cuse.com article day 1
cuse.com article day 2
The Orange made a statement against some of the top teams in the country at the Clemson Invite, once again demonstrating the depth of the program. The strong field of 20 teams racing on Lake Hartwell in Clemson, SC represented some of the top ranked teams in the nation and cross-over among multiple conferences; they included: No. 3 Virginia (ACC), No. 4 Ohio State, No. 8 Texas, No. 10 Michigan, No. 13 Indiana, No. 14 Washington State, No. 17 Radcliffe, No. 19 Syracuse (ACC), No. 20 Louisville (ACC), UCLA, San Diego, Penn, Clemson (ACC), Columbia, Cornell, Michigan State, Oregon State, UCF, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
![The 1V4+ clocked the fastest time of the weekend in the boat category on Saturday evening [source: cuse.com photo gallery]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/52e80a54e4b0a93ab6930609/1460863831923-YTA4TEJ0RZYVF4R6OXFC/image-asset.jpeg)
The 1V4+ clocked the fastest time of the weekend in the boat category on Saturday evening [source: cuse.com photo gallery]
As the photos from the regatta display, conditions on Lake Hartwell were beautiful and made for some great racing. Once again, Clemson did an incredible job hosting with superb accommodations for the athletes at their impressive facilities and coordination of real time results and video for spectators who couldn't enjoy the races from the grand stand in person. It's a terrific venue and world-class course. The Orange is certainly familiar with the venue as they visit Clemson for racing multiple times in the spring. They spend an entire week there for the spring training trip and then head down for the Invitational and later the ACC Championships, making the course (and the hotel) a second home of sorts. Strong performances by all of the ACC teams in attendance demonstrated the level of talent in the conference and set a pre-cursor to the championship racing.
The Clemson Invitational is perhaps one of the most important regattas on the women's race schedule because there are so many teams, particularly from the power conferences (ACC, Big 10, Pac-12, Ivy League). Since the transition from regional to conference qualifiers for the NCAA, it has been critical to get teams from different conferences together to have a chance for an at-large bid. As the level of competition rises in DI Rowing, Syracuse's performance at this race sets a reputation and momentum for where they will stand when selections are made for the national championship in May. The regatta is also a great opportunity for the athletes to test their fitness and endurance because the format is structured similarly to a championship race where athletes race 2,000m more than once over the course of a day/weekend with only a few hours to recover in between. The crews also get multiple opportunities to test their speed, strategies, and make improvements over the course.
“The team is really coming together and unified. I have never seen this team more committed to one another than they were today.”
O'Leary Cup
For the first time since 2001, and only the second time in the program's history, the Orange took home the O'Leary Cup, contested annually between Syracuse, Radcliffe, and Dartmouth since 2000 in the varsity eight race. The O'Leary Cup is named in honor of Liz O'Leary, head coach of Radcliffe since 1986. Although Dartmouth was not present in Clemson this year as they had been previously, competitions between the teams at earlier regattas determined the outcome. On April 3rd, Dartmouth and Radcliffe raced Brown on the Charles River in Boston, where Radcliffe's V8+ crushed Dartmouth's crew in a staggering 23 seconds. following day, the Orange raced the Big Green at the Doc Hosea Invite in Saratoga Springs, NY, where Syracuse's V8+ won over Dartmouth by a margin of nearly 16 seconds. Syracuse was deemed the overall winner after crossing the line just under 5 seconds ahead of Radcliffe in Heat 2 of the V8+ during Session 1 in Clemson. SU assistant coach Alicea Kochis rowed in the Orange V8+ that won the cup in 2001 before making a grand final appearance at the NCAA Championships. Perhaps it's a sign that Syracuse is on its way to an NCAA appearance this year!
The V8+ crew proudly holding the O'Leary Cup for the first time in 15 years! [photo credit: surowing on Instagram]
Heat 2 of the V8+ Saturday morning [photo credit: Marlis Humphrey]
making a statement
In total, the Orange raced 15 events, three times for each boat category. Each race the Orange posted times in the top 10 (with the exception of the V8+ on Saturday afternoon with the 11th fastest time) and finished 4th or higher in every heat of 6 or 7 crews. In the majority of races, Syracuse finished in the top 6 fastest times. The highlight of the weekend came from the Varsity 4+ who won their heat and clocked the fastest time of all the fours. The past few years, Syracuse's 1V4+ has been the top performing boat of the regatta and this year was no exception. The crew continued a great legacy and proved how deep the talent and power of the entire squad has gotten over the last five years. The women were particularly strong in the second half of the race, making huge moves from behind. The crews exhibited some grit and fight down the course and took away important lessons to implement into their training and preparation for the final races of the season leading into the championship races. Getting to the NCAA is the ultimate goal. During one of the V8+ races, the commentator at the start recounted the fact that Syracuse has been on the bubble the last few years and doesn't want to repeat that trend. This year, it is clear the women are as hungry as ever to earn a spot on the big stage.
ORANGE FINISHES
1V8+
[1] 3rd in heat, 7th time overall; [2] 4th in heat, 11th time overall; [3] 3rd in heat, 6th time overall
2V8+
[1] 3rd in heat, 9th time overall; [2] 2nd in heat, 6th time overall; [3] 3rd in heat, 7th time overall
1V4+
[1] 4th in heat, 6th time overall; [2] 1st in heat, 1st time overall; [3] 3rd in heat, 6th time overall
2V4+
[1] 3rd in heat, 6th time overall; [2] 1st in heat, 6th time overall; [3] 3rd in heat, 4th time overall
3V8+
[1] 2nd in heat, tough conditions - couldn't compare times; [2] 3rd in heat, 6th time overall; [3] 2nd in heat, 4th time overall
Thanks to Marlis Humphrey for capturing such spectacular photos of the crews at the start!
LINE-UPS
1V8
C – Vasiliou, McCann, Lee, Fitzpatrick, Caldwell, McQuay, Taylor, Tomeny, Johnson
2V8
C – Spraggins, Tobias, Konishesky, Ratcliff, Dorner, Warnecke, Hughes, Allen, Adams
1V4+
C – Menillo, Gill, Hemida, Habjan, Richards
2V4+
C – Rodriguez, Thornton, Jones, McDonald, Humphrey
3V8
C – Litovsky, Moller, Torcivia, Preston, Andolfatto, Ezeamama, Puro, Bengis, Rodgers
New Unis! Proudly wearing that "S" on the chest. The referees won't be confusing the Orange with UVA anymore :) [photo credit: Marlis Humphrey]
next steps
Next up, the Orange head to Ohio to once again take on three-time defending national champion Ohio State and Michigan State. Stay tuned for more information on the race.