is more motivated to dig deep and give an excellent showing at Eastern Sprints, one of the most competitive races in the world.

‘Over fall and winter we made the effort to get faster every day,’ Stangel said. ‘Now practice is always a dogfight (between the boats). Everybody loves it. You got to have that.’

Published on April 25, 2006 at 12:00 pm