September 30, 2025 by J.P. Powers, Photos by Brian Smith and Pete Owens
With the graduation of many strong and talented athletes last spring, some were nervous that Hingham Crew might need to spend time rebuilding this season. After one weekend of racing, it is clear that the boys and girls of Hingham Crew have reloaded and are ready to compete right now. After two weeks of erg practices at the light plant and three weeks finding their swing on the water, the Hingham crews came roaring into Connecticut eager to put their hard work and preparation to the test.
Departing before sunrise from Hingham, the athletes traveled two hours hoping to start the season strong—and they certainly delivered. Saturday’s weather in Glastonbury was spectacular. With sunny skies, light breezes, and temperatures in the mid-70s, the Connecticut River was flat and fast, offering perfect conditions for peak rowing performances.
Fall racing features head races, a longer distance (roughly 5,000 meters) time trial where boats start in 30-second intervals, as opposed to the spring sprint format where boats line up head-to-head over a shorter course. Because head racing requires navigating numerous turns over a longer distance, the skill of the coxswains in choosing the best lines and guiding their boats efficiently to the finish is paramount. Fortunately, Hingham’s coxswains are among the best in the high school ranks.
Novice Girls Open the Medal Count
The girls’ first novice boat powered past their rivals for a gold medal finish, while the second novice made a strong debut. Racing over a 2,000-meter course instead of the full varsity distance, the first novice lineup—coxswain Grace Mullen, stroke Anna Rubel, Megan Buckley, Lyla Wagner, Emma Gersack, Annie Melia, Ellie Reid, Susanna Grissom, and bow Aliyah Blidner—blazed past the competition with a time nearly 14 seconds faster than their nearest rival.
The second novice crew, with coxswain Shayla St. Croix, stroke Audrey Lambert, Mariella DelSesto, Claire Wang, Abby Farris, Ali Rosetti, Kaia Johnson, Finley Sullivan, and bow Sherry Xu, raced as an exhibition entry but still posted the fourth-fastest time overall, outpacing Guilford, two Glastonbury boats, and Avon.
Girls Novice Coach Pat Houle is excited about the results:
“I’m really proud of how both novice boats raced this early in the season. Our first boat looked sharp and aggressive, passing three crews with a great line from coxswain Grace Mullen. Our second boat showed huge improvement from just a week ago, pushing hard to beat five boats. That kind of progress is exactly what we want to see heading into upcoming races.”
Novice Boys Strike Gold
The novice boys, with coxswain Reagan Puleo, stroke Miles McLucas, James Anderson, Colin Alexander, Taylor Bradl, Preston Molitor, Asher Ellis, Toby Vaishnava, and bow Diego Figueroa, came flying out of the gate. Holding strong against a seven-boat field, they blitzed to another gold medal for Hingham.
Coach Abi Kornet highlighted the team’s development:
“For five weeks, we’ve been building the stroke piece by piece, and a few days before the race it all clicked—the team said it felt clean and smooth. Despite a small hiccup after the start, they stayed focused and locked back in. I’m proud of their commitment to the process and their performance on Saturday. It’s a strong start, and there’s more speed to unlock as we continue building.”
Boys First Varsity 4+ Adds to the Tally
Competing together for the first time, the boys’ first varsity 4+ looked outstanding. In preparation for their appearance at the Head of the Charles in a few weeks, coxswain Brent Strauss, stroke Hanley Stroka, Lachlan Knies, Lucas Mangili, and bow Nicholas Mangili attacked the course with controlled ferocity.
Though they dominated most of the field, they faced a tough challenge from Stonington. Staying locked in, Hingham edged out Stonington by 13 seconds, finishing more than three minutes ahead of the rest of the competition and capturing the team’s third gold medal of the day.
Girls Varsity Depth Shines
The girls’ third and fourth varsity boats entered the third varsity race against Glastonbury’s third and fourth entries. The Hingham third varsity—coxswain Ginger Niehoff, stroke Elsie Olin, Eme Bias, Rose Lovendale, Ava Kelly, Shelby Stroka, Haley Kost, Anne Kyriss, and bow Lydia D’Arcy—blitzed the field and won by a wide margin. Their time was so fast it would have earned silver in the second varsity race by nearly a minute and a half.
The victory added another gold to Hingham’s growing medal haul and demonstrated the program’s impressive depth across all levels.
