Oh Baby!

This woman, SU Freshman Coach Alicea Kochis,

produced this little person just a few months ago....



and still managed to do some some 1000m pieces with her team this past weekend.

Just awesome!

Men's and Women's Team Winter Training Photos

Here are some images of the teams in action this past weekend.

The SU tanks are a little sick right now, so the erg has become the weapon of choice for Kris and Dave.

TRACY SMITH BECOMES SARA PRESIDENT

SARA has a new president – the first woman to lead the organization in its 57-year history. Tracy Rude Smith ’90 got a lengthy round of applause after her uncontested election at the annual meeting at Archbold Gymnasium on Saturday, Feb. 23.

“I’m deeply honored and fully appreciate the gravity of this appointment,” Smith told about two dozen SARA members at the meeting.

She moved up from first vice president, succeeding Jason Premo ’98, who had been SARA president the past two years. Bill Purdy ’79, another Olympian and member of the ’78 IRA Champion Eight becomes first vice president and Lynne Della Pelle Pascale ‘81 steps in as second vice-president. Joe Paduda ‘80 was re-elected as secretary along with Joe Kieffer ’88 as treasurer and Martha Mogish Rowe ‘81 as assistant treasurer.

SARA also added two more women to the board of directors, Aliza Seeber ’04 and Erica (Mahon) Page ’08, who succeeds her father Bryan Mahon ’82 on the board. Josh Stratton ’01 also became a SARA director. The three are the first alums from the 2000s on the SARA board.

Sheila Roock ’85 and Kristin Bidwell ’90 were re-elected as directors. Seven of the 24 directors now are women with one seat open and SARA on the lookout for more alumnae interested in being involved.

Smith said this is the time to incorporate women fully into SARA as active supporters and participants. “We tried a couple of years ago I know it wasn’t so successful but I know we can do it this time I think the timing is right,” Smith said. “The coaches, with the board we have now and where the programs work in cooperation (make success likely.)”

On the afternoon before her election Smith and former SARA President Tom Darling ’81 spent a couple of hours visiting with SARA co-founder Dr. Bruce Chamberlain at his home in Jamesville and got him to autograph her copy of “The Mark of the Oarsmen.”

“He was very gracious,” Smith said. “But I think we have some things to prove.”

Chamberlain was impressed. “I think she’s imbued with the spirit to go ahead and do some things,” he said. “I think she’s out to prove it and she will.”

Anna Goodale and Fran Iacovangelo Interview on YouTube

Many thanks to an alert SU alum who brought this video of SU alums Anna Goodale and Fran Iacovangelo to our attention!

SARA Annual Meeting - January 23, 2010

Greetings Alums!

The SARA Annual Meeting is this coming weekend and all alums are invited to attend and contribute. Below are the details and agenda. Please email SARA President Jason Premo at jmpremo(at)hotmail.com if you are planning on attending.

Hope to see you there.


Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association
2010 Annual Meeting – January 23, 2010

Meet in the Crew Room at Archbold between 9:00 and 9:30AM. Please park in the Q-3 lot (between the old Carnegie Library and Bowne Hall – NOT the Archbold lot – this lot comes just before that one. Tell the booth attendant you are here for a Syracuse Alumni Rowing Meeting). Meet and greet with Men’s and Women’s Team members will take place between 9:30 and 10AM. Meeting begins at 10AM upstairs in Archbold.

Agenda

1. Introduction and welcome to Guests

2. Roll call & Passing of attendance sheet/Indication of interests

3. Approval of past minutes

4. Compliance – Rep From Office of Athletic Compliance (Erlease Wagner or Steve Butler)

5. President’s Report – Jason Premo

6. Nominating Committee – Tom Darling, Jason Premo, Tracy Smith
a. Board Moves, Introduction of new Directors
b. Passing of the Gavel to Tracy Smith

7. Coaches Reports
a. Kris Sanford
b. Dave Reischman

8. Secretary Report – Joe Paduda

9. Treasurer Report – Joe Kieffer
a. Tax Status
b. Insurance

10. Alumni Development Report (if representative present)

11. Committees
a. Benchmarking Study – Joe Kieffer
b. Orange Oar – John Nicholson
c. Website/Blog Updates – Joe Paduda/Tracy Smith
d. Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame – Jason Premo
e. Events
• October – “Navy Ball” and Reunion(s) – Chip Gibson
• The Women’s Eastern Sprints Training Dinner – Lynne Pascale
f. Membership – Tom Darling & Lynne Pascale

12. Old Business

13. New Business

14. Pass the Gavel

Winter Training Wrapping Up in Florida

Report from Coach Sanford:

Thursday night was the team dinner, talent show and freshmen skit. Dinner was delicious - eggplant parm, chicken francese or chicken marsala.

A few years ago we started doing an annual talent show. Everyone is required to do something, and it is amazing to see the non-athletic talents that people have! The freshmen skit was up to usual standards - they ripped the seniors apart and loved doing it. And the thing that is the most mind boggling thing to me is that the seniors love getting ripped apart!! It was a great night and a great wrap up for a really good week of practice.

Our last practice is tomorrow. I will write a wrap up of the week on Monday or Tuesday.

Winter Training -- It Aint All Glamour

Report from Coach Sanford:

We sank! I had three 8's out in the intercoastal and we got caught in "the perfect storm" of waves. Two yachts came by at different angles and one boat was in shallow water where the waves changed from rollers to "crashers" and one boat went right down. Luckily the crew could stand up and although they were in the water for 30 minutes bailing before getting in and rowing home, they were troopers and handled it very well.

