ITHACA, N.Y. — The Cornell men's heavyweight, men's lightweight, and women's rowing programs will unofficially begin their 2024-25 seasons on Saturday when the trio of Big Red rowing programs race in the 149th running of the Schwartz Cup.
Racing is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday from the lower portion of the Cayuga Inlet before heading out onto Cayuga Lake toward the Ithaca Yacht Club before turning around and concluding the 5000-meter race near the Boatyard Grill. Following the first portion, the crews will break into a triple 500-meter sprint to conclude racing for the day.
Times from the two pieces will be added together and the fastest crew from each of the three programs will receive Schwartz Cups.
As customary with the Schwartz Cup, each boat participating in the event will wear coordinated outfits. Awards for the best costumes will also be handed out in addition to the Schwartz Cups.
The Schwartz Cup is an excellent training session for the Big Red programs as all three prepare for the Head of the Charles, the program's first official event in its fall schedules. All Cornell's races at the Head of the Charles will be held on Sunday, Oct. 20, on the Charles River in Boston, Mass.
Upon returning to the Cornell Rowing Center from racing, the awards ceremony is slated to occur between 10 and 10:15 a.m. Additionally, five boats will be christened on Saturday, and former Cornell women's rower, assistant coach, and two-time Olympian Tracy Eisser '12 will be honored as she will be formally inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame on Saturday night.
Following the awards and boat christenings, the Cornell Rowing Association (CRA) will hold its annual meeting.
Another highlight of Saturday's festivities will include the annual Whitey Mullestein '32 Leadership Award Dinner. Cocktails will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6 p.m. Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame heavyweight rowers Mike Staines '71 and Ken Brown '74 will also receive the "Whitey" Mullestein '32 Leadership Awards as part of the night.
Staines, a three-time letterwinner at Cornell, aided the Big Red's varsity eight to its IRA Championship title as a senior in 1971. Upon graduating from Cornell, Staines appeared in two Olympics, which was highlighted by winning a silver medal with the U.S. men's pair at the 1976 Olympics in Montréal, Québec. He also raced in the men's coxed pair at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany.
Brown, a three-year letterwinner, rowed in the No. 6 seat or stroked the Big Red varsity eight during his collegiate career. In 1973, he was one of 14 Americans selected for the United States National Team that competed at the European Rowing Championships in Moscow, where he rowed in the No. 6 seat. After graduating from Cornell in 1974, Brown won a gold medal with the U.S. men's eight at the 1974 World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland, and rowed with the men's eight at the 1975 World Championships in Nottingham, England. In addition to his national rowing achievements, Brown was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, where he rowed for two years.
