SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association (SARA) has announced that Mike Gennaro, Yale's Craig W. Johnson '68 Head Coach of Heavyweight Crew, will be inducted into the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame, Class of 2024.
 
"It is an absolute privilege to be inducted into the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame. Being a student-athlete at Syracuse changed my life. The experiences I had during my four years at Syracuse, the education I received, and the relationships I made were incredibly formative and something that I will always cherish," said Gennaro on the honor.
 
Gennaro rowed at Syracuse from 2007-2011, where he was team captain and helped the Orange make their first grand final at the IRA National Championships in 20 years.
 
"I often think about how fortunate I am to have started rowing back in high school and how fortunate I am to have been recruited to Syracuse and learn from Coach [Dave] Reischman, but I also recognize that throughout my entire rowing career, there is not any one moment of success that I achieved on my own." Gennaro continued. "Being inducted into the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame is a remarkable distinction and receiving this honor would not be possible without Coach Reischman, his coaching staffs, and all my teammates who challenged and motivated me to be a better version of myself during a very malleable stage of my life. I also have to thank a handful of influential people in my life at Syracuse outside of rowing, such as Brad Pike and Beverly Murphy, who always seemed to be there for me whenever I needed a new perspective. I owe so much to so many people and I am so thankful for having them all in life. I wouldn't be where I am today without everything that Syracuse University and Syracuse rowing has given me."
 
The Havertown, Penn. native sat in the stroke seat for Reischman's varsity eight boat for three seasons, leading the Orange to a Grand Final appearance at the IRA Regatta in 2010.
 
While at Syracuse, his international prowess grew. In 2009, he sat in the bow seat of the U.S. Under-23 4-, winning a silver medal in Racice, Czech Republic. In 2010, he stroked the U.S. Under-23 8+, winning another silver medal in Brest, Belarus. Shortly after graduating from Syracuse, Gennaro stroked the 2011 U.S. Under-23 8+ to a gold medal in Amsterdam, setting a new World Record at 5:24.
 
"Mike and his classmates were transformational for our program. We were just starting to gain some traction and started moving up the national rankings and Mike's class came in and took it to another level," said Dave Reischman, Syracuse's Head Coach of Rowing. "His leadership in our program was very much along the lines of what he provides as a coach at Yale—a lot of positive energy, thoughtful leadership, and undeniable competitiveness.  He had the same impact on the various national teams that he was a part of, and you can already see his influence on the program at Yale.  His induction into our Hall of Fame is based on his collegiate and international rowing careers but I will not be surprised if similar honors follow from his coaching career."

He continued his international pursuits in 2013 when he competed with the United States' 4- boat. That summer, his crew won a gold medal at the 2013 World Rowing Cup III in Lucerne, Switzerland, and a bronze medal at the 2013 World Rowing Championships in Chungju, Korea. The crew stayed together for the 2014 campaign and won the silver medal at the 2014 World Rowing Cup II in Aiguebelette, France, and a silver medal at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam. In 2015, Gennaro sat in the second seat of the U.S. 8+, winning a bronze medal at the 2015 World Rowing Cup II in Varese, Italy, and finished 7th at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette, France.
 
Gennaro, alongside four other inductees, will be honored at the 2024 Annual Evening at Ten Eyck on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Drumlins Country Club in Syracuse, N.Y.
 
About the Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association
The Syracuse Alumni Rowing Association was founded in 1954 by Dr. Bruce Chamberlain and Dr. Thomas Kerr '39. Since its inception, the mission of SARA has been to aid, encourage, foster, support, and promote the sport of rowing in Syracuse. More recently, financial support includes an endowment, an equipment fund, and assistance with travel costs to national and international regattas. SARA's signature gathering is the annual Evening at Ten Eyck, a September alumni regatta and dinner held at the Ten Eyck Boathouse. SARA inducts alumni into the Syracuse Rowing Hall of Fame, and plaques that bear their names are on display in the crew room.