October 30, 2025 By: J.P. Powers / Photos by: Kristin Buckley, Wes Darlington, Brian Smith, Pete Owens
On Sunday, the Hingham crew team traveled to Lowell to take on the public school rowing powers of Massachusetts. With sunny skies, temperatures hovering between the mid 40s to low 50s, and light northwesterly breezes of about 9 mph, the conditions were slightly chilly, but about perfect to decide the best rowing team in Massachusetts for the Fall of 2025. Traditionally, despite many years of producing elite rowers and great boats, Hingham had a challenging time accumulating enough points to best their rivals across enough racing categories to claim the state championship. Before last year, Hingham’s lone previous Richard W. Stavros Team Trophy for Fall crew came in 2013. This weekend, Hingham claimed their second straight Fall championship, and third overall state title. In addition, the girls team claimed the Russ Krauss Award as the overall girls eights champions, serving notice that their time at the top is just getting started.
The boys first novice, with coxswain Reagan Puleo, stroke Miles McLucas, James Anderson, Colin Alexander, Taylor Bradl, Preston Molitor, Asher Ellis, Toby Vaishnava, and bow Diego Figueroa, got Hingham off to a great start. Beating several boats, the boys missed the medal stand by just over two seconds. The boys have plenty to be proud of this season, with a series of strong races under their belts and a wealth of talent to build on.
The next race featured the girls first novice, who have had a tremendous season. Coxswain Grace Mullen, stroke Abigail Zimmerman, Megan Buckley, Lyla Wagner, Ellie Reid, Anna Rubel, Emma Gersac, Annie Melia, and Aliyah Blidner have looked more and more like season veterans with each passing week. In their 7-boat field, the girls submitted a tremendous effort to claim the silver medal. The future is undoubtedly bright with so many talented athletes in the Hingham crew pipeline!
Not to be outdone, the girls second novice, with coxswain Liv Wadleigh, stroke Susanna Grissom, Abby Farris, Claire Wang, Kaitlyn Reera, Finley Sullivan, Mariella DelSesto, Cora Blackwell, and bow Sherry Xu, blazed past the competition to claim Hingham’s first gold of the day. Hingham’s depth and talent cannot be overstated after the incredible performances by their newest rowers.
Novice Girls Coach Pat Houle is proud and excited about the strong performances of the girls, “I’m incredibly proud of how our novice rowers performed at the state championships and throughout the entire season. Their commitment to showing up every day and giving their best effort truly paid off this weekend. Both novice boats showed tremendous growth — gaining speed, refining their technique, and competing with determination against some of the top programs in the league. I’m excited to see how they continue to develop in the seasons ahead.”
The boys first varsity, with coxswain Brent Strauss, stroke Hanley Stroka, Nate Bradl, Lucas Mangili, Lachlan Knies, Spencer Farish, Oliver McLucas, Gerard Bottini, and bow Nicholas Mangili, battled hard against a tough field. The boys showed a lot of fight as they’ve grown a tremendous amount all season and show a ton of promise heading into the next racing season.
Coach Dave Deluliis is excited about the team’s prospects, as they work hard and continue to grow, “What an incredible day for Hingham rowing! Every boat showed up and delivered, and bringing home the overall points trophy is a huge testament to everyone’s hard work, depth, and heart. As coaches, we couldn’t be prouder of how hard this team works.”
The boys second varsity, who have continued to stand out, looked incredible in the season finale. Coxswain Henry Hoch, stroke Owen Cerrato, Landy Vittorini, Aedan Sullivan, Seph Darlington, Zakary Robbins, Ben Hansmire, Will Whitrap, and Bow Michael Lane, rowed an incredible race. Going meter for meter with the Brookline boat, the boys knew they’d have to do something special to pull out the win – and that’s exactly what they did. Summoning every bit of energy, the boys rowed an incredible race, capturing the gold medal by mere fractions of a second ahead of the boys from Brookline and putting an exclamation point on a magical season.
The boys third varsity, with coxswain Jordan Brown, stroke Jack O’Leary, Andrew Accettella, Michael Catalfano, Martin Seggev, Will Vanderweil, Huck Shaughnessy, Ben Ferguson, and bow Ryan Potter, were electric in their race. Throwing down against some very strong boats, the boys battled it out with Brookline for the lead, well ahead of the rest of the field. In the end, the Hingham boys captured the silver and demonstrated the depth of talent that Hingham crew is developing.
