Celebrating 150 Years of Cornell Athletics
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SUMMER 2015 Celebrating 150 Years of Cornell Athletics Gabe Dean: NCAA Champion at 184 lbs. Shana Coffey: Women’s Polo: IHSA Novice Fences Champion 14th Championship Lightweight Rowing: 2nd Consecutive Undefeated Season MEN’S SPRING RECAP “An Incredible Feeling”—Two Years in a Row by Katherine Falb ’15 Katherine Falb ’15 has been the coxswain on the lightweight rowing varsity eight boat during the Big Red’s current run of back-to-back undefeated national championship seasons. Falb shares the crew’s thoughts on successfully defending its national championship at the IRA Regatta on May 31st. rowing form and how efficiently we [the crew] row the boat. We felt Heading into the IRA National Championship weekend, there was confident using our base speed to control races from the front, without definitely a sense of pressure - not only to top off our perfect season, the need to make too many physically taxing moves to overtake or put but also to repeat last year’s victory. We all knew we could handle away an opponent. This gave us the confidence in the IRA Grand Final the pressure because we were confident in our training and capability to get in front, control the race and defend against any late charging to race. We also had trust in each other to persevere through tough crews looking to advance their position in the final push to the finish situations and to put our bow ball out in front of the field. line. On top of our strong base speed we used a very effective final sprint One of our mantras this year was to focus on ‘beating ourselves.’ to shift our speed in the final strokes to the finish line. Crossing the Coach Kerber helped us realize that we can’t control what our finish line with ample margin over the rest of the field left no doubt in competitors are doing - all we can do is control how we prepare and anyone’s mind and was an incredible feeling. our attitude going into battle with other crews. With this internal One of the best parts of my experience with the team has been focus, we spent the time between the Eastern Sprints and the IRAs becoming a member of the Cornell Lightweight Rowing family. Not training, essentially working to ‘beat ourselves’ by perfecting different only are we a team, but we also truly are a family of rowing generations. technical parts of the stroke and honing the race plan to beat our own We are incredibly blessed to have a supportive alumni network that previous time trial results. makes this family so close. After every race it is awesome connecting This season we approached many of our dual races with similar and reconnecting with alumni because they each have their own stories race tactics. By using a generalized format for each race, we [the to share and they live through our current experiences both in and crew] looked to improve upon each week by learning from each of out of the boat. I have really enjoyed getting to meet alumni and truly the different pre-race and race routines. As the coxswain, I had to understand the “big-ness” of Cornell Rowing and how integrated we all determine changes to our race plan on the fly, in order to make the are as both student-athletes and supportive alumni. boat more efficient or overtake our competitors. There was a basic When we crossed the finish line, capping an undefeated season with script but the pressure was on me to use discretion as the race unfolded. the National Championship title, it was amazing to hear our teammates In the IRA final, we used a similar race plan. The only change was and alumni singing the Cornell Crew Song while we waited to get on to add more assertiveness before the 1,000-meter mark (halfway) to the medals dock. In my freshman year, I did not really understand the establish control after the rough water (cross chop) and put a lot of Cornell Crew Song’s significance. However, now that I am finishing pressure on our opponents. We stuck to the plan all the way down the off my time at Cornell, I get very emotional whenever I hear or sing course with technical focus and tactical moves we practiced all season. the Crew Song because it reminds me of all of my favorite memories These were very effective and gave us a lead by the 1,000-meter mark at Cornell. When we approached the medals dock and we heard the that we continued to widen. Crew Song, it reminded me of all of my great memories at Cornell, One of our biggest strengths this season was the speed of our base. especially how awesome it is to be a part of the Cornell Lightweight This base pacing accounts for about 50-60% of the entire race and Rowing family. The Crew Song is special, and it brings all Cornell solid base speed is derived from the combination of power, good rowers together, whether they are walk-on novices or alumni. 