Syracuse Alumni named Coxswain in The 2024 Gemini Boat Race

STORY BY SKYLAR RIVERA

Former Syracuse coxswain Hannah Murphy will make her Boat Race debut on March 30, coxing Cambridge University women as crew announcements were finalized for The 2024 Gemini Boat Race today at the Battersea Power Station in London, England. 

“We’re super thrilled that she’s over there and going to represent herself, Syracuse University and Cambridge University in this amazing event.” said Lucas McGee, Syracuse women’s rowing head coach. “[It] really speaks to her skills to be able to go over there in her first year and earn this seat.”

Murphy led Syracuse to the program’s first ACC Championship victory in the Varisty 8 last season. In the same season, she coxed the Varsity 8 to an eighth overall finish at the NCAA Championship and competed in the Island Challenge at the Henley Royal Regatta.

Through rough conditions, Murphy coxed the Cambridge Women in Fixture Series 2 to a clean win over Thames Rowing Club in February to further her campaign to cox Cambridge in the Boat Race. 

“To learn The Tideway and Boat racing on the Tideway, a lot of times you see those coxswain are ones that grew up on that [Thames] and really have an understanding of the stream and the stations and the turns. “McGee said. “To go over there and unseat the coxswain who was in the blue boat last year, and being able to at this year is no small feat.”

McGee raced the Boat Race during the 2001-02 season for Oxford, in a riveting race that saw Oxford defeat Cambridge by three-quarters of a length after being down on the last turn.

“It ended up being a really historical and incredibly painful race.” McGee remarked. “It’s a four and a quarter mile race that goes off dead level, full start, full ratings, just like it’s a 2k and for us that meant we went the entire way.”

McGee spoke to Murphy throughout the racing season where Cambridge has seen promising results. 

“She’s really stepped in and embraced it, and is making them go fast. So it’s gonna be exciting.”

The 78th annual Women’s Boat Race will occur on the famous Championship Course — a 4.25-mile stretch on the Thames in Putney. The record time for the course of 18 minutes 33 seconds was set by Cambridge in 2017. 

Cambridge Women (coached by Paddy Ryan): Gemma King (bow), Jo Matthews, Clare Hole, Jenna Armstrong (President), Carina Graf, Carys Earl, Iris Powell, Megan Lee (stroke), Hannah Murphy (cox).

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