The boys fourth varsity, with coxswain Myles Figueroa, stroke Brendan Conroy, Fox Clarke, Sam Whitrap, Xavier Bogen, Liam Govoni, Euan Chesney-Douglas, Luca Arienti, and bow Eugene Purtell, closed out the season in style. The boys put up an impressive time and would have placed fifth in the 3rd varsity race. The boys continue to show strong development and will be a force in upcoming seasons.
Boys Head Coach Dave Deluliis was proud of the boys and excited about this team’s future, “Our boys delivered an outstanding performance at the state championships. The Second Varsity Eight and Third Varsity Eight underscored the program’s depth and competitive strength. Across all crews, including our novices, the results reflect the discipline, trust, and teamwork we’ve been working to develop throughout the season.”
The girls first varsity, with coxswain Emily Gu, stroke Emme Beaudoin, Natalie Shaw, Louisa Orth, Eliza Powers, Sophia Santarelli, Thea Migliaccio, Jane Melia, and bow Bianca Kiley put together yet another tremendous race. Against a strong field of competitors, Hingham was able to find a little room against everyone except Brookline. The girls gave it everything they had, grabbing the silver medal – just two seconds behind Brookline. It was a strong statement as they end the season on a very high note.
Meanwhile, the girls second varsity suffered about every possible setback a boat can deal with during a race: an oar popped completely out of an oarlock and required quick thinking and a mid-race repair. The girls caught a crab on three separate occasions. Any boat with a lesser caliber of athletes would surely have lost their nerve and been way out of contention. Instead, coxswain Maddie Owens, stroke Stella Gutierrez, Izzy Wagner, June Rogan, Annie Sargent, Coco Prohm, Ellie White, Maddie Kittinger, and bow Aubrey Fairfield simply buckled down, locked in, and rowed the race of their lives, determined to end the season undefeated and unchallenged. Pulling with everything they had, the girls flew past every boat in the field, crushing their nearest competitor by more than 22 seconds and finishing a mere 5 seconds behind the time submitted by the first varsity – a time which would’ve earned bronze in the first varsity race. It was a tour de force performance – and a warning to their rivals that there’s even more speed left in the tank for next season.
Coach Sydney Blasetti credits a strong team culture for the team’s success, “We may have a large program, but that’s not why we win. These girls have earned every bit of their success. They’ve gotten faster and stronger each season because they’ve put in the work, day after day, through every tough challenge. We’re not just tall or naturally gifted. We’re driven. This is a group of athletes who truly care about this sport and about each other, and they show it in how they train, how they race, and how they lift one another up. They’ve proven they belong among the best, and they absolutely deserve this state title. I couldn’t be prouder of them, and I can’t wait to see what we do this spring.”
The third varsity, with coxswain Ginger Niehoff, coxswain Neve Brown, Eme Bias, Lena Angel, Ava Kelly, Shelby Stroka, Haley Kost, Annie Kyriss, and bow Lydia D’Arcy continued the dominant Hingham run by blowing past the competition. The girls won their heat by a 35-second margin, a demonstration of the power and depth of Hingham’s program.
The fourth varsity girls, with coxswain Shayla St. Croix, stroke Elsie Olin, Celia McCarthy, Veronica Webb, Peyton Burke, Rose Lovendale, Sasha Darmon, Kaylee Araujo, and bow Fiona Galvin, put up a time that was fast enough to have earned them a bronze medal in the third varsity race. The girls looked tremendous as they powered down the course, showing that Hingham’s future is very bright indeed.
Coach David Martin credits the entire Hingham family for their support in winning another championship, “Winning the State Championship again was incredible, but what truly set Hingham apart was the unstoppable support of our parents — from hauling boats across the state to turning race days into a feast, and creating that unforgettable ‘Hingham Wall of Sound’ that carried our crews down the course. This victory belongs to the whole Hingham family. Truly a Dynasty in the making.”
Following the successful conclusion of the racing day, the team points were tabulated and Hingham was awarded the Richard W Stavros team trophy for the top team in Massachusetts, and the Russ Krauss trophy for the girls eights points champion. For Hingham crew, this marks the second straight Fall State Championship after winning it last year for the first time since 2013. Hingham crew is on an unprecedented roll as they continue to grow the program and utilize their top-level coaching to produce champions. After piling onto the busses, the boys and girls were treated to a police and fire escort into town amid cheers from fans who lined Main Street.
The team’s celebrations will continue on Wednesday, November 5th, as the team gathers for its season-ending banquet. Hingham Crew would like to thank the invaluable contributions from its parent volunteers, talented coaches, and dedicated athletes who made this memorable season possible.