June 7, 2024 by J.P. Powers
The Hingham High School Crew team capped off a big spring season with gold for the girls second novice boat and bronze medals for the girls second and third varsity and boys first and third varsity boats at the Massachusetts Public School Rowing Association Regatta (MPSRA) Spring Championship Regatta.
On Sunday, May 26, the HHS Crew team traveled to Lowell, Massachusetts for the season-ending MPSRAs. The weather was warm and sunny with a steady current and very little wind along the Merrimack River. The final races of the 2024 spring season featured the top public rowing programs in Massachusetts.
The teams started the morning with time trials. In order to qualify for the finals, races with more than six entries had to finish in the top six in order to make the grand finals. Four Hingham boats, the boys first and second varsity, girls varsity four, and the girls first novice, rowed in the time trials.
In the first time trial, the Hingham boys first varsity faced a very strong eight boat field and managed to put together a great performance as they easily finished within the top five boats. Similarly, the boys second varsity put up a terrific time and also easily qualified for the finals. The brand new girls varsity four qualified for the petite final, while the girls first novice, powered their way into the grand final.
With the time trials out of the way, Hingham immediately got to work with the girls second novice boat, where coxswain Sophia Peregrine, stroke Lena Angel, Peyton Burke, June Rogan, Tess Tomlinson, Tilly Kenny, Emerson Bias, Kalianna Stockbridge, and bow Celia McCarthy rowed an incredible heads up race against Brookline. With both boats battling and neither team able to establish a clear lead as they flew down the course, the Hingham girls raced for the line. In the end, Hingham prevailed by 1.1 seconds in an incredible photo finish win for the gold medal.
The next race featured the Hingham boys novice boat, with coxswain Henry Hoch, stroke Michael Catalfano, Noah Rawoof, Aedan Sullivan, Seph Darlington, Liam Govoni, Miles Figueroa, Luca Arienti, and bow John O’Dwyer putting an exclamation point on a terrific season. In a loaded field, Hingham battled Wayland-Weston, Duxbury, Brookline, and Gentle Giant Rowing out of Somerville. The boys put up an excellent fight, challenging the opposing boats all the way through the finish and closing out a memorable spring in style.
Noah Rawoof noted how the boys on this boat have come together to do something special this season, “I think that any person can lift weights and become physically strong, but it takes a certain drive and willpower to become mentally strong; which ends up being the difference in a race. I feel we overcame that – we’re a special group of rowers.”
Novice Coach Abi Kornet noted that this boat once again showed strength and adaptability in the face of adversity, “We had a last-minute change in our racing lineup Sunday morning due to illness. The guys were sad, but they rallied. They warmed up for the first time in that lineup on their way to the start with every intention of making the most of it. And they followed through – they competed together with everything they had. Although the result wasn’t what they had hoped for, the boys know they logged many wins this season and there are a lot of moving parts in competitive rowing. In our post-race chat Sunday, they soon shifted their focus onto what matters most – all that they had achieved as a team this season. I am very proud of them and excited for the varsity team next year.”
After their impressive time trial, the girls novice boat came out and put together a great performance against a very tough field. The girls first novice, featuring coxswain Emily Gu, stroke Rose Lovendale, Haley Kost, Elsie Olin, Annie Sargent, Lexi Messina, Stella Gutierrez, Veronica Webb, and bow Ginger Neihoff, battled hard all the way through the line, finishing a half second behind Bromfield Acton Boxborough after an intense struggle for the fifth spot. Once again, the girls demonstrated the strength and depth of the young boat, and have shown excellent form and tons of potential throughout the season.
The boys fourth varsity, with coxswain Owen Weinstein, stroke Ryan Kost, Owen Lefort, Brian Magner, Ryan Potter, Aqueel Bharmal, Euan Chesney-Douglas, Jack O’Leary, and Brent Strauss, showed tremendous fight against archrival Duxbury. While they weren’t quite able to pull ahead, the boys hung tough for the entire race and finished strong.
The boys third varsity, featuring Tyler Bastia at coxswain, Brendan Engel at stroke, Niko Mangili, Lachlan Knies, Oliver McLucas, Owen Cerrato, Zak Robbins, Will Whitrap, and Liam Connelly at bow, was an incredibly tight four-boat race. Duxbury, Brookline, Hingham, and Wayland-Weston powered along in a tight pack with very little separation over the course of the race. In the end, the Hingham boys finished a few seconds behind Duxbury and Brookline, but ahead of Wayland-Weston, securing a well-earned bronze medal.
