October 4, 2022 by Holly Moriarty
The Hingham High School Crew team kicked off a packed season of races this fall with a big showing at the Textile River Regatta last Sunday. All the boats had strong finishes, with the boys second varsity crew coming away with bronze.
The athletes rowed against 20-mile-per-hour head winds, causing choppy currents in the 4,500 meter race on the Merrimack River in Lowell. It was a brisk 55 degrees with clouds and breaks of sunshine in the afternoon. Training on the Back River and in Hingham Harbor, HHS Crew is used to tough conditions.
“It was a great day for our team. The weather was definitely a challenge, but our boats rowed in similar conditions all week and were prepared for the high winds and rough water,” said HHS Crew Head Boys Coach Alix Howie.
The boys second varsity boat competed first among HHS’s crews, taking third place in a field of 23 boats and beating out long-standing rivals Duxbury High School and BC High. Alex Jacob coxed the second varsity boat with rowers Sam Ackerman, James Feeley, Nathan Tesler, Alex Doggett, Nick Germain, Colin Menuchi, Jack Burns, and Cullen Moriarty.
The boys first varsity boat crossed the finish line sixth out of 17 boats, also placing ahead of Duxbury and BC High. The HHS crew was in close competition with Wayland-Weston, Bedford, and Concord High Schools, all finishing within five seconds of one other. The boys 1V boat included Will D’Arcy, Gabe Wagner, Michael Magner, Owen Burleigh, Theo Grossman, A.J. Rubel, Dylan Drew, Josh Bradshaw, and coxswain Michael Wegener.
“I think we performed very well and I’m very proud of the effort and determination they put forth. We are excited and looking forward to the rest of the season,” said Coach Howie.
The girls first varsity boat placed in the top half of their field, crossing the finish line seventh out of 15 boats, just one-tenth of a second behind Brookline and 1.5 seconds after Duxbury. Maddie McPhillips coxed rowers Sophie Kerr, Maisie Knies, Maeve Schnorr, Elena Vasilakos, Marissa Matthews, Jane Betti, Sadie Neidecker, and Abigail Brown.
"I am proud of our team and the hard work we've been putting in,” said HHS Crew Head Girls Coach Sydney Blasetti. “I can't wait to see where the season goes from here."
The girls second and third varsity boats and novice (first year) boat all competed in the same race due to the winds causing race cancellations. The novice boat had a particularly strong showing placing seventh out of 18, the second varsity boat coming in tenth, and third varsity at 18.
The girls second varsity boat was coxed by Alexa Fox with rowers Grace Desai, Genevieve Vale, Ava Green, Julia Lopes, Sasha Coleman, Dania Thayer, Ellie Dodd, and Shauna Arseneau.
HHS’s girls third varsity boat included Ella Poggenburg, Mazie Neidecker, Taylor Sargent, Grace LeFond, Audrey Jones, Luka Gutierrez, Madeline Kittinger, Patricia Ricci, and coxswain Greta Campbell.
Rowing in the girls novice boat were Louisa Orth, Lynnayah Ryan, Sophia Santarelli, Isabelle Wagner, Ava Sugrue, Abrielle Beaudoin, Grace Ji, Lydia D’Arcy, and coxswain Nora Pluto.
The boys novice crew made it out on the river, only to have their race called off due to high winds. The boat included coxswain Hanley Stroka, and rowers Asher Baynes, Lachlan Knies, Walker Bogan, Brent Strauss, Will Barry, Aqueel Bharmal, Liam Connolly, Owen Lefort, and Will Whitrap.
HHS Crew is back on the water again this coming Sunday for the New England Junior Championships in Worcester.