The calm reflection of the Charles River was transformed this past weekend into a multitude of oar strokes as the 39th annual Head of the Charles Regatta took place in Boston.

Among the 7,000 participants this year, 12 Syracuse oarsmen and two coxswains traveled to Beantown. Head coach Dave Reischman led the Syracuse crew team in competition in front of the hundreds of thousands of spectators who packed the shoreline three-deep in some places for this two-day event.

The Orangemen finished 11th out of 51 teams in their biggest event of the year.

The varsity eight finished the winding three-mile course in 15:05.323, placing it No. 21 out of 41 teams.

SU was prepared coming into the second regatta of the season because of its tough training regimen.

‘We have better rhythm going this year,’ senior Bryan Goody said. ‘We have been using two-person boats in practice to improve our technique.’

The youth four team proved equally impressive, finishing in 16:08.321, good enough for No. 11 out of 51 teams in the youth division. The boat’s performance was more than two minutes quicker than last year’s 21st place finish of 18:43.151.

‘We have some really good freshman rowers,’ senior Andrew Wright said. ‘They will be good for the future of the program but they also make us better now in practice because they force us to work harder’

In addition to the new workouts, this year’s training schedule includes a strength and conditioning program at Manley Field House. The dry-land training has greatly improved the team’s power. At the same time, the conditioning makes for a lighter and faster boat.

‘It’s a balance between technique and power,’ senior Nicholas Alexander said. ‘The program has improved our muscular strength while the running has conditioned us much better as a team.’

SU has competed in Boston for the past several years, though its annual invitation has not been guaranteed. The Head of the Charles race directors are currently discussing whether or not to extend invitations from boats finishing within 5 percent of the victor’s time to those finishing within 10 percent.

This year’s varsity performance was 7 percent off the winning Princeton Training Center crew, which would guarantee an invitation next year. The freshman team was only 5 percent off the winning Charles River Rowing team, also guaranteeing them an invitation to the 40th Head of the Charles event.

In his second year as head coach, Reischman is helping Syracuse reach its full potential. Workouts have become more intense with weightlifting and boating in pairs during practice. It’s helped crew team members get a better feel for their boat.

‘Last year we were still getting used to how he wanted us to row,’ Alexander said. ‘This year we are building on what we’re doing. He gives us a good sense of promise. By spring, we will hit our peak in conditioning.’

Published on October 20, 2003 at 12:00 pm