From Walk-On to the Top Boat

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The sport of rowing is different than other sports for a variety of reasons. Not often in other sports do you see someone pick up the sport in college and excel. Senior women's rower Amy Ludovici walked on to the team as a freshman with no prior experience in 2011 and has been a prime contributor for Syracuse ever since.

"I had never heard of rowing in Binghamton," commented Ludovici. "It's not a thing people do. I had a strong background in team sports, like basketball and soccer. Coming here and experiencing rowing were things that were completely foreign to me. It wasn't easy, it was never easy to pick up the technique or the conditioning it requires. It has been life changing."

The Binghamton, N.Y. native played basketball and soccer at Seton Catholic during her high school days. She was an all-division honoree as a junior and was named to the all-conference team in her final season in her high school career. Her basketball playing days were over once she arrived at Syracuse in the fall of 2011, but a new opportunity came up in the sport of rowing.

"I had never done much with water," said Ludovici. "The fact that we were on water, I didn't know what shoes you wore and how that played into the boat. It's a different team dynamic than basketball and soccer. You're constantly trying to beat your teammates in a way, but you have to come together with them and make an eight-person or four-person unit. You have towards a common goal after killing each other every other day."

As a freshman, Ludovici started out in the novice eight boat, but worked her way up quickly. By the end of the spring, she held a spot in the varsity four boat. At the 2012 BIG EAST Championships, she helped the crew to a conference title, the program's first gold medal winner in seven years.

In her sophomore season, Ludovici cemented her spot in the varsity eight boat. She was a part of the top crew in every race during the spring season. After the college season, she was invited and attended the USRowing U-23 Pre-Elite Camp in Syracuse. The opportunities to row outside of Syracuse have helped shape Ludovici into one of the top rowers on the squad today.

"The coaching staff really invested their time in me," added Ludovici. "I have gotten involved in so many teams, even outside Syracuse. They have helped me pick up the technique and things like that."

Last season, Ludovici and the Orange just missed out on its first NCAA Championships invite since 2005. The Binghamton, N.Y. native raced in the varsity eight in every race until injuries sidelined her for the final month and a half of the season. Having to watch from shore has fueled Ludovici in her final season as a member of the Syracuse program.

"After missing the spring last year, it's my last chance to go out with a bang," stated Ludovici. "I didn't even get to go to the Clemson Invite last year, but I watched. The skill level and endurance that the team has put on since my freshman year is absolutely insane to see. Hopefully, we make it to NCAAs this year and that will be the icing on the cake."

Ludovici and the Orange are back on the water this weekend at the Clemson Invite. It marks the first time this spring that the entire team will be able to race after weather and course conditions did not allow at the Nordic Nine. Racing begins on Saturday morning in Clemson, S.C. and concludes on Sunday morning.

Syracuse University Athletics

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