The conventional order of the men’s collegiate eight has been reshuffled, with Alabama getting over the hump and taking down UNC (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill). After playing second fiddle in 2024 by three seconds, the Crimson Tide opened up with an impressive 11-second win. Georgia Tech was only one and a half seconds behind UNC, improving their position from last year and taking home a bronze medal.
On the women’s side of the collegiate eights, Vanderbilt continues their supremacy, winning by over thirty seconds. The Commodores were a competitive eighth at the Head of the Charles and are the two-time defending ACRA champions in this boat class. Florida and Clemson will be pleased to edge out the University of Georgia for the final spots on the podium.
Moving on to the youth events, the men’s youth eight came down to a matchup between Belen Jesuit, Chicago, and Atlanta Juniors. Belen prioritised the coxed quad at the Head of the Charles, so they will be pleased to be ten seconds up on this eights field. Chicago narrowly edged out Atlanta Juniors, who are coming off a strong 12th-place showing in Boston a few weekends ago.
The women’s youth eight was one of the most compelling fields, with many top teams competing that did not attend the Head of the Charles. Saint Andrew women had a phenomenal fourth-place finish at the Head of the Charles, but ultimately placed third at the Head of the Hooch, behind Cincinnati Juniors and Chicago, respectively. Those who follow American youth racing will recognise CJRC and Chicago as perennial contenders in the women’s eight at the USRowing Youth National Championships, and the women of Saint Andrew have fully arrived to join them. All three of these crews are a serious A-final threat come June.
On the sculling side, the men’s youth quad achieved two notable results. First, the entry from Lake Phalen, hailing from St. Paul, Minnesota, extended their second-place performance at the Head of the Charles in the youth double into a great win over Belen Jesuit in the quad. The Belen coxed quad was third in Boston, only behind Windsor Boys and St. Catherine’s, so this is their first defeat to an American crew. While they didn’t earn top honours, Belen Jesuit did place three crews in the top five of the field of 85 crews, which is a massive statement showing their depth. Miami Rowing rounded out the medals with a competitive third place.
The women’s youth quad saw Indianapolis Rowing Club secure the gold medal over Founders and Atlanta Juniors. The women from Indianapolis had many strong performances at HOCR, but did not compete in the quad, making this victory even more impressive. Founders were top ten in the coxed quad and third in the double in Boston, so they have the athletes to regroup over the winter and compete in any sculling event come spring. Atlanta Juniors, primarily known as an eights programme, has to be thrilled with their bronze medal in the quad.
The Head of the Hooch provided many intense races and deep fields. This regatta is typically the last check-in before winter for many programmes, and will help set the early narratives for the college teams competing for an ACRA title, as well as youth teams hoping to secure a podium spot at the USRowing Youth National Championships.
