Intercollegiate Sailing Posts Two Second-Place Finishes to Start 2019

Navy finished in the top five at its three regattas this weekend

 ANNAPOLIS, Md. – During the first weekend of the spring regular season for the Navy intercollegiate sailing team, it recorded two runner-up finishes and a fifth-place finish at a trio of regattas across the Mid-Atlantic this past weekend.

The start of the season coincides with the start of the MAISA Team Racing League season. The league features 12 teams that will compete in seven regattas over four weekends to determine which teams will advance to the conference championship.

On the first weekend, Navy competed in the six-team Georgetown Team Race. The event sailed in light, shifty winds in a sheltered lagoon off the Potomac River. The tricky conditions made it a challenging regatta, but Navy's strong and experienced crews helped a young group of Midshipmen skippers sail a strong event.

Navy went 10-5 during the weekend regatta to finish second overall and capture five points toward the league standings. The Midshipmen's skippers included Connor Bayless (So., Annapolis, Md.), Gray Benson (Fr., Oxford, Md.) and JC Hermus (Fr., Bellport, N.Y.), while Ana Mier (Sr., San Juan, Puerto Rico), Emma Remis (Jr., Rochester, N.Y.), Kelly Milliken (So., Mooresville, N.C.) and Kimmie Leonard (Fr., Annapolis, Md.) were on the crews. Brittney Slook (Jr., Middletown, N.J.) and Sean Linden (So., Brightwater, N.Y.) also took part in the event.

At the Tom Noble Team Race at Washington College, the event finished in one day with efficient racing in the five-team field. Navy swept all the races in round three to finish 9-3 for the event. The Midshipmen placed second overall and were just one win away from first place. Navy's team was comprised of Tyler Fleig (Sr., Portsmouth, R.I.), Louis Margay (Fr., Chester Spring, Pa.), Jack Carminati (Fr., Youngstown, N.Y.), Madeline Pruzan (So., Roanoke, Va.), Bartholomew Winn (So., So., Carlisle, Pa.) and Fiona Lobon (Fr., Brookline, N.Y.).

Rounding out the weekend, the Midshipmen placed fifth out of 13 teams at the Old Dominion Spring Women's Regatta. Navy got off to a very strong start finishing inside the top three for eight-straight races. However, as the conditions changed, Navy was unable to maintain its dominance in the regatta. In the end, Navy posted a very solid result with a fifth-place finish. Jessica McJones (Jr., Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) and Sally Johnson (Fr., Richmond, Va.) finished second in the A division, while Olivia de Olazarra (Fr., Miami, Fla.) and Anna Cutler (Jr, Hamilton, Bermuda) placed sixth in the B division.

Navy has another three regattas on tap next weekend, including its first home event of the spring with the Navy Spring Women's Regatta. The Midshipmen also compete at the Charleston Spring Coed Regatta in Charleston, S.C. and the John Jackson Team Race in Washington, D.C., next weekend.