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Syracuse men’s rowing has once again proven its mettle in 2024. Three out of four SU boats secured a spot in the grand final at the Eastern Sprints, propelling the Orange to No. 8 in the latest IRA Ten Eyck Team Points tally.

Starting May 31, SU will face its biggest test this season at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship. Syracuse’s varsity 8, second varsity 8, third varsity 8, and varsity 4 were all accepted as entries.

“We want to show that Syracuse is here to stay,” said junior rower Stevie Chuck. “It doesn’t matter who we graduate or what changes. The Orange are always going to be in the fight.”

Here’s everything you need to know before SU competes in the IRA National Championships from May 31 to June 2 in Mercer Lake, New Jersey:

Season Recap

Syracuse began its campaign in California at the Pac-12 Invitational, winning the varsity 8 and second varsity 8 races over Stanford and Oregon State and losing to then-No.1 Cal.

Two weeks later, on Lake Onondaga, Syracuse retained both the Goes and Stagg Trophies with victories against then-No.11 Navy and then-No. 14 Cornell.

In Vermont, Syracuse took home both the Conlan and Packard Cups with wins over Boston University and Dartmouth at the Lake Morey Invitational.

The varsity 8, second varsity 8 and fourth varsity 8 all made the Grand Final at Eastern Sprints, finishing sixth, fourth and sixth, respectively. The third varsity 8 won the Petite Final.

The V8+ reached its highest rank at No. 7, the 2V8+ at No. 6, and the 3V8+ at No. 8.

“I think we have had a pretty good season, especially internally,” said sophomore rower Ethan Graham. “You can always compare yourself to how other teams are going. But from last year to this year, I think the culture of the team has improved.”

Syracuse’s History at the IRA’s

From 1952 to 1994, Lake Onondaga hosted the IRA National Championship.

SU has won the IRA National Championship six times, with its most recent championship coming 46 years ago, in 1978. Last year, all four crews placed in the top 15 and the team finished eighth overall.

The 3V8+ recorded a program-best eighth-place finish, and the 2V8+ secured back-to-back top-10 finishes after coming in ninth. The V8+ finished fifth for the second straight year and the V4+ finished 14th.

“Every race you progress through in the season gets more intense from the start,” Graham said. “IRAs are just a whole other level of intensity off the start.

Top Competition

Syracuse will face many of the same teams that it has raced throughout the season, including No. 17 Georgetown, No. 11 Boston University, No. 9 Dartmouth and No. 4 California.

This weekend, SU’s varsity 8 will see No. 1 Washington, Jacksonville and No. 16 Drexel for the first time this season. The rest of the heat consists of Georgetown and Dartmouth.

The 2V8 lines up with a familiar foe in No. 11 BU, which beat SU to a podium place at Eastern Sprints by 0.312 seconds. Syracuse also matches up with No. 21 Drexel, No. 3 California, No. 14 Stanford and Santa Clara.

The 3V8 will meet No. 8 BU and No. 16 Georgetown again, as well as No. 1 Washington and No. 18 Oregon State for the first time.

“You’ve got duels replaying in your mind and you’ve got what they’ve done to you and what you want to do to them while you’re out there rowing, and it helps you throw the kitchen sink at them when it’s done,” Chuck said.

The varsity 4 is set for a time trial where the top 12 fastest times advance to the semifinals. The varsity 4 consists of half of the fourth varsity 8.

“We had a good show out at Eastern Sprints, so we just need to replicate that with a few more boats coming in from the West Coast,” said senior captain Lachlan Doust. “We should be right on track to make the A final.”

How Syracuse can win

Syracuse is predicted to finish eighth, according to the most recent Ten Eyck Points tally. The Orange have shown they can compete with the best in collegiate rowing, but often find themselves on the wrong side of close finishes.

The best team the varsity 8 has beaten this year was then-No. 8 Stanford on April 6. So, for the Orange to have any chance of winning, boat depth is essential.

The 2V8 and 3V8 have been very solid boats for SU this season. The 2V8 (No. 6 overall) is the highest-ranked among the four boats going to the IRA national title. The varsity 4’s outcome is uncertain and could make or break Syracuse’s final rankings.

“It’s a fresh boat,” said junior coxswain Katherine Kelly. “We have some new people in it and then some returners who are pretty regular in the four. The group is well trained and in tune with each other. It’s working well as a unit and I think since there are only five of us, it’s really easy to work together as a team.”

Published on May 30, 2024 at 6:47 pm

Contact Quinn: qdpostma@syr.edu