Rowers Begin Spring Season In Miami
3/11/2003 12:31:43 PM | Women's Rowing
The Syracuse University women’s rowing team begins its spring season with a trip to Miami this week. The SU rowers will spend all this week training in Florida, getting comfortable rowing on the water again.
The week-long training will include double sessions each day, emphasizing shorter, intense rowing pieces along with race strategy. The team hits the water rowing when it returns to Syracuse, beginning racing immediately.
The race schedule consists of races every weekend starting this year in Boston, MA. SU races against Boston University on Saturday, March 29.
The Orangewomen have four returning rowers from the 2002 varsity eight that placed 11th at the NCAA Championship. Senior tri-captain Nicole Garofalo heads up the rowers with NCAA championship experience. In addition to rowing the two seat in last year’s varsity eight, Garofalo was in the bow seat in the varsity eight that finished ninth at the 2000 NCAA Championship her freshman year.
Senior Shannon Mercurio also has two NCAA appearances to her name, including winning the spares race with Seana Miller at the 2001 championship. Senior Bonnie Chapman made the varsity boat for the first time last year and sophomore Kelly McGrorey made the top eight as a freshman in 2002.
The Syracuse women’s rowing team received its first team bid to the NCAA Championship in the spring of 2002 after defending its BIG EAST title and placing fifth at Eastern Sprints. SU’s varsity eight earned at-large bids to the championship in 2001, 2000 and 1997.
