George Washington University Athletics
Sailing Takes Eighth Place at Team Race Nationals
5/29/2018 12:00:00 AM | Sailing
NORFOLK, Va. – Competing in the Team Race National Championship for the first time in program history, GW sailing put together an impressive performance to advance to the round of eight and ultimately claim an eight-place finish as the championship wrapped up on Monday.
The top-10 finish is the second for GW in one of the three ICSA spring national championships, joining a 10th-place result at the women's national championship in 2016. Racing a round robin against the 16-team field, GW compiled a 9-6 record to advance with the top eight teams into another round robin. In a series of close races, the Colonials went 1-6 but still secured eighth place in their first time competing in these nationals.
"In the first round of 16 we sailed really well," said head coach Billy Martin. "We showed how good our technical team racing is. We had a good enough record to qualify for the final round of eight which is just that much more of an elite group of teams. While we didn't have a good showing in the final group of eight I couldn't be prouder of the team and how hard we fought from beginning to end. Certainly, we were disappointed to go 1-6 but all the races were super tight. We deserved to be there."
GW finished the event with an overall record of 10-12, while College of Charleston took the title with a 20-5 mark. Roger Williams University, Hobart & William Smith and Georgetown rounded out the top four with 19-8 records. The Colonials had to advance through five regattas during the season just to qualify for nationals, a feat they had just come short of a season ago.
"It was a very long road this season and each event got harder and harder but we just kept growing," said Martin. "To finish eighth is unbelievable. The team was a little disappointed in how we finished in the last round because they're huge competitors, and that's going to help us moving forward.
"The seniors have been showing us the way since their freshmen year. They're leaving a legacy they should really be proud of. Kai [Friesecke], Miranda [Bakos] and Belle [Strachan] all led the team and put everything into it. This is a huge accomplishment and I couldn't be prouder. We showed our team race acumen and this will show well for the future. This was our first time here but it certainly won't be our last."
With Team Racing wrapped up, GW now moves on to the third and final national championship as coed nationals get underway Tuesday. The semifinal round runs through Wednesday, with finals set for Thursday and Friday.