In the next race, the girls third varsity with coxswain Shayla St. Croix, stroke Madeline Kittinger, Dania Thayer, Tayler Sargent, Bianca Kiley, Dillon Turner, Aubrey Fairfield, Emme Beaudoin, and bow Abrielle Beaudoin faced a truly daunting field with Duxbury, Boston Latin, Brookline, and a second Duxbury entry. The Hingham girls, who have had an incredibly impressive season, again demonstrated their strength as they pushed past Brookline and one of the Duxbury boats to secure bronze medals.
The girls new varsity four crossed the finish line fourth of out of six boats, missing medal contention by just three seconds. The varsity four included coxswain Octavia Atkins, stroke Shauna Arseneau, Anne Kyriss, Eva O’Sullivan, and bow Lauren Newth.
The boys second varsity, with coxswain Lucas Mangili, stroke Owen Franklin, Trevor Steiner, Will Cassidy, Arlo Maxwell, Hanley Stroka, Alex Doggett, Jack Burns, and Cullen Moriarty, who have repeatedly shown themselves to be one of the most technically proficient and hard-working boats to be found, battled hard against a very strong field. In the end, the Hingham boys raced neck and neck with archrival Duxbury for the bronze medal only to come agonizingly short despite rowing a tremendous race. The boys hit the line 1.2 second after the Duxbury boat, delivering a fantastic effort and an amazing ending for a stellar group of young oarsmen.
Hingham High valedictorian and Dartmouth College class of ‘28 rower Jack Burns knows that he and his fellow oarsmen laid it all on the line, “Though we lost to Duxbury by 1.2 seconds at MPSRA, I honestly feel that it was the best way for my last race to have gone. I know that no one in my boat could have given more as they all wanted to make that last race memorable for the departing seniors. I will always remember that energy over the number of medals we won.”
In the next race, the girls second varsity, with Jane Betti as coxswain, Sophia Santarelli at stroke, Genevieve Vale, Louisa Orth, Isabelle Wagner, Eliza Powers, Nina Murphy, Lydia D’Arcy, and Maddie Owens, put together an amazing race. Despite a significant setback at the start, where the race began despite the fact that Hingham was lined up several seats back from the other boats, the girls rowed a powerful and gritty race. Having to overcome a massive disadvantage at the start, the girls dug deep and spent the early part of the race clawing back seats and overpowering the other boats as they battled bow to bow for the lead. Although Hingham had to row a greater distance, they put themselves in position to strike at the end. Three boats, Brookline, Boston Latin, and Hingham, hit the line almost simultaneously, as the race ended in a photo finish. In the end, Hingham ended the race a mere 0.8 seconds out of first and grabbed the bronze medal. Despite a Hingham protest, the results were allowed to stand.
Next, the Hingham first varsity girls, led by coxswain Grace Ji, stroke Maeve Schnorr, Maisie Knies, Sophie Kerr, Thea Migliaccio, Ava Sugrue, Natalie Shaw, Marissa Matthews, and bow Lynnayah Ryan raced hard and strong against a field of great competitors. The girls, who have shown resilience and fight all season, hung with the lead pack for much of the race before finishing just outside of the medals, despite beating the Haverhill boat by more than a minute.
In the final race, the boys first varsity boat of coxswain Jack Levy, stroke Dylan Drew, James Feeley, Sam Ackerman, Walker Bogen, Will Barry, James Barry, Slater Fairfield, and bow Josh Bradshaw, once again proved their talent and mettle as they delivered a powerful closing statement on the season. The boys, who once again found themselves in a deep and talented field, powered into the lead pack and nearly overtook Wayland-Weston and archrival Duxbury as they flew down the river. After a furious race for the finish, Hingham ended up a mere 3.5 seconds out of first place, capturing a bronze medal and cementing an incredible season full of great moments and incredible team growth.
Junior Slater Fairfield ‘25, is grateful that the boys gave a great effort for the departing seniors, “It was truly a thrilling end to the season. At both races we pushed as a team and came out standing. I’ll be sad to see my graduating boat mates off; they are a group of people I’m willing to give my all for. But we made many unforgettable memories and I’m looking forward to seeing how the next chapter of their lives unfold.”
Boys head coach Alix Howie is proud of the effort the rowers put into all of the weekend’s races, “It was a phenomenal weekend – tight, hard fought races and great team spirit. It was also an emotional weekend. It is always bittersweet as it’s the culmination of a challenging season and the last one for our seniors and their teammates. But they all rowed for each other, making every inch count and made some magic happen. I’m incredibly proud of them.”
The Hingham Crew team closes the book on an amazing chapter filled with hard work, sacrifice, and unforgettable moments. The departing seniors have left an indelible mark, having built a strong culture on a team loaded with young talent and ready to tackle future challenges.