History Goes on the Line

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Certainly there is a ton of history and tradition when it comes the Syracuse University men's rowing program. One of its biggest traditions will be held on Saturday morning at the Onondaga Lake Outlet when it hosts Cornell and Navy for the Goes Trophy. It marks the 60th time the three schools will meet with the hardware on the line.

"In terms of the cup races, this is the one," former Orange rower and current assistant coach Justin Stangel said. "This is the rivalry. This is one people think about, in the terms of alumni. It goes back a good bit. Ithaca is just an hour away, so we have that upstate bit. Navy has always put out good crews, as well. You know you are always going to race against the top-level competition, which is the best part about it."

"When you think of Navy, they protect our waters," former Syracuse rower Ryan Armstrong stated. "You just assume they are good on the water and have fit guys because of their daily regiment they have to go through. They usually didn't disappoint. With Cornell, they are in our backyard, per say. You have that backyard rivalry down Interstate 81. It was one of the races that meant a whole lot."

Armstrong and Stangel know quite a bit about the history of this event. From 2006-08, the pair helped guide the Orange to three straight Goes Trophy victories. Stangel was a part of the varsity eight crew in 2006 and 2007, while Armstrong was in the top boat all three years. It marked the first time Syracuse won consecutive Goes Trophy races since 1958-59 and has been the only time the program has come out victorious three years in-a-row.

"It was fun to race against those guys," commented Stangel. "It was an awesome run. There are not many three-peats in that cup because the teams are that good. It gets shuffled around among the teams. It is very hotly contested. It is a fun one to go up against and see where we stand."

"It was something special," added Armstrong. "You just try your best and to do it three years in-a-row, it put Syracuse on the map as a force to be reckoned with."

Starting in 2006, Syracuse had not won the Goes Trophy since the 1999 campaign. Syracuse knocked off Cornell and Navy on its home course in a time of 6:22.56. The Orange defeated second-place Navy by more than 11 seconds.

"Sophomore year, I was one of the youngest, if not the youngest, on the boat," said Armstrong. "I didn't even know the ramifications of what we were about to start. They stuck me back there and asked me to help us get across the finish line first. We had some great guys such as Dan O'Shaughnessy and Bartosz Szczyrba. We had a lot of raw talent and power. I think that was the catalyst that kick-started the run we had."

The following year was not the run-away victory the group experienced on the waters of the Onondaga Lake Outlet in 2006. Syracuse used a furious rally in the final 500 meters to defeat Cornell and Navy in Annapolis, Md. The Orange won the race with a time of 6:04.4.

"That specific race at Navy, we had the inside lane," described Armstrong. "There was a sea wall that runs the course at Navy. Of course, halfway through the race a speed boat came by and created a huge wake. All of a sudden, this huge wave hits off the wall, hits our boat first and the hardest. I remember our coxswain Chad Taylor saying we were down already and had to start to sprint early. We had to start it at 500 meters left, which was quite early. You don't want to get 20 strokes left and be totally spent. That race I remember quite well."

"It's more open water down in Annapolis and it can be more challenging," stated Stangel. "When we won it down there, it was great. It was a come from behind victory my senior year. We won in the last 200 meters, sprinting through."

Syracuse completed the trifecta in 2008 in Ithaca. The Orange edged out Navy by more than one second to retain the Goes Trophy for the third year in-a-row. The crew covered the course at the Cayuga Lake Inlet in 5:40.9.

"My senior year, I don't know if we thought we could keep all the trophies in the boat house," commented Armstrong. "It was a chip on our shoulders. We wanted to keep them for another year and I think the guys responded well to that. We managed to keep all of the trophies, especially the Goes."

Now, the Orange have a chance to take back the Goes Trophy on its home turf on Saturday morning. It would mark the first time Syracuse won the race since 2011. In addition, it would mark the first time the crew had won its home course since it started its magical three-year run in 2006.

"I like being on the home course," added Stangel. "It's a fun scenario having teams come up and see where we do battle every day. On your home water, you want to fight for that. If they are going to take it, they are going to fight every inch down the course and so will we. That has to be the mentality going into this battle."

It's a great feeling," concluded Armstrong. "You hear the cheering. It's a great feeling being at your home dock and having smiles on the guys' faces when they pick up the oars. You may get that slight smirk from Coach Reischman knowing that you did a job well done, nothing too crazy. It's a unique experience."

Racing will begin at 8 a.m. at the James A. Ten Eyck Memorial Boathouse in Liverpool, N.Y. Following the trophy presentation at 9:30 a.m., two boats will dedicated, honoring Rob and Sue Edson.

Syracuse University Athletics

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