The fourth varsity boat, with coxswain Lexi Messina, stroke Neve Brown, Celia McCarthy, Veronica Webb, Peyton Burke, Lena Angel Sasha Darmon, Dillon Turner, and bow Fiona Galvin put up a very strong effort in their season debut. The girls blazed along the course, beating a Glastonbury boat and capturing a bronze medal for their efforts. Coach David Martin sees a lot of growth in the girls, “We are starting to go beyond the typical high school focus of ‘put the oar in and pull hard’. All the crews are beginning to understand and adopt advanced technique concepts, and this is reaping rewards.” Head Coach Sydney Blasetti added, “The 4V stepped up to race in the 3V event, beating Glastonbury’s 4V and hanging right with some of the top crews.”
In the boys third varsity race, the boys rowed an outstanding race. Putting up a tremendous effort, coxswain Henry Hoch, stroke Brendan Conroy, Andrew Accettella, Michael Catalfano, Michael Lane, Will Whitrap, Huck Shaughnessy, Aedan Sullivan, and bow Ryan Potter flew past several boats, earning the boys a silver medal.
The boys fourth varsity, with coxswain Miles Figueroa, stroke Ben Ferguson, Fox Clarke, Sam Whitrap, Xavier Bogen, Liam Govoni, Euan Chesney-Douglas, Luca Arienti, and bow Eugene Purtell beat Glastonbury’s fourth varsity in an excellent season debut. Both boats looked very strong and skilled, having worked for weeks to build their conditioning and refine their technique.
The girls second varsity, with coxswain Maddie Owens, stroke Stella Gutierrez, Izzy Wagner, June Rogan, Annie Sargent, Coco Prohm, Ellie White, Maddie Kittinger, and bow Aubrey Fairfield, had easily the most dominant showing of the day. Blasting off the start line, the girls worked like a well-oiled machine as they methodically chewed up the meters to a stunning finish. Had they been rowing in the first varsity race, the girls would have won a silver medal. As it is, they blew through the field of 6 boats on their way to a gold medal, outpacing their nearest competitor by more than a minute and 40 seconds! The second varsity, with a great mix of seasoned rowers, looks primed to continue with their incredible feats from states and New Englands last Spring.
Coach Sydney sees big things for the team this season, “The girls work so hard every single day, and it was exciting to see that effort pay off this weekend. We’ve set a high standard for ourselves, and this is just the beginning.”
The boys second varsity, with coxswain Jordan Brown, stroke Owen Cerrato, Landy Vittorini, Zakary Robbins, Ben Hansmire, Will Vanderweil, Seph Darlington, Martin Seggev, and bow Jack O’Leary, rowed with strength and discipline as they beat out the Stonington boat and showed a good deal of progress. Even in challenging conditions, with seaweed catching on their skeg and causing some minor delays, the boys showed significant progress with their rhythm and timing, closing the gap on some of the region’s top competitors.
Hingham Claims The Carstens Cup
The girls first varsity, featuring coxswain Emily Gu, stroke Emme Beaudoin, Natalie Shaw, Louisa Orth, Eliza Powers, Sophia Santarelli, Thea Migliaccio, Jane Melia, and bow Bianca Kiley, threw down an incredible season opening time against six other boats. Outracing the second place boat by more than 40 seconds, the girls won gold and were overjoyed to receive the Carstens Cup, which honors Jeff and Dale Carsten, who were instrumental in the foundation of Glastonbury High Rowing.
Coach Sydney pointed out that the success of all of the boats is a result of the hard work of all of the athletes working hard, “Every single athlete is a contributor to our success. Whether they were bringing home a medal or racing up a class against tougher competition, each of these girls showed heart and determination. This weekend showed that our program isn’t just about one boat, it’s about the entire team. Everyone plays a part in pushing us forward.”
She also highlighted the importance of top level performances from the coxswains, “Our coxswains were phenomenal. Their lines down the course were spot-on and made the difference in getting their crews through the finish line first. They were leaders in every sense of the word.”
In the final race of the day, the Hingham boys first varsity, with coxswain Brent Strauss, stroke Hanley Stroka, Lachlan Knies, Lucas Mangili, Nate Bradl, Spencer Farrish, Oliver McLucas, Gerard Bottini, and bow Nicholas Mangili, half of whom were rowing their second 5K of the day, powered to a bronze medal ahead of four other boats. The impressive result underscores the strength and conditioning of these rowers as they Just barely missed a silver by 4 seconds.
Boys head coach Dave Deiuliis sees plenty of promise in all the boys boats, “The boys team had a remarkable performance at Glastonbury, with the novice boys achieving a gold medal in their inaugural race. The varsity boys also made significant strides, securing gold in the 4+ event, second in the 3v8, and third place in the 1v8. A great day of rowing and plenty to build on.”
With an incredible season opener under their belts, the team heads to Lowell next Sunday for the Textile River Regatta. The event features dozens of entries from top club, private, and public programs in the area. Based on the early results, Hingham looks to be a strong contender against a very challenging field.