ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell men's heavyweight rowing team closed its fall season with a pair of wins Saturday morning at the Cornell Fall Classic, as the 3V8+ edged Dartmouth by 0.4 seconds in the first flight and the 4V8+ beat the Big Green by 3.8 seconds in the second flight on Cayuga Inlet.
Syracuse's 1V8+ won both of its pieces, with Dartmouth second each time. The results wrap up the Big Red's fall schedule as it turns toward a spring season that builds to the Eastern Sprints and the IRA National Championship in May.
Crews raced two timed flights over the scheduled 5,000-meter course, each running from the 1V8+ through the 4V8+.
Cornell's 1V8+ reached the 3,700-meter mark in 11:19.7 in the first flight but did not finish. Syracuse won the piece in 15:16.2, 4.6 seconds ahead of Dartmouth, while Ithaca College finished in 17:11.2 in its lone race of the day. The Big Red came back to finish third in the second flight in 15:27.4, 10.6 seconds behind Syracuse. Up front, Dartmouth led through all three markers and held a 0.6-second edge after 3,700 meters before Syracuse's 4:04.2 closing split carried the Orange to a 0.4-second win.
The 2V8+ finished third in the first flight in 16:01.6, 25.1 seconds behind Syracuse. It was 19.5 seconds faster in the second piece, finishing second in 15:42.1, 2.9 seconds ahead of Dartmouth and 8.1 behind Syracuse. Cornell trailed Dartmouth through 2,500 meters, moved ahead by the 3,700-meter mark and posted the fastest closing split among the 2V8+ crews at 4:09.3.
The 3V8+ produced the closest finish of the day in the first flight. Cornell was third at the 1,500- and 2,500-meter marks and trailed Dartmouth by 2.0 seconds after 3,700 meters before closing in 4:23.8 to finish in 16:05.3 and earn its own 0.4-second win. Syracuse was third in 16:09.9. In the second flight, the Big Red led after 1,500 meters before finishing third in 15:56.8 as 1.7 seconds separated all three crews; Syracuse won in 15:55.1 and Dartmouth was second in 15:55.6.
The 4V8+ flipped its result against Dartmouth between pieces. After finishing 10.4 seconds behind the Big Green in the first flight in 16:40.0, Cornell led at every marker in the second, stretching a 1.3-second edge after 1,500 meters to 2.1 seconds after 3,700 and 3.8 at the finish. Its 16:12.3 time was 27.7 seconds faster than its first piece.
The Big Red returns to racing in the spring when it opens an eight-event slate Saturday, March 27, against Drexel on Cayuga Inlet.
FIRST FLIGHT RESULTS
1V8+: Syracuse, 15:16.2; Dartmouth, 15:20.8; Ithaca College, 17:11.2; Cornell, DNF
2V8+: Syracuse, 15:36.5; Dartmouth, 15:40.6; Cornell, 16:01.6
3V8+: Cornell, 16:05.3; Dartmouth, 16:05.7; Syracuse, 16:09.9
4V8+: Dartmouth, 16:29.6; Cornell, 16:40.0
SECOND FLIGHT RESULTS
1V8+: Syracuse, 15:16.8; Dartmouth, 15:17.2; Cornell, 15:27.4
2V8+: Syracuse, 15:34.0; Cornell, 15:42.1; Dartmouth, 15:45.0
3V8+: Syracuse, 15:55.1; Dartmouth, 15:55.6; Cornell, 15:56.8
4V8+: Cornell, 16:12.3; Dartmouth, 16:16.1
