Prepare for launch: a High Point crew carries its shell to the dock in Chattanooga, Tenn for the 2013 Head of the Hooch.Chattanooga, Tenn – High Point Rowing Club’s scholastic youth program is rapidly moving up in the national ranks following a strong performance at the Head of the Hooch, Nov 2-3, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
In addition to two top-10 finishes by the boys sweep squad, the girls sculling squad earned silver and bronze medals in the novice single sculls event and the girls lightweight eight crew also finished in the top-10. The Head of the Hooch is the second largest rowing regatta in the the world with over 2,000 crews racing downstream on a 5,000 meter winding river course over two days. High Point varsity crew swings down the river course in Chattanooga. Pictured (from left) Maddie Mullins, Hayden Davis, Gabby Reenstra, Cheyenne DeLaney and Aliute Udoka. Photo credit Scott DavisHigh Point’s girl’s sweep squad continues to improve with the team competing in the high school varsity ranks for the first time. The varsity squad faced unexpected challenges in the women’s varsity fours event, however, when strong winds and chop caused the team’s top crew to almost sink after taking on water thoughout the race due to waves crashing over the side of the boat.
Katie Ognovich and Catherine Thompson quickly rebounded from the disappointment of the fours race the next day though to earn silver and bronze medals respectively in the novice single sculls event.
For full results of all the racing action in Chattanooga visit the official website for the Head of the Hooch. High Point’s varsity four of Sarah Catto, Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catherine Thompson and coxswain Cheyenne DeLaney continues to row despite their boat being almost completely swamped by waves in Chattanooga.
High Point Rowing Club offers competitive rowing for youth ages 13-19 attending any Triad area high school. The program prepares young rowers for competition across the nation and also for potential collegiate and national team possibilities. The team is the only rowing club for high school students in the Triad cities and rowing takes place on Oak Hollow Lake in High Point from February through November. For more information contact program director Gene Kininmonth via email at contact@highpointrowing.com High Point rowers load the shell trailer following a successful campaign at the 2013 Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Mother’s of High Point Rowing Club’s scholastic youth team emerged as a crowd favorite at the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Saturday when they raced in the “Row for the Cure” event.
Known locally as the Mum’s Crew, the team first formed last year when the fledgling High Point program for high school students was just getting started and parents of the students were asked to fill empty seats in the boat to row.
“We need nine rowers to row the boat and some days back then only four students would show up to practice,” recalls rowing coach Gene Kininmonth. “I’d look at the mothers and I think some of them just wanted to leap back in their cars and scream out of the parking lot. But you know a mother will do almost anything for their child and before they knew it they were trying a new sport. And these mothers have proven that rowing is a competitive sport for life.”
On Saturday, High Point’s Mum’s Crew raced through Chattanooga’s winding river course in blazing pink T-shirts, finishing the 5,000 meter race with a time of 25 minutes 41 seconds. Despite finishing in last place, the time was 40 seconds faster than the crew’s time the previous year.
The boat races are a philanthropic event in support the Susan Komen Foundation’s fight against breast cancer. With a breast cancer survivor on board the High Point boat, the Mum’s Crew brought many in the 25,000 strong crowd on the shoreline to their feet with applause. The crew is comprised of coxswain Kim Pollard, stroke Angela Antrim, Mary Horan, Angela Mangus, Barbara Pollard, Debra Catto, Kim Mullins, Chrstine Wright and bowman Marianne Benett. Pretty in pink: The Mum’s Crew improved their time by forty seconds at the Head of the Hooch in Chattanooga, TN on Saturday.
The Mum’s Crew of High Point Rowing Club are (from left to right) Debra Catto, Kim Mullins, Christine Wright, Angela Mangus, Barbara Pollard, Mary Horan, Marianne Bennett, and Angela Antrim. Being held is the crew’s coxswain Kim Pollard, a high school junior.
High Point Rowing Club caught the Tail of the Tiger in Clemson, SC on Saturday when the team swept all the novice racing events entered. The Tail of the Tiger is a head race regatta with winners determined by time trial. Novice events are for rowers in their first year of racing.
The regatta also marked the debut of the men’s crew to scholastic rowing competition.
After a brief delay to racing due to fog, High Point opened the morning with a victory in the women’s junior novice four. Comprised of coxswain Kiana Davis, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katharine Komsa, Quinn Eury, and bowman Aliute Udoka, the foursome got out to a strong start in the 3-mile race before settling into their rhythm and winning by over a minute.
