Spring Break
The Daily OrangeYear in Sports | Rebuilding a powerhouse: Dave Reischman wanted the challenge of bringing SU's men's rowing back on top. In less than 6 years, he's accomplished plenty
By Matt Levin
Posted: 4/24/08, 10:42 PM EST Section: Sports
He has built up programs twice before - first with his alma mater Gonzaga and then transforming a run-of-the-mill Oregon State program into a national contender.
At the time, Reischman said he looked at all the team's that had once been considered a crew powerhouse and felt Syracuse had slipped the furthest.
But after leading Oregon State to a fourth-place finish at the national championships in the spring of 2002 - that's exactly the test Reischman wanted. The SU program's supporters couldn't be more pleased.
"I can't be more satisfied with what coach Reischman has done for this team," said John Nicholson, editor of the Syracuse rowing alumni newsletter the "Orange Oar."
Last weekend, Nicholson said the rowing alumni listserv flooded the server with e-mails. Crew members from as far back as the 1950s were sending congratulations out to Reischman and the approximately 250 rowing alumni on the listserv.
The Orange crew had just pulled off a win over Cornell and Navy to win the Goes Trophy. Both SU opponents were ranked near the top 10 nationally.
But for the SU alumni, the win signified something much more than that. Reischman had said he didn't believe in rebuilding seasons. Now he had proved it.
Last season's crew graduated 12 of its 16 best rowers. That senior class had previously completed back-to-back unbeaten seasons. That core had done a majority of the work turning around a program that had managed one victory in the first three seasons of Reischman's tenure.
But Reischman wasn't going to settle for a down year.
He plucked walk-ons like Tyson Bry, Brian Azeff and Mike Bagnall out of the crowd and turned them into varsity rowers, while also relying on junior Martin Etem and senior Ryan Armstrong. Reischman and his assistants built a competitive team that sped by its rivals last weekend - and in the process captured the Goes Trophy for the third consecutive year, a feat Syracuse had never achieved in the 54-year history of the race.
At the time, Reischman said he looked at all the team's that had once been considered a crew powerhouse and felt Syracuse had slipped the furthest.
But after leading Oregon State to a fourth-place finish at the national championships in the spring of 2002 - that's exactly the test Reischman wanted. The SU program's supporters couldn't be more pleased.
"I can't be more satisfied with what coach Reischman has done for this team," said John Nicholson, editor of the Syracuse rowing alumni newsletter the "Orange Oar."
Last weekend, Nicholson said the rowing alumni listserv flooded the server with e-mails. Crew members from as far back as the 1950s were sending congratulations out to Reischman and the approximately 250 rowing alumni on the listserv.
The Orange crew had just pulled off a win over Cornell and Navy to win the Goes Trophy. Both SU opponents were ranked near the top 10 nationally.
But for the SU alumni, the win signified something much more than that. Reischman had said he didn't believe in rebuilding seasons. Now he had proved it.
Last season's crew graduated 12 of its 16 best rowers. That senior class had previously completed back-to-back unbeaten seasons. That core had done a majority of the work turning around a program that had managed one victory in the first three seasons of Reischman's tenure.
But Reischman wasn't going to settle for a down year.
He plucked walk-ons like Tyson Bry, Brian Azeff and Mike Bagnall out of the crowd and turned them into varsity rowers, while also relying on junior Martin Etem and senior Ryan Armstrong. Reischman and his assistants built a competitive team that sped by its rivals last weekend - and in the process captured the Goes Trophy for the third consecutive year, a feat Syracuse had never achieved in the 54-year history of the race.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Gregg Doherty '55
posted 4/25/08 @ 5:34 PM EST
Dave's dedication was obvious at the San Diego Crew Classic earlier this month..His Varsity Eight crew competed with the best in the nation and presented themselves very well both on and off the water. (Continued…)
Post a Comment