Orange Run Comes to an End in Henley Finals

The Syracuse run has come to an end at Henley Royal Regatta. The Orange eight lost to Oxford Brookes 'A' in the final of the Temple Challenge Cup on Sunday morning on the Thames River in Henley-on-Thames, England.

It marks the first championship race appearance at Henley for the Orange since a 1988 loss to Vancouver Rowing Club in the Prince Phillip Challenge Cup (M4+).

"Wow! What a tremendous week of racing," Syracuse Head Coach Dave Reischman said. "I am so proud of our athletes from both our boats for how they represented the program, both on and off the water, on one of our sport's biggest stages. By the end of the week, there were so many people wearing colors from different schools and clubs yelling 'Go 'Cuse!' whenever one of our boats would row by. It's a great experience for our athletes. A huge thank you to our alumni for all their support and enabling us to give our athletes great experiences like this."

A moment we will never forget @HenleyRegatta pic.twitter.com/qL3Bd7eegk
— Syracuse Men's Rowing (@CuseMRowing) July 2, 2023

Syracuse and Oxford Brookes were side by side at the start but OBU slowly pulled away from the Orange and earned its second-straight Temple Challenge Cup by 1 1/4ths length on the 2,112-meter course. Oxford Brookes defeated Washington in the 2022 final and have won the Temple Challenge Cup in six of the last nine Henley Royal Regattas.

"It was an awesome opportunity to come overseas and show the world what we are capable of," said Connor Toomey (5-seat). "Making it to Sunday at Henley is something we never expected but I think we just enjoyed the ride while having the most fun of any team here. It was an honor and a privilege to row with this group."

The Syracuse eight crew consisted of four seniors: Bricen Nygaard (coxswain), Emory Sammons (7-seat), Toomey (5-seat), and Ryan Elsinga (3-seat) who raced for the final time in a Syracuse uniform on Sunday at Henley wrapping up their careers that catapulted the Orange to the national spotlight as one of the top collegiate programs in America.

To stay updated on the Syracuse men's rowing team throughout the offseason, follow @CuseMRowing on Twitter and Instagram.

Syracuse's Temple Challenge Cup Lineup
Jack Gorman - Bow
Cole Nordby - (2)
Ryan Elsina - (3)
Mack Carr - (4)
Connor Toomey - (5)
Sam Hobson - (6)
Emory Sammons - (7)
Declan Fry - (Stroke)
Bricen Nygaard - Coxswain

Syracuse University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Mack Carr

Ryan Elsinga

Declan Fry

Jack Gorman

Sam Hobson

Cole Nordby

Bricen Nygaard

Emory Sammons

Connor Toomey

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