The Syracuse 8 will be rowing tomorrow at Henley for Day 6 of the finals of famous international regatta. Today (7/1/2023) They won their race against Oxford-Brookes B and will compete in the final against Oxford-Brookes A. Syracuse Coach Dave Reischman explains that Oxford-Brookes has a strong rowing program and is considered the premier university-sponsored program in Great Britain. The team's success is attributed to their talented coach, Henry Bailhache-Web, and the support they receive. Reischman expressed respect for Oxford-Brookes' rowing and racing abilities while also explaining that GB rules defining a "student athlete" are a bit more relaxed than the US definition and it only requires that you are taking a single class at at the university. Thus, it has become the go to destination for any GB rower aspiring to row at the next level.

Coach Reischman describes their team's performance in today's race, which followed a similar pattern to previous rounds. They had an aggressive start, shifted to a long and powerful rhythm, and executed their race strategy well. Coach Reischman praises their team for supporting each other and performing effectively. A replay of Today's race can be watched here.

The crew is composed of six athletes from their 2V and three athletes from their Varsity, along with their coxswain. Coach Reischman believes this crew has a special chemistry and rhythm since they were formed. The team members are relaxed and enjoy rowing together.

The Syracuse team has received a number of questions about their atypical "bucket" rigged boat. Reischman explained they are that using "buckets" or "tandems" during practice is common to work on matching rhythm. Initially, they planned to remove the double bucket setup for the race. However, when they got to England the boys thought the boat felt better as a bucket rigged boat. To solve the problem, they swapped the riggers and tested the boat, finding better rythem and haven't looked back since.

Looking ahead to tomorrows final, Coach Reischman acknowledges the challenge posed by Oxford-Brookes A, who defeated a strong University of Washington crew. However, they advise their team to focus on recovering, relaxing, and enjoying the experience of being in Henley. Reischman mentioned that the team plans to have a quiet night playing Monopoly at their host's house. Best of luck to the boys tomorrow, they will be racing 7:30 am eastern time tomorrow a you can tune into the live stream on Henley's you tube page.