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Cardinal senior captures women's singlehanded crown.
Nov. 7, 1999
NEWPORT, R.I. - Senior Anika Leerseen, sailing in her hometown, won15 of 16 races to capture the ICYRA Women's Singlehanded sailingchampionships. Leerssen, who was sixth at the event a year ago, becomes thefirst Cardinal sailor to take home the Janet Lutz Trophy.
Competing against 15 other outstanding racers from all over NorthAmerica, Leerssen dominated the field Saturday, winning all eight races invery windy conditions. Leerssen, like many of her Stanford teammates,performs best in high winds, and with more wind on Sunday, Stanford CoachSteve Bourdow figured Leerssen would have few problems. She had noproblems, winning seven of eight races and taking eighth in the other. Herpoint total of 23 (15 firsts and an eighth) easily outdistanced the 61 ofrunner-up Teresa Brooks of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.
Leerssen is the first Stanford athlete to win an individualnational title in sailing. The ICYRA sponsors both a women's and a coedsinglehanded national championship. They also sponsor women's dinghy, coeddinghy and team racing championships in the late spring. Stanford was the1997 team racing national champions.