Women’s Junior Novice Four
1st High Point Rowing Club 24 minutes 20 seconds
2nd Lake Lanier (GA) 25:21
3rd Triangle ‘B’ (Raleigh) 25:41
4th Charlotte ‘B’ 26:22
5th Charlotte ‘A’ 27:54
6th Triangle ‘A’ 28:46 Coxswain Kiana Davis instructs her crew of Emma Lloyd, Katharine Komsa, Quinn Eury and Aliute Udoka as they push off to race in Clemson.Next up for High Point was a victory in the women’s junior novice eights event. High Point entered two crews into this event. As the temperature heated up in Clemson so did High Point’s rowers.
Women’s Junior Novice Eight
1st High Point Rowing Club 23 minutes 03 seconds
2nd Asheville ‘A’ 23:51
3rd Asheville ‘B’ 24:58
4th Charlotte 26:32
5th High Point Rowing Club B 26:37
6th Triangle 27:18 From front Emma Lloyd, Bethany Brake, Maddie Mullins, Olivia Mangus, Gabby Reenstra, Aislinn Antrim, Cheyenne DeLaney, Hayden Davis, and Morgan Sheehan combined to win the women’s junior novice eight event in Clemson, SC.In the next race, history was made by High Point with the club earning its first ever victory for the boy’s side of the program. The history-making crew, comprised of stroke Colin Howard, Andrew Wright, Adam Alt, Charles York, Austin Young, Josh Dasnoit, Henderson Beck, and James Bennett won the Men’s Junior Novice eight event by a healthy 40 seconds over second place Charlotte.
Men’s Junior Novice Eight
1st High Point Rowing Club 21 minutes 44 seconds
2nd Charlotte 22:24
3rd. Asheville ‘A’ 22:46
4th Triangle 22:42
5th Asheville ‘B’ 24:30
6th Riverside Military Academy 26:58 High Point men’s junior crew of Colin Howard, Andrew Wright, Adam Alt, Charles York, Austin Young, Josh Dasnoit, Henderson Beck, and James Bennett. The crew was steered by Katharine Komsa.The final event of the day for High Point in Clemson was the Women’s Open for single scullers. High Point was represented by Katie Ognovich, who only recently switched from sweep rowing (one oar) to sculling events (two oars). Katie competed for the United States in the women’s eight this past summer at the CanAmMex Games where she won gold against Mexico and Canada. On Saturday in Clemson, the Women’s Open event featured several experienced USRowing high performance junior scullers as well as veteran rowers and Katie finished second, an incredible feat for a rower that had only just begun sculling. Well rowed Katie! In only her first ever sculling competition, Katie Ognovich finished second in the Women’s Open in Clemson, SC on Saturday.Following the races the team continued a time-honored tradition of throwing the winning coxswains into the lake.
High Point Rowing Club will open its season in Clemson, South Carolina this weekend.
The team will compete at the ‘Tail of the Tiger,’ a time trial ‘head race’ on Saturday. The regatta is hosted by Clemson University.
High Point Rowing Club will be represented in the following events:
9:00am Women’s Jr Novice Four
Coxswain Kiana Davis
Stroke Emma Lloyd
3. Katharine Komsa
2. Quinn Eury
Bow Aliute Udoka
10:30am Women’s Jr Novice Eight
White Boat
Coxswain Kiana Davis
Stroke Maria Donadio
7. Kim Pollard
6. Jessica Critchley
5. Megan Critchley
4. Cara Mills
3. Zoe Kelley
2. Alice Nafekh
Bow Lydia Stoops
Red Boat
Coxswain Emma Lloyd
Stroke Bethany Brake
7. Maddie Mullins
6. Olivia Mangus
5. Gabby Reenstra
4. Aislinn Antrim
3. Hayden Davis
2. Cheyenne DeLaney
Bow Morgan Sheehan
10:40am Men’s Jr Novice Eight
Coxswain Katharine Komsa
Stroke Andrew Wright
7. Colin Howard
6. Charles York
5. Adam Alt
4. Josh Dasnoit
3. Austin Young
2. James Bennett
Bow Henderson Beck
Oak Ridge, Tennessee, – High Point Rowing Club completed its spring racing season with a Finals appearance at the USRowing Southeast Regional Rowing championships on Sunday.
Three crews of high school students represented High Point in Tennessee over the weekend with the crew of cox Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich and Liz Haenel winning its heat at the championships and then qualifying through the sem-final round to race in the final on Sunday afternoon.
High Point’s crew of cox Katharine Komsa, stroke Aislinn Antrim, Anna Kareis, Olivia Mangus and Sarah Catto also raced in the fours event but were knocked out in the first round in a competitive field of teams from across the southeastern United States.
