May 28, 2007
Norfolk, Virginia - After three days of nerve-wracking, light air sailing, the ladies from Stanford secured a third place finish at the ICSA Women's National Championship. Going into the competition the women were ranked third behind St. Mary's and College of Charleston, who suitably finished first and second, respectively, at Nationals.
Sailing for the Cardinal was skipper Evan Brown with crew Joanna Madsen and Kelly McKenna in A division. In B division was sophomore helm Taylor Grimes with crews Katherine Schlosser and Becca Levin. Caroline Young was the alternate driver. The Cardinal got off to an reasonable start, ending the first day of competition in 5th place after six A and B division races. But they knew they could do better.
On Thursday morning, the light conditions prevailed and Coach Kehoe, made the switch to light air crews, a move that enabled the Cardinal to claw back into third. Even after some potentially devastating umpire initiated penalties against Brown and McKenna, the pair was able to use their distinct boat speed advantage to move from the back of the pack up to the top seven. Midday the pair put together a 1-6-2-2 run, combined with Grimes, Schlosser, and Levin's 3-7-2-1 finishes, Stanford made it's move to third were it would remain for the rest of the regatta. Stanford finished 3rd in A division and 4th in B division.
Throughout the season the women have had significant success though much of the racing has been sailed in breezy conditions. Head Coach Jay Kehoe commented, "I was excited to see how well the ladies stuck together in the heat and no wind, conditions we normally don't get. We couldn't have done it without everyone on the team. It was a true group effort." Kehoe also noted that senior crews Katherine Schlosser and Jo Madsen were the embodiment of team players, accepting that they had helped get the team to where they were and that the light air crews were going to make a bigger impact and step in for this regatta.
After racing Evan Brown remarked, "I was glad that Coach Jay made the decision to go with the light air crew. I was hesitant because Jo and I had been sailing together all spring, and felt comfortable in every condition. But it was the right move."
At the conclusion of the event, Mitch Brindley, the President of the Intercollegiate Sailing Association announced the 2007 ICSA Women's All-America team. It was no surprise to the coaches that after a year of outstanding performances Evan Brown and Taylor Grimes (Honorable Mention) were named to the team. Both were excited about the honor and lauded their crews. Brown was also third in the rankings for Women's College Sailor of the Year.
Grimes, who will be spending the Fall abroad, said of the weekend and the year, "I am really psyched to come back next year with Evan and try to win since the other teams that beat us will also be returning their starters, and hopefully next year there will be wind in Rhode Island."Up next for the Cardinal is the Coed Dinghy Nationals which start on Wednesday at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The coed squad is hoping to sail above their 8th place ranking.
Results A B Total
1. St. Mary's 62 70 132
2. Charleston 110 66 176
3. Stanford 101 103 204
4. Navy 124 92 216
5. Harvard 107 112 219
6. UC-Irvine 85 142 227
7. Boston College 121 138 259
8. Tufts 154 126 280
9. Boston University 120 168 288
10. Georgetown 147 155 302
11. Wisconsin 170 136 306
12. Dartmouth 167 141 308
13. Old Dominion 180 181 361
14. William Smith 216 158 374
15. Michigan 208 237 445
16. U of South Florida 244 203 447
17. U of Washington 212 246 458
18. U of Texas 208 263 471