Casey Irving knew the success of the women’s rowing team when she joined the crew as a freshman. From 2001 to 2003, Syracuse won the Big East Women’s Rowing Challenge and received a team bid to the NCAA Rowing Championship in 2002. In her four years here, though, SU hasn’t achieved that level of success.

For Irving and several of her senior class members, they have not accomplished a rsum win in four years. In the past two years, the Orange has won only one cup, the Kittell Cup this year, and has not been able to win the Big East Championship.

Something that doesn’t appear on the rsum this class accomplished is more depth, which in turn, may help the seniors in their quest for a big win.

The Orange hopes to use its depth to its advantage as it races in the Big East Women’s Rowing Championship Sunday in Worcester, Mass. Three-time defending champion Notre Dame, the No. 6 varsity eight in the USRowing/Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association poll, is the favorite to repeat. Louisville also enters the race ranked No. 17.

Sanford and the seniors both stressed the importance of trying to leave the program better than when they entered. From a results standpoint, the senior class may not have been successful, but when it comes to an important area like depth, Sanford and the seniors feel they have improved the program. This depth runs from the varsity eight to the novice eight boat, the top seed in the Big East.

‘Their legacy is that they have left us with more depth,’ said Syracuse coach Kris Sanford, who is looking for her fourth Big East title. ‘It’s a very important thing because that is how you build a team toward the NCAA and go for a national title.’

In regards to the Big East, having a team with depth provides an advantage. There are six races in the Big East, and each team has the opportunity to enter a boat in each race. The Orange is able to fill a boat in each race, one of three teams to do so along with favorites Notre Dame and Louisville.

‘We now have as good a chance as everyone else,’ Irving said. ‘By filling the boats, the entire team is getting faster.’

By fielding a boat in each race, the Orange has a greater chance of accumulating points in the races, which could lead to the rsum win for these seniors. Unlike other races, every boat matters in the final outcome of the Big East. In head-to-head meets, the race of importance is the varsity eight.

Senior Ruth Frantz said the team needed to fill the boats or it would have a harder time contending for the title. She also said she believes the team has a ‘legitimate’ shot at winning what she calls an exciting race.

‘Because we have a deeper team, that has allowed us to be competitive where we had not been before,’ Sanford said.

Knowing that the two favorites will not have an advantage in boats, the seniors are looking forward to reaping the benefits of a deeper team when they race this weekend. Reaping the benefits could possibly include a victory for the Orange, the senior class’s marquee win.

‘This would be a really good validation of what we have done here,’ Irving said. ‘We all agree on what we have done, but we need prove of it.’

Frantz said it could be something to talk to about in years to come.

‘People could call coach in a few years and we could be part of that winning team that won the Big East,’ Frantz said.

But to win, it all comes back to the one thing this senior class has left on the team: team depth.

‘Overall, the boats from top to bottom are winning more races,’ senior Nora Creahan said. ‘This is going to be a great example of how it takes an entire team to win.’

Published on April 26, 2007 at 12:00 pm