What a weekend! Our Catawba crews joined athletes from 40 states at the second-largest regatta in the U.S. CYC raced in Chattanooga, TN, for the Head of the Hooch in front of nearly 20,000 spectators over two action-packed days. Saturday delivered picture-perfect conditions: chilly morning air giving way to sunny, beautiful racing weather. Sunday tested our grit with morning rain. As the skies dried up for afternoon racing, our athletes proved that cloudy, damp conditions are no match for Catawba speed.
The results speak to the strength and depth of our program: 38 athletes competed across 24 entries, with standout performances throughout the weekend.
Golden Moments: Our Men’s 8+ defended their title in dominant fashion, claiming 1st place out of 11 crews for the second consecutive year! The Men’s 4+ Catawba A crew also repeated their excellence, earning 2nd overall and in the 50+ group, matching their 2024 result.
Podium Power: Strong finishes came from across the fleet. The Men’s 4x Catawba A took 3rd of 20 (3rd of 12 in 50+), repeating last year’s bronze performance, while Catawba B climbed one spot from 2024 to finish 6th. The Men’s 2- (the Fullers) secured their third consecutive 2nd-place finish. Jess McAlear blazed to 3rd in the Women’s 1x 43-54 with the fastest raw time in the entire event! Tom Phillips composited with Western Reserve to finish 5th of 34 in Men’s 2x (5th of 22 in 50+), and our Mixed 4x Catawba B claimed 4th overall and in the 50+ group.
Rising Stars: Every race showed progress and potential. Our Women’s Open 4x moved up one place to 4th of 13. That’s momentum heading into the next year. The Men’s 4+ Catawba B finished strong at 4th of 12 in the U50 group, while both our Men’s 4x crews demonstrated the depth of our quad program. In the massive 62-boat Women’s 2x field, our crews battled tough competition, and our Women’s 4x Catawba A placed 8th of 28 in the 50+ group.
Team Achievement: Perhaps most impressive: Catawba finished 3rd in the Masters Points Trophy, moving up one spot from last year and finishing behind only powerhouse and co-host team Atlanta in first, followed by Michigan State Club. That’s the collective result of dedication and racing heart across our entire roster.
A huge thank you to the many hands that made this regatta possible. From the organizers and planners to everyone who supported our athletes throughout the weekend, your efforts showcase what makes Catawba rowing special.
Here’s to building on this momentum as we look ahead!
Full results:
Women’s Open 4x
J. McAlear/A. Lamano/K. Lynch/T. Stewart 4 of 13
Mixed 4x
Catawba B C. Parziale/J. Lambla/M. McGuire/P. Gilmore 4th overall and in 50+ group
Catawba A K. Dalton/H. Durand/J. Moore/S. Arnett 8th in the 50+ group
Womens 8+
R. Stewart/C. Knittel/L. Bailey-Samuels/L. Corrigan/C. Cary/S. Apostal/J. Dalton/C. Stevens/K. Vogel (Cox) 23 of 26
O. Gilmore composite with CRI of Boston finished 6 of 26
Men’s 4+
Catawba A P. Stanislaw/R. Rabassa/R. Fuller/R. Fuller/B. Geiger (Cox) 2nd overall and in 50+ group
Catawba B P. Hughston/P. Hunt/M. Ranis/D. Lewis/M. Shaw (Cox) 4 of 12 in U50 group
Mixed 2x
A. Cosgrove/ J. McAlear finished overall 24 of 50
D. Villaret/R. Stewart finished 41 of 50
Men’s 8+
T. Phillips/C. Parziale/P. Gilmore/M. Ranis/K. Dalton/P. Stanislaw/H. Durand/R. Fuller/B. Geiger (Cox) 1 of 11 and repeated the win from 2024
Women’s 4+
K. Lynch/J. Moore/L. Bailey-Samuels/S. Arnett/K. Vogel (Cox) finished 8 of 16 in the U50 group
Men’s 2x
Phillips Composite finished 5 of 34 overall and 5 of 22 in the 50+ group
R. Rabassa/R. Fuller finished 22 of 34 overall
Women’s 2x
J. Moore/R. Stewart finished 44 of 62 overall; 27 of 36 in 50+
V. Cosgrove/J. Dalton finished 52 of 62 overall; 32 of 36 in 50+
Women’s 1x Ages 43 to 54
Jess McAlear finished 3 of 13 * fastest raw time in the event
Men’s 1x Ages 65+
Henri Durand finished 7 of 8
Mixed 4+
R. Rabassa/P. Hughston/S. Arnett/C. Cary/B. Geiger (Cox) finished 14 of 17, 9 of 11 in their group
Men’s 4x
Catawba A T. Phillips/K. Dalton/C. Parziale/P. Gilmore finished 3 of 20; 3 of 12 in 50+
Catawba B M. Ranis/A. Cosgrove/D. Villaret/M. Bartoldus finished 6 of 20; 6 of 12 in 50+
Men’s 2-
R. Fullers finished 2 of 9
Mixed 8+
P. Hunt/P. Stanislaw/P. Hughston/D. Lewis/C. Stevens/S. Apostal/J. Dalton/A. Lamano/K. Vogel (Cox) finished 12 of 16; 9 of 11
Women’s 4x
Catawba A O. Gilmore/J. Moore/J. Lambla/J. McAlear 11 of 40; 8 of 28 in 50+ group
Catawba B N. Teaff/C. Knittel/L. Corrigan/R. Stewart 32 of 40; 22 of 28 in 50+ group
Photo Below: Catawba men winning the 8+!!
