Montclair HS Team Rows Home With Haul Of Medals To Close 2022

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of a Montclair Patch community member. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site.

The Montclair High School Rowing Team’s Spring 2022 season is coming to an end and what a showing it has been!

On the heels of winning four more NJ State Championship titles at the Garden State Scholastic Championship Regatta on April 30 and sweeping the men’s points trophy, the Mountie Rowing Team has not slowed down, competing and winning back to back championship regattas for three weekends straight — while continuing their daily training regimen in addition to the demands of school to ensure they were championship ready.

Following their 61st NJ State Championship program win, they set their eyes on the Stotesbury Cup Regatta in Philadelphia, the oldest and largest global high school regatta. Competing against some of the fastest crews in the nation, 8 of out 10 boats advanced to the finals — with the Women’s JV8+ and Women’s Freshman 8+ bringing home silver for their respective categories.

But there was no rest for the weary ... the next day, after a weather cancellation the week prior, the team pivoted quickly and returned to the Schuylkill River to compete tn the Philadelphia City Championship Regatta where they brought home another Championship in two categories — the Men’s 2V8+ and the Women’s Freshman 8+. And the medals didn’t stop there- the Men’s 1V8+, Women’s JV8+ and the Men’s JV4+ also took silver with the Women’s Freshman 2x delivering the bronze.

Based on their strong performance in 2022, Montclair Rowing had 8 boats qualify to compete at the Scholastic Rowing Association of America (SRAA) National Championship on May 27 and 28 and once again returned to Camden with eyes set on Gold ... and they didn’t disappoint.

Montclair rowed strong, competing against 150 high school rowing teams and over 470 boats, with 4 of their 8 boats advancing to the finals. In the end, it was a day for the Mountie women as the Women’s J V8+ became SRAA National Champions beating Mt. St. Joseph’s by over 3 seconds. The Women’s V4+ and Women’s Freshman 8+ brought home respective Bronzes.

As they wrap their season, Coach Michalitsianos states, “It’s been wonderful to have the support from our parents and school at races for the first time since 2019. The results this year showed how resilient the team has been and the success of both the men’s and women’s teams is a testament to their commitment to putting in the many hours of training that is needed to achieve success. The women’s JV 8 becoming National Schools Champions was the culmination of dedicated athletes and coaches striving to be the best. I am very proud of all of our athletes and what we were able to achieve this year and incredibly grateful for the support we receive from our parents, school, district, and community as we continue to compete on the grand stage.”

While the regular season is over for the Montclair High School Rowing team, the run continued for 3 of their 10 boats - the Men's 1V8+ and 2V8+ and the Girls Varsity 4+ which qualified to race in the US Rowing Association's Youth National Championship Regatta in Sarasota Florida from June 8 to 12.

Youth Nationals is considered one of the premier junior rowing events in the US as the nation’s best rowers from more than 200 Rowing Clubs and High Schools across the country come to compete for national titles across their respective boat categories. This renowned regatta attracts the best talent in the country as crews must qualify for the event through one of 12 qualification regattas, which are held over the course of the season. Given the prestige and quality of racing talent and competition, this championship event draws upwards of 5,000 spectators each year.

Competing in the top U19 category and one of very few public high schools to qualify, MHS rowing had a strong showing. Their Women’s V4+ finished 7th in the C Final (19th in the country), the Men’s 1V8+ finished 3rd in the D Final (23rd in the Country), and the Men’s 2V8+ finished 2nd in the C Final (14th in the country).

The Montclair High School Rowing Team has a long legacy of winning national and international championships – a proud feat for a public high school program which competes in a landscape of prestigious, privately funded prep schools and clubs who have the benefit of recruiting athletes and/or drawing from long distances and geographic regions. MHS Rowing’s team and talent are home grown and "all Montclair."

In the 2022 class alone, their men’s and women’s athletes were recruited to Dartmouth, George Washington, MIT, Skidmore and Tufts, while other members of the graduating class will attend Princeton, Syracuse, UC Berkley, , UCLA, UMass, and UCSB in the Fall.

Congratulations to the Montclair Rowing Team on an incredible season as SRAA National Champions, NJ State Champions, Stotesbury Cup Medalists and Philadelphia City Champions.

To learn more about Montclair High School’s Rowing Team or sign up for any of their rowing programs including their Summer Learn to Row Camps, visit www.friendsofmontclairrowing.com to register.

Montclair High School Boat Line Ups:

• Men’s 1V 8 – [Tripp Pitera, Gus Moore-Manakas, Xav Gagnon, Sam Welsh, Zack Troeller, Colin Phariss, Aidan Brown, Lucas Young, Alex Stamas (Cox)]
• Men’s 2V 8 – [Ezekiel Snyder, Salif Traore, George Harb, Nate Lowey, Seraj deCaires, Logan Bateman, Zaire Williams, Jonah Scher, Carly Knutzen (Cox)]
• Women’s V4+ - [Zoe Larkey, Samara Haynes, Emma Demefack, Bella Moreno, Maya Padberg (cox)]
• Women’s JV8 (Alex Gawler, Eliza Bender, Eleanor Pitera , Sage Santora, Lillian Harb, Isabella Sena, Ella Loscalzo, Ella Algar, Maxine Guerra (Cox)]
• Men’s JV4 - [Jacob Kugelmass, Emerson Conk, Hayden Hummel, Luke Cronin, Avril Callanan (Cox)]
• Women’s JV4 - [Ella Makin, Sophia Reynolds, Olivia Langton, Catherine Davis, Katrina Jumadiao (Cox)]
• Boy’s Freshman 8 [Dawson Chacon, Boden Pirkle, Zach Singer, Oscar D'Amato, Joseph walker, Ian Mulcahy, Alek MacWilliams, Julian Leff, Avril Callanan (Cox)]
• Women’s Freshmen 8 [Madeleine Young, Mia Gurtman, Ella Kondic, Olive Sterry, Ava Lane, Aurora Auld, Sonia Haynes, Isla Gladstone, and Lyla Hedgepeth (Cox)]
• Boys JV 2x – [Eddie Burns, Zak Bentham] · Women’s Freshman 2x – [Sabrina Satahoo-Riofrio and Kate March]

Don’t forget to visit the Patch Montclair Facebook page. Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected].