Sailing Qualifies for Team Racing Nationals

Saturday, April 7

Ithaca, N.Y.

All Day

George Washington University

Prosser Trophy

Kai Friesecke and Miranda Bakos teamed up at the Graham Hall Team Race

4/9/2018 12:00:00 AM | Sailing

April 9, 2018

Scores

ITHACA, N.Y. -- The GW sailing team made program history this weekend by finishing second at the Prosser Trophy at Cornell, and thus qualifying for the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Team Race National Championship for the first time.

Needing a top-four finish among the eight-team field, GW left no doubt it would qualify for nationals by compiling a 15-6 record that was second only to Georgetown (19-2). The Colonials edged out Hobart & William Smith, which also finished 15-6, by virtue of winning two of three head-to-head matchups, while host Cornell (9-12) took fourth.

"All our preparation paid off and we were able to pull together a really solid regatta," said head coach Billy Martin. "We were definitely tough to beat for a number of reasons. All three boats on the course were all really dangerous and all did their jobs well. We really came in with a good team concept and really played to our strengths. Saturday was a grinder of a day, just really long, and we definitely outlasted everyone. There were 17 races and we used a lot of different sailors and a lot of different crew combinations in very tricky conditions."

GW stuck with three skippers in the event, senior Kai Friesecke, and juniors Derek Poon-Tip and Andrew Sheerin, while rotating in six crews. Seniors Miranda Bakos, Shira Bolub, Belle Strachan, and Matt Homa, junior Connor West and freshman Tanner Chapko all contributed to the cause.

ICSA Team Race Nationals will be held May 26-28 at Old Dominion University. It is sandwhiched in between the women's championship (May 22-25) and coed championship (May 29-June 1), which the Colonials are also expected to qualify for.

"I think we improved a lot this weekend but our preparation was really great too," said Martin. "We knew what to expect and we were amped and ready to go. This means we're going to nationals but we have a lot to work on -- we just have to make another blueprint for nationals. We have a lot of hard work ahead but we're very excited about a second-place finish here."