RESULTS – Women’s Junior Novice Four:
Round One Heats
1 High Point Rowing Club A 8:23.79
2 Charlotte Youth 8:27.77
3 Coconut Grove RC 8:29.59
4 Westminster 9:05.60 5 High Point Rowing Club B 9:26.05
6 Augusta Junior 10:12.63
Semi Final:
Place Name Time
1 Sarasota Crew 8:14.75 2 High Point Rowing Club 8:24.52
3 Miami Rowing 8:27.84
4 Revolution Junior Rowing 8:30.09
5 St. Andrew 8:32.11
6 Westminster 9:10.50
Final
Place Name Time
1 Sarasota Crew 8:21.08
2 SORA 8:24.86
3 Coconut Grove RC 8:26.73
4 Charlotte Youth 8:27.03 5 High Point Rowing Club 8:40.77
6 Miami Rowing 9:01.86
High Point’s junior women’s eight crew prepares its boat for launch at the USRowing Junior Regional Championships.
In other racing action, High Point also entered the women’s junior novice eights event in Oak Ridge. Despite covering the 2000m championship course with a time faster than 5 of the crews of the 17 entered, High Point’s crew of cox Emma Lloyd, stroke Maria Donadio, Bethany Brake, Cara Mills, Sara Catto, Quinn Eury, Katharine Komsa, Jessica Critchley and bow Zoe Kelley did not qualify for the semi final round.
Head Coach Gene Kininmonth said he was pleased with the efforts of the team at the Championships. “This is a highly competitive regional championship and for a first-year rowing program to come in and even make a dent in the results is incredible. I hope every rower on this team is really proud of how much progress they have made in such a short time.”
High Point Rowing Club is a youth rowing program open to all male and female students attending high schools in the Triad. For more information email Gene Kininmonth contact@highpointrowing.com or call (336) 257-9009.
HIgh Point has two crews entered in the Coxed Fours event, which features a field of seventeen crews from Florida to North Carolina. High Point’s two crews are comprised as follows:
“Athena”
Coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catharine Thompson, and bow Elizabeth Haenel.
“BOBD”
Coxswain Katharine Komsa, stroke Aislinn Antrim, Anna Kareis, Olivia Mangus, and bow Sarah Catto.
Both High Point Crews will race in the same initial heat against Coconut Grove Rowing Club, Charlotte, Westminster, and Augusta (FL). The first four crews across the line will progress to the semi finals.
High Point’s crew for the Junior Women’s Novice Eight is comprised of coxswain Emma Lloyd, stroke Maria Donadio, Bethany Brake, Cara Mills, Sara Catto, Quinn Eury, Katharine Komsa, Jessica Critchley and bow Zoe Kelley.
High Point will race East Tennessee, Baylor and three crews from Atlanta in their heat. The first four crews will progress to the semi-final round on Sunday morning.
High Point will be highly favored to progress to the finals at Southeast Regionals after winning the Clemson Sprints Regatta in stunning fashion earlier this spring.
Oak Ridge, TN – High Point Rowing Club emerged as a new force in North Carolina rowing at the Dogwood Regatta on Saturday when its top crew qualified for the final of the women’s junior novice eights event.
Sixteen hundred high school juniors competed for medals in all classes of boats at the Dogwood Regatta, one of the biggest rowing events held annually in the Southeast region.
High Point’s crew of coxswain Kim Pollard, stroke Emma Lloyd, 7. Liz Haenel, 6. Catherine Thompson, 5. Katie Ognovich, 4. Cara Mills, 3. Sarah Catto, 2. Maria Donadio and bow Bethany Brake finished second in the first round of heats to the Rocket City Rowing Club (Alabama) squad to qualify for the final on Saturday afternoon.
Cara Mills (left) and Bethany Brake carry their shell to the launch docks for the heats of the junior novice eights event at the Dogwood Regatta in Oak Ridge, TN.
High Point was the only North Carolina crew to qualify for the final,  and finished an outstanding 4th place overall out of a field of sixteen teams entered. The final was won by Chicago, followed by Rocket City, with St. Louis Rowing Club rounding out the medals.
In other racing action over the weekend, High Point entered crews in the first and second divisions of the women’s junior novice four event.
In the Div I event, High Point’s crew of coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, 3. Katie Ognovich, 2. Catharine Thompson and bow Liz Haenel entered the race with high expectations having come fresh from a victory the previous week in Clemson, SC. The team had purchased a shell from Asheville Rowing Club for the regatta but without time for a practice row in the boat were unable to get it rigged correctly to fit the crew.
As soon as the crew launched it was apparent the riggers were set too high for the rowers and the crew struggled up the race course to finish a close third place behind St. Louis and Atlanta. Only the first two crews of the three heat races progressed to the final and St. Louis and Atlanta ultimately went on to finish first and second in the final.