2 SPIRIT! MAGAZINE SHOP NOW FOR YOUR CORNELL ATHLETICS APPAREL. SPRING RECAP Men’s Lightweight Rowing NOTES: The varsity eight recorded its second straight May 17, 2015 CLICK HERE undefeated season and repeated TO GO TO as national champion at the IRA After sweeping its final four opponents of the season MEN’S Regatta. The Big Red won its to cap consecutive undefeated slates in head-to-head LIGHTWEIGHT second consecutive crown for the ROWING first time since 2008. The eights competition, the No. 1 lightweight men’s rowing raced to a 5:38.989 to defeat team put in a dominating performance at the 2015 Columbia by a length, and Harvard was third. It was the fifth title in EARC Sprints on May 17 on Lake Quinsigamond in the last 10 seasons, and sixth Worcester, Mass. For the first time in over 50 years, the time overall since the lightweight Big Red won back-to-back Jope Cups and consecutive championship was added in 1990. Ivy League championships by edging conference foe Columbia in the varsity eight and medaling in all five races. Cornell also won the Joseph Wright Trophy for the second year in a row by taking first overall among all EARC varsity eight boats. In addition to the gold in the varsity eight that secured the Ivy League championship and the Wright Trophy, Cornell also earned significant Jope Cup points with a silver medal in the second varsity eight and a gold medal in the third varsity eight. Men’s Heavyweight Rowing April 18, 2015 The No. 9 Big Red accomplished something it hadn’t done in more than CLICK HERE TO GO TO 40 years, sweeping No. 12 Navy and No. 13 Syracuse on Onondaga Lake. MEN’S Cornell won the varsity eight race by beating Navy to the line by just under HEAVYWEIGHT ROWING one second to earn consecutive Goes Trophies for the first time since 2009- 10. The Big Red went on to pick up wins in the second varsity eight, and freshmen eight as well, for its first sweep of the Midshipmen and Orange since 1974. The three victories earned Cornell the Stagg Trophy, which NOTES: At the 113th IRA Regatta, the varsity eight is awarded to the overall winner of the day’s races, giving the Big Red finished 10th overall (5:52.485), consecutive Stagg Trophies for the first time since winning four straight from while the first freshman boat was fifth overall, clocking 5:55.310 in 2001-04. the Grand Finals. At the EARC Sprints, the fourth varsity eight won the gold and the third varsity eight took the bronze. On the Schuylkill River, the Big Red swept Penn to win both the Madeira Cup and the James Wray Memorial Trophy for the eighth consecutive season. It also swept Dartmouth, who rowed as a guest in the cup races. 3 SPIRIT! MAGAZINE SHOP NOW FOR YOUR CORNELL ATHLETICS APPAREL. VISIT SHOP.CORNELLBIGRED.COM SPRING RECAP NOTES: Senior Kate Roach Women’s Rowing May 2, 2015 was named to the CRCA Mid- In its final competition of the cup season, the women’s rowing team Atlantic Region first-team for the third straight year. Junior Ellen saved its best for last, winning three of five races vs. Dartmouth on Barrett was selected to the second Cayuga Lake to win its second consecutive Parents Cup, and its fourth team, and was also named a Cup over the past five seasons. The Big Red kicked off Senior Day with CRCA National Scholar-Athlete. Joining Barrett on the National an open water victory in the varsity 4A, crossing the line 11.1 seconds Scholar-Athlete list were two- ahead of the Big Green. The race for the Parents Cup was up next and time honoree junior Kelly Albanir, senior Ali Totta and sophomore the results were similar, with Cornell winning by open water, exactly 14 Caroline Crawford. seconds ahead of Dartmouth. The Big Red also had a dominant win in the third varsity eight, besting the visitors by over 10 seconds. CLICK HERE TO GO TO WOMEN’S ROWING Women’s Sailing April 27, 2015 In its first year as a varsity program, the sailing team earned an impressive sixth at the MAISA Women’s Dinghy NOTES: In the second day at the National Championships, Championships to secure a spot in the Big Red competed well and the Sperry/ ICSA Women’s National advanced from 15th place to finish Semifinals.