Both the men’s and women’s rowing teams competed in Syracuse, New York last Saturday at the Syracuse Invitational. The regatta consists of two Varsity Four (A and B) races and a novice eight race. Cornell University and Syracuse University, both Eastern Sprint League members with strong programs, were Colgate’s main rivals on this day. Unfortunately, neither the men’s or the women’s team was able to race at a level they expect of themselves and Colgate’s only win in Syracuse was in the men’s Varsity Four-B.

“I was disappointed in their performance,” men’s assistant coach Matt Hanig said. “I think they’re capable of a lot more than that, and they have a chance to redeem themselves at the next regatta.”

Colgate men’s rowing has set high expectations for themselves and it is for that reason that last week’s performance was such a disappointment.

“These guys aren’t happy with anything but first…that’s their mentality,” Hanig said. “They’re not happy unless they have that.”

There were a few bright spots, as the Raider’s C-boat placed first in the Varsity Four-B and the Raider’s A-boat took the bronze in the Varsity Four-A. Also, Colgate finished ninth in the Novice Eight.

“It went alright for the varsity — especially the one that won the second flight,” Hanig said.

Though the Raiders may not have achieved their first-place goal, they did have an opportunity to compete against powerhouse teams like Syracuse and Cornell.

“One of the things that we discussed is that this was a mark of where we are,” Hanig said. “The goal is to win, but these guys raced well. Any time you go against an Eastern Sprint school, it’s a good test for where you are now.”

On Saturday, Colgate will travel to Philadelphia to compete in Frostbite/Bill Braxton Memorial Regatta.

In women’s rowing, the best performance of the day was from Colgate’s B-boat, which finished the Varsity Four-A race in 11th place with a time of 20:33.3. The Raiders placed last in the Varsity Four-B, and second-to-last in the Novice Eight. The Syracuse Invitational was the ladies’ final competition of the fall season. The first race of the spring season takes place in Philadelphia on March 29th at the Murphy Cup.