Winter Training Report from Florida - Day 4

Report from Coach Sanford:

It is finally getting warm! Tommorrow it will hit 70. Even though it has been cold, I am very pleased with what we have accomplished. The team has been very positive throughout the week and has been working hard. Tuesday afternoon was off so the majority of athletes went to a movie.

Unfortunately we canecelled the beach run due to the weather.
We shifted gears today and started doing some work at some higher
ratings which is always fun. We have 5 practices left and the plan is to continue to switch people around to watch different combinations. Thursday night is the talent show (I will definitely supply pictures!) and the freshmen skit. I hope everyone up north is thawing out - Syracuse is supposed to go above freezing tommorrow so it sounds like it is warming up for us!

1978

Twas the "year of the 'stache" for SU Men's Rowing.

Visors/headbands too.

New Date for the Fall Banquet

Please note: The new date for the Fall 2010 Rowing Banquet will be Saturday, November 6.

Mark your calendars!

Winter Training in Florida - Day 3

Report from Coach Sanford:

We have turned the corner! It was warmer today and not as windy. We got 2 good on the water practices in. In an effort to continue to improve our fitness, the team is running the three miles to the boathouse once a day which is great. I don't think there is anything that beats running for general fitness and so we will continue to do it as much as we can here and when we get back.

Tommorrow ends the first phase of the trip which emphasized technique. The last 7 practices are dedicated to miles and uping the intensity a bit.

Saturday Report from Chilly Florida

From Coach Sanford:

Saturday's report:

It was cold today!! We had temps in the low 30's with 22 MPH winds, so we could only get out in a 1000M stretch to do some skill and drill. The cold would not be an issue except that we have to wade our boats in and so the athletes start out the practice wet.

This morning, we split the team into 3 groups and went out for a 75 minute technique row. The on water stuff was very productive but it was short. This afternoon, we did not go out as the wind was stronger and it was cold. The team ran and did some core exercises. It is supposed to warm up tommorrow, so the plan is to row twice and run once. The beginning part of the week is geared toward technique - the
end of the week will be geared more toward long distance rowing.

Although it is frustrating to not get the water time, the fact we got out at all is better than most teams in the country. They didn't even row in Miami today! More tommorrow...

Winter Training Report from Coach Sanford

It was freezing here today! We rowed this morning in the wind and rain and decided to stay indoors this afternoon. Coach Bill did a technique talk for the team. The problem with rowing in this weather is that we beach launch and so everyone gets wet before practice. Being wet in 30 degree weather can cause problems so we are being careful to be safe. Tomorrow will be cold but dry and then it warms up on Monday. It is still better compared to the single digit temperatures they are getting in Syracuse!

Maggie McCrudden Commits to SU

Ridgewood, NJ Senior Maggie McCrudden has committed to rowing for SU.

McCrudden has an impressive rowing resume and will join sister Natalie, a sophomore, who also rows for Coach Sanford.

Find the full story here!

Joe Paduda's first annual Reflections on Christmas poem

As commissioned by Prez Premo

-ahem...

And so it is Christmas, and what have you done?
Another year older, and erging not begun.
Instead we sit flabby, and porky and fat
Resolving to row, when we’ve done this and that.

So much to do, the year’s already gone by,
the season’s approaching,
with crews ready to fly.
Off to Seattle, to enhance SU’s rep
They’ll kick Huskie ass,
On that you can bet.

We’ll be celebrating ‘010
As the Orange alums
Drink cheer from all the cups
that both teams have won.

The women and men
Will bring Christmas cheer
To alums old and young,
Far away and right here.

So support Dave and Kris
And all their athletes,
And work towards success
Of both Orange fleets!

NEW ORANGE OAR NOW ON SARACREW.ORG

Thanks to the efforts to Tracy Smith, Coach Dave Reischman, Jon Flynn and others the new edition of the Orange Oar is now available on the SARA website. It features stories about the 1959 Pan Am Gold Medal Crew reunion including extensive interviews as well as a look ahead to the men's and women's spring seasons and the new leadership with Tracy Smith about to become SARA President and a letter from outgoing President Jason Premo. Just click on the link http://www.saracrew.org/orangeoar/Orange%20Oar%20-%202009%20December.pdf

The next issue will come out between the SARA annual meeting January 23 and the start of the season so please start thinking now about news and photos you'd like to contribute.

-John Nicholson '68

Orange Oar Editor

Time to Head South

We head South on Saturday for 8 days of training on the Bayou's just west of New Orleans. This is a new site for us and the main reason for the change was a bunkhouse at the State Park that was very budget friendly.

The truck and shell trailer take off tomorrow but we had a little digging out to do before hitting the road:

I brushed off the truck two days ago....this is the accumulation since then.

This would qualify as "other duties as assigned by the Head Coach" that appears any time we advertise for a Frosh Coach. We are careful not to go into detail about that part of the job during the interview process. That is Coach Weiss going at it with our new snow blower. Actually, it is usually quite a battle to see who gets to operate the snow blower between Coach Weiss and our Grad Assistant Joe DeLeo. Note in the background that the canal is not frozen yet. More often that not the canal seems to be open when we take off for our training trip but it is ALWAYS frozen when we get back.

Our first few days in New Orleans will be a little chilly with this cold front passing over the country. But by the third day we should get some reasonable training weather.

Party at Peter's Place

Alums and SARA Board members that are in town (Syracuse, that is) during the weekend of January 23 and 24 are invited to Joey Peter's Annual Birthday Throwdown.

Festivities begin around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 23 at the Peter residence.

If you plan on attending, please RSVP by emailing Tracy at tracyrsmith123(at) gmail.com. Address and directions will be provided following your RSVP.

Bless Jan Peter and Happy Birthday Joey!