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Unfinished Business: How One More Year is Fueling the Syracuse Men’s Rowing Team
5/14/2020 2:48:00 PM | Men's Rowing
Time can disappear in the blink of an eye for a student-athlete. The years between the first day of practice and the moment graduation caps fly through the air can often feel far too short. In mid-March it seemed the years would be even shorter than they feel when the NCAA canceled all spring seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic, prematurely ending rowing season before it started.
In the following weeks, the NCAA granted seniors of spring sports an extra year of eligibility. For five oarsmen of the Syracuse men's rowing team, the decision to take up that offer was easy. They've been given the opportunity for what so many before them have dreamed of: One more year.
Over the last four years the senior class put in the work to not only make the Orange a top-10 program but improve the depth of the Syracuse fleet. In 2018 they reached the team's goal of placing all three varsity eight boats in the top-10 at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) Regatta. But 'Cuse doesn't plan to stop there. The goal is to bring home a national championship to Syracuse for the first time since 1978 and having depth in all three boats will only strengthen the team's chances. The Orange ranked No. 9 in the IRA/US Rowing Preseason Poll this year.
Andrew Cummings, a member of last spring's varsity eight and co-captain of the 2020 squad, is amongst those who have decided to take advantage of the NCAA's decision to grant an extra year of eligibility. He will pursue a Certificate of Advanced Studies in data science from Syracuse's School of Information Studies.
Cummings sees this extra year as an opportunity to complete some unfinished business and continue strengthening the men's rowing program.
"We [the team] sat down with Coach Reischman during our freshman year and were told that we could turn the team around in our four years here," Cummings said. "Our class has seen so much growth in that time and it is only right to see that growth culminate in the 2020-21 season."
Fellow Varsity Eight member Kenneth Hubbard looks to build on an already impressive resumé in his fifth season on the team. His standout performance during the 2019 fall campaign caught the attention of U.S. Rowing, earning him a spot in their Selection Camp for the U23 National Team that was scheduled to take place this summer. The camp was ultimately canceled because of COVID-19 concerns.
Like Cummings, Hubbard will also work toward a Certificate of Advanced Studies in data science and feels a fifth year of eligibility will allow him and his teammates to continue to bolster the program.
"Our team keeps getting stronger in terms of athletic ability and leadership, and I want to help contribute to that growth with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Hubbard said. "There is unfinished business to take care of."
That feeling of unfinished business pushed Declan Fischback to return for an extra season too. Fischback is ready to continue building toward the goal that he and his teammates have been working to achieve for years. Fischback plans to pursue a master of arts in nutrition in Syracuse's David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics.
"You don't know what you have until it goes away," Fischback said. "It ignites an internal fire that can consume you or drive you. With the ability to come back, I'm ready to work harder than ever and with this squad behind me, we have nothing to lose. This is a chance to finish what we started for the team that let us grow into the people we've become."
Also returning is Alex Manfredi, coxswain of the varsity eight. Manfredi loves the team culture and wants to help bring the incoming freshmen into that culture. He plans to accompany his recently completed bachelor's in advertising with a master's in advertising from Syracuse's prestigious S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
"I chose to come back to Syracuse because the team has helped shape who I am today," Manfredi said. "I have learned so much and I can't wait to show the incoming class what the Syracuse rowing culture is all about."
The culture was a deciding factor for Luka Vrbaski, who helped the Orange varsity eight to a ninth-place finish at the 2019 IRA Championships. The Novi-Sad, Serbia native will finish his bachelor's degree in systems and information science in Syracuse's College of Engineering and Computer Science during his extra year on the Hill.
"The last four years were a special part of my life," Vrbaski said. "Syracuse University and our rowing team were a very big part of that. Being able to finish my degree while having another opportunity to train and compete alongside my teammates is an amazing opportunity."
Time can disappear in the blink of an eye for a student-athlete. But for these five rowers, their time at Syracuse isn't over just yet and neither is their goal advancing the program closer to a IRA Championship.
Players Mentioned
