Back-to-Back Mahoney Cup Wins for HHS Crew

May 17, 2023 By Holly Moriarty

The Hingham High School Crew team won the Eric Mahoney Memorial Regatta in Connecticut this past weekend with five boats taking first place—the boys first, second, and third varsity crews and the girls third varsity and novice boats. The team also took home the Mahoney Cup in 2022.

Glastonbury High School hosts the annual Eric Mahoney Memorial Regatta to honor a rower who passed away when he was captain of the team. Hingham began racing in the regatta when Pat Houle, a teammate of Eric Mahoney, joined the coaching staff of the girls HHS Crew team several years ago. The regatta has since become a favorite of the team.

“The Mahoney Cup Regatta has always been an important race in my life and for the entire town of Glastonbury,” said Coach Houle. “I have loved sharing this special event with the rowers and families of Hingham, and I’m extremely proud of the boys team for winning the cup for the second year in a row!”

HHS Crew took on Glastonbury and Avon High Schools on Lake Pocotopaug in East Hampton, Connecticut. Athletes raced in ideal conditions—sunny, mild weather and 5-7 mph tailwinds. Water was fairly flat for the rowers in the 1,300 meter races. The team met the bus at 4:45 a.m. Saturday morning, an early wake up for all, but especially the juniors who had prom the night before.

The second varsity boats took off first on the boys side, setting the tone for the day. The crew had worked hard all week, switching seats and finding rhythm.

“Although being down a bit off the start, they remained calm and patient, making their own move and methodically walking their way through the competition in the first thousand. They looked long and strong as they came through the beach with the crowd cheering,” said Alix Howie, head coach of the boys HHS Crew team.

The boys second varsity boat beat out Glastonbury by four seconds, with Avon in third, and included rowers Slater Fairfield, Jack Burns, Nathan Tesler, Alex Doggett, Nick Germain, James Barry, Michael Magner, Arlo Maxwell, and coxswain Alex Jacob.

The boys first varsity was racing to defend the Eric Mahoney Memorial Trophy. “They jumped right off the start and walked away from Avon and Glastonbury for the remainder of the race,” said Coach Howie. “They remained focused and loose, ultimately winning the race for the second year in a row. They made incredible progress this week in practice, and it was great to see that rewarded in a race.”

The boys 1V boat crossed the finish line 10 seconds ahead of Glastonbury, and Avon placed third. Michael Wegener coxed rowers Gabe Wagner, Sam Ackerman, Owen Burleigh, Will D’Arcy, James Feeley, Theo Grossman, Josh Bradshaw, and Dylan Drew.

“I love racing at the Mahoney Cup,” said HHS Crew team captain Gabe Wagner. “It is nice to be part of a race filled with so much comradery and tradition. I have been lucky enough to win the 1V race twice and bring home the trophy with my team.”

The boys third and fourth varsity boats competed together in a combined varsity race. “Both boats worked hard all week to come together in new lineups. The 3V hit their start and pulled into an early lead ahead of Glastonbury and the 4V.  They maintained and extended this lead the whole course. The 4V fought hard against higher boats. They started strong, maintained a steady stroke, and stayed right on Glastonbury’s heels throughout the race,” added Coach Howie.

Hingham’s boys third varsity boat came in two seconds ahead of Glastonbury. Torbjorn Tennebø coxed rowers Owen Franklin, Alex Hart, Will Cassidy, Joe Cassidy, Will Barry, A.J. Rubel, Colin Menuchi, and Cullen Moriarty.

HHS’s fourth varsity crew placed third, with rowers Ethan Parnell, Asher Baynes, Ryan Kost, Kai Hawes, Brendan Engel, Trevor Steiner, Owen Weinstein, Kyle Strauss, and coxswain Jack Levy.

The boys novice boat crossed the finish line third in their race, less than two seconds behind Avon and 11 seconds after Glastonbury, with a second Glastonbury novice boat in fourth.

“They rowed strong and competitively all the way to the finish line. The two second differential has really provided the fire we needed going into our next race in New Hampshire this coming weekend. We’re looking forward to it,” said Abi Kornet, HHS Crew novice boys coach.

The novice crew included Aqueel Bharmal, Niko Mangili, Hanley Stroka, Oliver McLucas, Will Whitrap, Gerard Botini, Owen Cerrato, Brent Strauss, and coxswain Tyler Bastia.

“It was a phenomenal day for Hingham Crew, and I am very proud of how hard these guys have worked so far,” said Coach Howie. “We definitely still have some things to improve on and we are looking forward to continue to work on grabbing some inches in our last couple of weeks.”

On the girls side, Glastonbury took first against HHS’s second varsity crew with Louisa Orth, Dania Thayer, Sadie Neidecker, Isabella Wagner, Ava Sugrue, Nina Murphy, Grace Desai, Lydia D’Arcy, and coxswain Alexa Fox.

The girls first varsity boat crossed the finish line just four seconds behind Glastonbury, with Avon in third. Maddie McPhillips coxed rowers Sophie Kerr, Maisie Knies, Maeve Schnorr, Elena Vasilakos, Marissa Matthews, Jane Betti, Sophia Santarelli, and Lynnayah Ryan.

The girls finished the day with two wins. HHS’s third varsity boat prevailed with a 12 second lead over Glastonbury, and Hingham’s fourth varsity boat took third in the race. HHS girls 3V included coxswain Nora Pluto and rowers Ava Green, Mazie Neidecker, Ellie Dodd, Thea Migliaccio, Bridget Sandler, Maddie Owens, Madeline Kittinger, and Abrielle Beaudoin.

The girls fourth varsity crew included coxswain Ella Poggenburg and rowers Grace Ji, Shauna Arseneau, Taylor Sargent, Grace LaFond, Lauren Newth, Aubrey Fairfield, Dillon Turner, and Jordan Peterson.

HHS’s girls novice boat crossed the finish line seven seconds ahead of Glastonbury and 18 seconds ahead of Avon. Ella Poggenburg coxed Louisa Orth, Lynnayah Ryan, Sophia Santarelli, Isabella Wagner, Ava Sugrue, Abrielle Beaudoin, Anne Kyriss, and Lydia D’Arcy.

“It was a good day, boosted morale going into the remainder of the season,” said Theo Grossman, a senior on the HHS Crew team. “We’re looking forward to Hanover and Tabor next weekend.”