With adjustments to the shell, the team is confident it will have the speed necessary to compete for a victory in its next outing at the Junior Regional Championships.
The final event for High Point at the Dogwood Regatta was the Div II women’s novice fours event. Representing High Point Rowing Club was a new line-up put together for the race of coxswain Aislinn Antrim, stroke Quinn Eury, Anna Kareis, Olivia Mangus and bow Katharine Komsa. The crew gained great experience from the race but missed qualifying for the final.
It was a tremendous regatta for High Point’s youth crew and the team would like to express its gratitude to volunteer coaches Caroline Howard and Gene Kininmonth and all the parents who came to support and provide food for the rowers.
Next up for the team is the USRowing Southeast Junior Regional Championships to be held in Oak Ridge on May 4-5.
Clemson, South Carolina: High Point Rowing Club opened its inaugural spring season at the Clemson Sprints Regatta on Saturday and came away with the team’s historic first ever win.
The Clemson Sprints is one of the strongest regional spring competitions, drawing college and youth rowing teams from Georgia, Tennessee, West Virginia and the Carolinas. High Point entered crews in the women’s junior novice eight and fours events. Novice events are for rowers in their first year of rowing.
High Point opened racing in the women’s junior novice eight. With a line-up that included girls who had only begun rowing just three weeks earlier at the Learn to Row classes, this event was considered ‘more for the experience.’ However, once racing began the competitive spirit came out in the crew, which surpassed all expectations by qualifying for the final. The crew, comprised of coxswain Aislinn Antrim, stroke Emma Lloyd, Bethany Brake, Catherine Thompson, Katie Ognovich, Quinn Eury, Anna Kareis, Maria Donadio and bow Katharine Komsa continued to perform well in the final with a 5th place finish at the competition.
Next up was the women’s junior novice fours event. High Point was represented by two crews in a field of sixteen. An early morning fog on the lake delayed racing by almost two hours and so the original format of three heats was revised to ‘flights’ with the medal awarded to the crew with the fastest time of all the heats.
High Point crews would be challenging from ‘flight 1’ and ‘flight 3’. In the first race the crew of coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catherine Thompson and bow Elizabeth Haenel pushed out to an early lead on the other crews and continued to extend its lead into the closing stages of the race. Official results declared High Point the fastest of all crews and overall winner of the event, marking our program’s historic first victory.
High Point’s first ever winning crew of coxswain Bethany Brake, stroke Emma Lloyd, Katie Ognovich, Catherine Thompson and bow Liz Haenel.
Two flights later, High Point’s crew of coxswain Aislinn Antrim, stroke Cara Mills, Sarah Catto, Olivia Mangus and bow Zoe Kelley were out in lane six, and with a strong cross wind on the course could not hear race official’s the starting commands. Â Suddenly, all the crews had started, leaving High Point scrambling to catch up.
The crew courageously raced down the course putting so much pressure on the field ahead that the crew in front of them caught a crab and High Point zoomed past to beat them to the finish line to finish in 14th place overall out of sixteen crews.
Despite missing the start of the race, High Point never gave up.
Next up for the team is the Dogwood Regatta in Oak Ridge, Tennessee this coming weekend.
High Point Crew: The women’s youth novice eight crew was comprised of Kess Hendrix, Olivia Mangus, Megan Critchley, Jessica Critchley, Aine Mills, Aislinn Antrim, Zoe Kelley, Cara Mills, and coxswain Miles Hendrix.
Chattanooga, TN – High Point Rowing Club travelled to the Tennessee River this past weekend to race at the 2012 Head of the Hooch Regatta.
1,600+ crews comprised of high school, college and masters rowing teams are started sequentially at the Hooch and race against the clock over a 5000 meter winding river course. High Point entered crews in the women’s masters eight, the women’s youth novice eight, and the women’s youth novice four events.
The boat race for the women’s masters eight crew, comprised of mothers of the High Point scholastic youth program, was a philanthropic event called “Row for the Cure” in support the Susan Komen Foundation’s fight against breast cancer.
The masters crew opened the morning and did not disappoint. Racing in blazing pink T-shirts in support of the Row for the Cure, High Point finished the 5,000 meter river course with a time of 26 minutes 20 seconds.
Next up for High Point was the women’s youth novice eight crew. Eager to race a time over the course faster than their mothers’ the crew launched early and looked to be in wonderful form as they gracefully rowed their sleek shell up the Tennessee River in front of a crowd numbering over 20,000. Tragically, illness struck one member of the crew just moments from the starting line which required immediate treatment. Unable to race, the crew returned to shore (Note, the crew member received treatment at the course and has returned to good health).
