Syracuse is national champions once again. On Memorial Day, the men's lacrosse team visited familiar territory after it claimed its second-consecutive national championship, 11th overall, at Gillette Stadium by defeating local-rival Cornell, 10-9, in thrilling overtime fashion. The Orange successfully defended its 2008 championship, marking head coach John Desko's fifth national title, putting him third on an exclusive list behind former SU mentor Roy Simmons Jr. and Princeton's Bill Tierney, who each have six.

SU never led in the contest until Cody Jamieson miraculously found the back of the net while falling down at the 2:40 mark of the overtime session. The Orange faced a 9-6 deficit with 5:31 left in the fourth. Desko hailed for a timeout and the tempo shifted in Syracuse's favor. Sophomore attackman Stephen Keogh pulled SU within two, 9-7, with 3:37 to go followed by Jamieson's first goal of the contest at 2:46. Cornell regained possession in the final half minute, but SU's ride proved to be too strong for the Big Red to handle. Syracuse jarred the ball loose from a Cornell defenseman near midfield leading into a behind-the-back feed from Matt Abbott to Kenny Nims. Nims snatched the deflected pass right at the goalmouth and slipped it by Jake Myers with four seconds in regulation to tie the game, 9-9.

Jamieson's national championship-clinching tally was prompted after a great check delivered by Sid Smith in Orange territory. SU cleared the ball effectively and the rest was history as Syracuse secured its 11th title, the most of any program in Division I lacrosse.

Track & Field
Syracuse had the weekend off to prepare for the two-day NCAA East Region Championship starting on Friday, May 29. The competition will take place in Greensboro, N.C. at North Carolina A & T State's Irwin Belk Track. Eight men and eight women will compete in 11 different events this weekend to make the final push for the NCAA Outdoor Championship from June 10-13 in Fayetteville, Ark.

Two weekends ago, SU attained 11 NCAA Regional-qualifying marks attained at the 2009 ECAC / IC4A Outdoor Championship. The men tied for eighth place (30 points) while the women rounded out their weekend in 14th (21 points).

On the first day of competition, senior Kyle Heath earned his second-consecutive IC4A crown in the 3,000-meter steeplechase with an NCAA Regional-qualifying time of 8:42.38.

Junior Uhunoma Osazuwa, the 2009 BIG EAST Outdoor heptathlon champion, repeated as the ECAC heptathlon champion on the second day of competition. Osazuwa's winning NCAA Provisional-total 5,258 points was fueled by first place finishes in the high jump (1.72m), 200-meter dash (24.59) and long jump (5.87m).

The final day was highlighted by the Orange quartet of sophomores Sham Lewis and Jarret Eaton and seniors Terry Marshall and Bernard Bush. SU's four won the 4 x 100-meter relay race in NCAA Regional-qualifying fashion with a time of 40.35. The winning beat was 0.04 second off of Sir Mawn Wilson, Cory Ward, Adrian Woodley and Jim Turner's record set back in 1995 (40.31).

Bush also brought home a third-place finish in the long jump with an NCAA Regional-qualifying and personal best mark of 7.50m.

Junior Lorraine Hill notched her first NCAA Regional-qualifying toss in the javelin after recording a sixth-place measure of 44.82m. Hill's pitch was a personal best and eclipsed her season-high from the UNC Invite by 1.77m.

In the women's 5,000-meter run, sophomore Catherine DeSarle logged an NCAA Regional-qualifying time of 16:42.20 to break the school record for the second time this season. DeSarle's record-breaking clip yielded a third-place showing. Junior Curtis Bixler and freshman Pat Dupont tallied NCAA Regional-qualifying times of 8:59.24 and 9:03.09, respectively, to finish out in ninth and tenth place. Freshmen Rebekah Stephens and Natalie Busby finished seventh and ninth, respectively, in the steeplechase with NCAA Regional-qualifying marks of 10:37.50 and 10:41.03.

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Last Competition
May 15-17 – ECAC/IC4A Outdoor Championship at Princeton – Men – T-8th / Women – 14th
Next Competition
May 29-30 – NCAA East Region Championship
2008-09 Outdoor Track & Field Schedule

Men's Crew
Two weeks ago, the No. 11 Syracuse men's crew team closed out the dual race portion of its 2009 schedule sweeping No. 14 Dartmouth and securing the Packard Cup on Sunday, May 17. The Orange varsity eight won the Packard Cup for the fourth straight year. Syracuse has won 14 of its last 15 cups races and is 25-2 in dual races dating back to 2006.

The varsity eight boat led the entire race and finished with a time of 6:60.9. In the second eight, the Orange broke the race open putting more than a full length between the two boats. Syracuse finished at a clip of 6:13.7, while the Big Green crossed the finish line in 6:35.3. Syracuse's third varsity stuck with the winning trend by crossing in 6:35.4, with Dartmouth following at 6:51.1. In the closest race of the day, SU's freshman eight locked down the sweep of the Big Green. Dartmouth challenged the Orange down the final stretch, but SU's freshman eight won the race in 6:32.9. The Big Green finished in 6:36.4.

Syracuse has qualified four boats for the 2009 IRA Regatta on June 4, including the varsity eight, second varsity eight, freshmen eight and open four.

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Last Race
May 17 – Packard Cup – [V8: 1st (6:06.90); 2V8: 1st (6:13.7); 3V8: 1st (6:35.4); F8: 1st (6:32.9)]
Next Race
June 4 – I.R.A. Regatta
2009 Crew Schedule

Women's Rowing
Senior Liz Henwood and sophomore Natalie Mastracci were named to the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Mid-Atlantic All-Region team. Henwood earned first-team accolades, while Mastracci was named to the second team for the second consecutive year.

The women's rowing team had a successful showing in its final race of the season two weeks ago at the 2009 Eastern Sprints at Cooper River in Camden, N.J

The Syracuse women's rowing team had two boats qualify for the grand finals. The novice eight and the third varsity four “B” boat each qualified for the grand final, while SU's varsity eight, second varsity eight, third varsity four “A” and the second novice four each qualified for the petite finals.

SU's varsity eight placed fourth with a time of 6:51.905. Syracuse's second varsity eight recorded a fourth place time of 7:21.885 in Heat No. 3. SU's novice eight boat was one of the Orange's two boats to qualify for the grand final. Syracuse claimed third in the petite final in 6:58.902.

After placing second in Heat No. 3 in 7:22.822 ahead of Rutgers, Navy and Boston College, the novice eight finished sixth in the grand final (7:07.898).

The third varsity four “A” rowed to a third place finished in Heat No. 3 registering a time of 7:53.176, good enough to qualify for the petite final. The Orange won the petite final crossing the finish line 7:52.733 after its launch.

The Orange novice four finished fifth. Syracuse went on to place fourth in the petite final (8:45.674).

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Last Race
May 17 – Eastern Sprints - [V8 - Fourth Petite Final (6:51.905); N8 - Sixth Grand Final (7:07.898); 2V8 - Third Petite Final (6;58.902); 3V4A - First Petite Final (7:52.733); 2N4 - Fourth Petite Final (8:45.674); 3V4B - Sixth Grand Final (8:16.866)]
Next Race
Season Concluded
2009 Rowing Schedule