Cornell men's heavyweight rowing will close its fall season against Dartmouth and Syracuse at home Saturday, October 31. The Cornell Fall Classic begins with racing at 9 a.m. at the Cornell Rowing Center.
Crews are expected to start launching from Collyer Boathouse at about 8:15 a.m., according to Cornell's preview. A second racing flight is scheduled for 10 a.m., followed by awards at the boathouse at 11:30 a.m.
Each flight will run from the first varsity eight through the fourth varsity eight. Both flights are scheduled for five-kilometer pieces, beginning down the chute at the negative-250 mark and continuing past the Boatyard Grill to Cayuga Lake's west shore. Wind could change the course length or start times, and spectators are encouraged to arrive early.
Cornell opened its fall season at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston on October 18. Its Championship Four finished fifth among nine crews in 15:54.328, improving on seventh place a year earlier. Sophomore Marcus Decorato coxed the boat, with junior Finn Hayes in the stroke seat.
The Championship Eight finished 22nd of 37 in 13:59.363, Cornell's first appearance in that event since 2019. Junior Jack Walker was coxswain and sophomore Noah Kanefsky stroked the crew.
Coach Todd Kennett said the program has required boats to meet a speed standard before entering the Head of the Charles for the past six years. After a summer challenge of 1.5 million meters, the team qualified both crews for Boston.
The four passed Princeton's second boat and finished 2.486 seconds behind fourth-place Penn. The eight passed Columbia and finished 26.528 seconds behind the winning Dutch national-team crew, Holland Acht.
More than 96 Cornell alumni and undergraduates competed in Boston. Geoff Hoffman, a 1997 graduate, won the men's grand master/veteran singles on October 16.
Kennett said lineups have continued to shift since the team returned to Ithaca, with rowers maintaining their focus on speed. All but one rower and the coxswain in the second varsity eight have varsity experience, creating competition with the first boat.
Dartmouth also raced at the Head of the Charles. Syracuse has yet to race this fall. Kennett described both as strong competition and Saturday's event as an important step toward the spring season.
FingerLakes1.com is the region’s leading all-digital news publication. The company was founded in 1998 and has been keeping residents informed for more than two decades. Have a lead? Send it to news@fingerlakes1.com.
