Catawba Yacht Club rowing made history at the 2026 Head of the Hooch, finishing second in the Masters Points Trophy standings, the club's best result ever at the Chattanooga, TN, regatta.
The Masters Points Trophy recognizes collective club performance across the masters events. CYC accumulated 319 points, finishing behind only Atlanta Rowing Club, which claimed first with 640 points. The achievement reflected consistent, competitive performances across the club's 23 entries.
For comparison, Atlanta fielded a sizable contingent of 67 athletes across 52 entries. Catawba's second-place finish with 37 athletes attests to the strength of its smaller program against some of the largest masters rowing clubs in the country.
One of the largest regattas in the United States, the Head of the Hooch attracted 207 junior, collegiate, and masters club athletes from Anchorage, Alaska, across the United States, and internationally with competitors from Egypt, Germany, and Argentina.
Fast Course Conditions
Saturday and Sunday delivered the prime racing weather for Chattanooga this November. Cool mornings gave way to brilliant blue skies, comfortable temperatures, and spectacular fall colors along the riverbanks.
The atmosphere was especially memorable this year. With Chattanooga's riverfront redevelopment raising questions about the regatta's future, many competitors registered amid uncertainty about whether this might be their last opportunity to race the Hooch on its longtime Tennessee River course. Organizers have since confirmed that the regatta will remain in Chattanooga, but the possibility of a change led to a record entry applications and more competitive crews.
Podium Performances
"We may have brought home fewer medals this year, but across the board, our boats were finishing higher against some really tough competition,” said Phil Gilmore, CYC rowing captain. “The level of talent at the Hooch this year was exceptional, so finishing second overall is a tremendous achievement."
Catawba earned six podium finishes across its 23 entries, including four silver and two bronze. The team had 11 boats place in their division’s top 5.
Silver Highlights
• Men's Masters 8+ (50+): The Catawba eight has won its division multiple years in a row. It continued its dominating run with second place out of six crews.
• Men's Championship 2x: Vladyslav Avramenko and Rostyslav Dzhyhyrei claimed second in a highly competitive 21-boat field.
• Mixed Masters 4+ (U50): The crew of D. Lewis, P. Hughston, J. Moore and K. Lynch, with C. Todd coxing, took second out of 12.
• Men's Masters 2- (50+): The Fuller pair earned another silver finish, continuing their remarkable streak of podium performances at the Hooch.
Bronze Highlights
• Women's Masters 1x (Ages 21–42): Casey McKenna-Monroe placed third in a 16-entry field.
• Men's Masters 4x (50+): The Catawba quad of K. Dalton, T. Phillips, C. Parziale and P. Gilmore claimed third in its division.
More Than Medals
Some of Catawba's most impressive performances came just outside the podium.
The Mixed Masters 8+ placed fourth in the 50+ division, while the Men's Masters 1x saw Rostyslav Dzhyhyrei finish fourth in the 21–42 age group.
The Mixed Masters 2x combination of Matt Bartoldus and Jess McAlear finished fourth out of 24 boats in the Under 50 division. The Mixed Masters 4x also placed seventh in the 50+.
Vladyslav Avramenko took fifth in Men's Championship 1x, facing a strong 23-entry field. His 2x partner Dzhyhyrei placed fourth in the Men’s Masters 1x A-C.
The Men's Masters 4+ featured two Catawba crews, finishing sixth and eighth in the 50+ division.
The Women's Open 4x crew of C. McKenna-Monroe, M. Blom, K. Lynch and J. McAlear placed fifth out of 18 entries. In Women's Masters 4+, Catawba finished eighth in a crowded 23-boat U50 division. Meanwhile, the Women's Masters 4x finished 15th out of 24, the Women's Masters 8+ 12 of 15, and the Women's Masters 2x crews took on fields of more than 30 boats in their respective divisions.
Each performance helped Catawba demonstrate the depth and teamwork of its club masters rowing program.
2026 Masters Points Trophy Top Five
Place Club Points
1 Atlanta 640
2 Catawba 319
3 St. Louis 289
4 Indianapolis 279
5 Rocky Mountain 260
From fourth place in 2024 to third in 2025 and now second in 2026, Catawba builds on its success at one of rowing’s biggest events.
A huge thank-you goes to everyone who helped make the weekend possible: the athletes, coxswains, coaches, volunteers, and supporters, as well as the organizers who make the Head of the Hooch such a memorable event year after year.
Here's to the Catawba way and another unforgettable Hooch!
Full Catawba Results
Placements and entry counts are by division where applicable.
Saturday, November 7
• Women's Open 4x: C. McKenna-Monroe / M. Blom / K. Lynch / J. McAlear — 5 of 18
• Mixed Masters 4x (50+): C. Parziale / C. Knittel / V. Cosgrove / P. Gilmore — 7 of 15
• Women's Masters 8+ (U50): R. Stewart / T. Stewart / L. Corrigan / L. Cochran / C. Swoope / S. Apostal / K. Snyder / C. Burford / K. Vogel (cox) — 12 of 15
• Men's Masters 4+ (50+):
o D. Lewis / P. Hughston / M. Ranis / A. Cosgrove / C. Todd (cox) — 6 of 14
o P. Stanislaw / R. Rabassa / R. Fuller / R. Fuller / J. Piccone (cox) — 8 of 14
• Mixed Masters 2x (50+): J. Piccone / R. Rabassa — 21 of 25
• Mixed Masters 2x (U50): M. Bartoldus / J. McAlear — 4 of 24
• Men's Masters 8+ (50+): T. Phillips / C. Parziale / P. Gilmore / K. Dalton / P. Stanislaw / M. Ranis / H. Durand / R. Fuller / C. Todd (cox) — 2 of 6
• Women's Masters 4+ (U50): C. McKenna-Monroe / J. Moore / M. Blom / K. Lynch / K. Vogel (cox) — 8 of 23
• Men's Championship 2x: V. Avramenko / R. Dzhyhyrei — 2 of 21
• Men's Masters 2x (50+): M. Ranis / H. Durand — 16 of 23
• Women's Masters 2x (50+): N. Teaff / J. Dalton — 18 of 36
• Women's Masters 2x (U50): C. Swoope / R. Stewart — 26 of 32
Sunday, November 8
• Men's Championship 1x: V. Avramenko — 5 of 23
• Men's Masters 1x (Ages 21–42): R. Dzhyhyrei — 4 of 13
• Women's Masters 1x (Ages 21–42): C. McKenna-Monroe — 3 of 16
• Women's Masters 1x (Ages 43–54): J. McAlear — 7 of 15
• Mixed Masters 4+ (U50): D. Lewis / P. Hughston / J. Moore / K. Lynch / C. Todd (cox) — 2 of 12
• Men's Masters 4x (50+): K. Dalton / T. Phillips / C. Parziale / P. Gilmore — 3 of 15
• Mixed Open 2x: M. Blom / V. Avramenko — 8 of 14
• Men's Masters 2- (50+): R. Fuller / R. Fuller — 2 of 6
• Mixed Masters 8+ (50+): P. Hughston / P. Stanislaw / A. Cosgrove / D. Lewis / C. Swoope / V. Cosgrove / K. Snyder / C. Burford / C. Todd (cox) — 4 of 11
• Women's Masters 4x (50+): J. McAlear / C. Knittel / L. Corrigan / S. Arnett — 15 of 24
Photo: Serena Apostal (Men's 8+)