High Point Rowing Club races under the final bridge on the Tennessee River course at the 2012 Head of the Hooch.
The final race for High Point Rowing Club at the Head of the Hooch was the women’s novice four event in which 37 crews battled it out on the river for the honor of having the fastest time. High Point’s crew was comprised of bowman Sarah Catto, Catherine Thompson, Katie Ognovich, stroke Emma Lloyd and steered by Kristin Llloyd. The crew finished the course in 22nd place with a time of 24 minutes 1 second.
High Point rowing coach Gene Kininmonth said the result was a very positive sign for the future of the team. “We don’t own a 4-man shell and so we rented a boat from Washington University. Some of this crew had never rowed in a 4-man shell before this weekend and to finish in the middle of the field is a great performance. Factor in that the team is only six weeks old and I think this weekend across the board was one every member of this team can be very proud of. And I am very proud of them.”
Katie Ognovich, Sarah Catto, Emma Lloyd and Catherine Thompson raced in the women’s youth novice four event at the Head of the Hooch.
Next up for High Point Rowing Club is an Exhibition Row this week for Greensboro city officials at Lake Brandt.
Pretty in pink: High Point Rowing Club’s women’s masters eight crew comprised of Jane Critchley, Angela Mangus, Amber Kelley, Mary Horan, Colleen McGoldrick, Michele Hendrix, Angela Frith Antrim and Kristin Lloyd. The boat was steered by Miles Hendrix.
Chattanooga, TN – Mothers of High Point Rowing Club youth rowers not only supported their daughters at the 2012 Head of the Hooch boat races this weekend but they also volunteered to help support the fight against breast cancer by racing in the Women’s Masters Eight event at the regatta.
All proceeds of entry fees for this and other events went directly to the Chattanooga affiliate of Komen for the Cure. The five-year total raised at the Head of the Hooch has exceeded $450,000.
The Head of the Hooch is the second largest regatta in the country and is a 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) head race on the Tennessee River ending at Ross’s Landing Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 1,600+ crews comprised of high school, college and masters rowing teams are started sequentially and race against the clock.
The High Point rowing crew was one of 25 teams entered in the Masters women’s eight event, one of the most prestigious races at the regatta.
High Point Rowing Club’s women’s masters eight crew dressed in pink to support Row for the Cure.
High Point Rowing Club departs this weekend for its first out of state regatta of 2012, the Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN on November 3rd.
High Point has entered crews in the Women’s Masters Eight, the Women’s Youth Novice Eight, and the Women’s Youth Novice Four events.
To follow the races and for more information on the Head of the Hooch visit the regatta website at http://www.headofthehooch.org/
Beaver Dam, NC – With less than a month of rowing under its hulls, High Point Rowing Club enjoyed its historic first ever day of boat racing today at the Beaver Dam Fall Regatta, hosted by the University of North Carolina.
High Point entered several boat classes of rowing from novice youth to masters with several highlights throughout the day. Other youth teams competing included Charlotte Youth Rowing Club, Asheville Youth Rowing, and the Triangle Rowing Club from Raleigh.
The main events for High Point at Beaver Dam were the Women’s Masters Eights and the Women’s Youth Novice Eights.
In the Masters Eight event, mothers of the High Point scholastic crew represented the team against an experienced and deep squad of career rowers from the Carolina Rowing Club and racing was extremely close though out with Carolina taking line honors in the event.
In the Women’s Youth Novice Eight category, High Point entered two crews, although the ‘A’ crew had some assistance in making up numbers with two rowers from the Charlotte Rowing team.
Women’s Youth Novice Eight
Charlotte Youth Rowing        17 min 18 sec
Triangle Rowing Club         18 min 02 sec
High Point Rowing Club ‘B’ Â Â Â Â 19 min 47 sec
Asheville Rowing Club         19 min 48 sec
High Point Rowing Club ‘A’ Â Â Â Â 23 min 24 sec
“This was a wonderful introduction to boat racing for our team,” said program director Gene Kininmonth.” All our rowers did really well and it is incredible how much progress this team has made in less than a month. Beaver Dam is a fabulous destination for rowing and we are very grateful to race organizer Adam Cottrell and his team at UNC for hosting such a participant friendly regatta.”
Kininmonth added that the team is still recruiting and is primarily for middle and high school students aged thirteen and up who attend any Triad area public or private school. Students interested in joining the team should email contact@highpointrowing.com .
Next up for High Point is the 2012 Head of the Hooch Regatta in Chattanooga, TN on November 3.
