Coach Luke McGee Q&A

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS WITH COACH LUKE MCGEE

OO: How fit did the women return from the summer break?

LM:The end of summer break was a bit of a mad dash to get started. I completed my family’s move to Syracuse on August 25th and we held our first team meeting on the 27th. The team was excited to get started and we opened the year with a mix of technical rows and post-row erg workouts. The team performed well on an opening 30-min erg test and continued to build strength and speed throughout the fall.

OO: Did any of the women participate in international events in the summer of 2018?

LM: We had an exciting summer with recent graduate Hattie Taylor (SU ’17) representing Great Britain at the Senior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria and four of our women racing at the Under-23 World Championships in Poznan, Poland. Hattie had an impressive summer by earning a silver and a bronze medal at World Cup 1 and 2 and capping her year by competing in the Women’s 2- for Great Britain at the Senior World Championships. In a tough event, Hattie won the “B” final and finished 7th in the World. This was a big step in Hattie’s career and we are excited to watch her compete for a seat at the Tokyo Olympics.

At the Under-23 World Championships, one of our senior captains Arianna Lee rowed in the bow seat of the USA Women’s 4x that finished 6th. Sydney Michalak, a graduate transfer to Syracuse, rowed in the USA Women’s 2x with recent graduate Ashley Johnson (SU ’18). And junior Lucy Pearce represented Australia in the five seat of the Women’s 8+ that finished in 6th place.

It was great to see so many of our SU athletes rowing on the international stage and we hope that number continues to grow as we support their efforts to row at the highest level.

OO: What have you been working on this fall in particular?

LM: The fall has been a great opportunity to log some long miles on the canal in eights. Our focus has been on building fitness through hard work while also taking time to work on the technical aspects of what moves a boat. Initially, we spoke a lot about taking long, hard strokes and then worked to translate that length to higher ratings for races. We still have work to do but I have been pleased with their ability to adapt to a new training program, especially the older athletes. Everyone has been open to making changes on the water and taking risks on the erg.

OO: What is your outlook for 2019? Do you see any emerging trends, women stepping up, lineups being shaken up?

LM: It has been fun for me to join the team and shake up line-ups and put people in seats where they do not normally sit in the boat. We have a lot of strokes to take between now and when we get out on the race course this spring, but the women are embracing the hard work and I am excited to watch the team compete in 2019.

OO: Talk about your freshmen.

LM: The freshmen group is a strong bunch with a good number of them already stepping up into boats that raced this fall at the Head of the Charles. There is a big learning curve when freshmen arrive on campus in the fall. They are asked to perform academically and athletically and we are lucky to have great studentathlete support from our coaching staff, academic advisors, athletic trainers, nutritionists, etc., that help with the transition. I have enjoyed watching them slot into the team this fall and am excited to see how far they can go this year and throughout their career at Syracuse.

OO: Talk about your senior class.

LM: The senior group is a mature bunch of athletes who provide a lot of positive leadership across all boats. They understand the value of hard work but also the necessity of having fun. I think now that the fall semester is coming to a close they are starting to realize that this is their last racing season at Syracuse and I can already see how we are going to miss them next year. Being that it is their last racing season, there will be a natural sense of urgency that should translate to the team as we head indoors for the next couple of months.

OO: I hear you have an open launch policy during practices.

LM: Yes, I have an open launch policy here at Syracuse. Everyone is welcome to come back and watch the team train and race. So far we have had a number of alums and parents take me up on the offer and I sincerely hope that the number continues to grow. I think it is great for the team to see so many people who are invested in their success and I would encourage all alums to come see us in action. Your help and support is greatly appreciated and we are looking forward to representing Syracuse on the race course this spring!

OO: What is in store for the 2019 season?

LM: We have an early race circled on our calendar. We head down to Virginia to face UVA, Duke, Ohio State and Michigan on April 6th on Lake Monticello and it will be a great test for our squad against some of the top teams in the country. The opportunity to see some real speed early in the season will pay dividends later in the year.

OO: Special memories and moments from the 2018 Evening at Ten Eyck?

LM: Evening At Ten Eyck was a great opportunity to celebrate the 40 years of Women’s Rowing at Syracuse and to meet so many of our alums. I had a great chat with Mark Lyvers and enjoyed hearing his coaching stories and seeing his interaction with his former athletes. But the standout moment for me was Marcia Furlonge’s boat dedication of the “Connie” in honor of her mother. It was an emotional dedication and a great moment for our current athletes to see the positive impact that this program has had upon others.