STANFORD, Calif. - Stanford continues the fall slate with three regattas this weekend, sailing in the ACC Finals, Captain Hurst Bowl, and Nevins Trophy Regatta.
The Cardinal will feature 21 athletes this season including returners Margot Hutchins, Chapman Petersen, Ellie Harned, Sophie Fisher, Vanessa Lahrkamp, Reade Decker, Alice Schmid, Thomas Sitzmann, Shay Wood, Luke Woodworth, Alexis Young. Stanford will also feature newcomers Kit Harned, Piper Blackband, Ashtyn Tierney, Ava Cornel, Thomas Whidden, Abby Baird, Ally Jones, Dylan Sih, and Caroline Geiger.
LAST TIME OUT » Stanford finished in the top six in two regattas this weekend, claiming second place at the Stu Nelson in Connecticut and sixth at the Open ACC Round 1 in Maryland.
The Cardinal sailed a strong event in New London, finishing second to Yale overall. The Cardinal’s A boat consisting of Vanessa Lahrkamp and Alexis Young took the top spot in the division, totalling 40 points.
“Each of our boats made progress in their respective goals this weekend,” said assistant sailing coach Shawn Harvey. “Collectively, we learned a lot about staying disciplined in tricky conditions with strong current.”
Stanford also took second in the B division as it was led by Sophie Fisher and Piper Blackband. The pair finished the event with 48 points.
The third boat for the Cardinal came in eighth overall, finishing with 69 points after 10 races. Ava Cornell and Shay Wood controlled the C boat and finished just six points outside of a top-two finish.
Meanwhile in Annapolis, Maryland, Stanford took sixth place at the Open ACC Round 1.
“The goal was to qualify for the next round, and we did that,” said head sailing coach Chris Klevan. “On top of that, I saw some promising moments from a still young team, punctuated by an A division win from Tommy and Abby, who have spent only days sailing together.”
Stanford concluded the event with 254 points, trailing only Brown, Boston College, Roger Williams, Charleston, and Navy. The Cardinal claimed the A division title, with Thomas Sitzmann and Abby Baird combining for 97 points across the 18 races.
“Already in this still early season, we have won five A divisions between eight different sailors, which shows our top-end ability,” added Klevan. “I believe we have what it takes now to win, but I also believe everyone on this team is far from reaching their ceiling.”
Stanford added a 10th place finish in the B division, totaling 157 points. Reade Decker and Luke Woodworth combined as the skipper of the boat, with Ashtyn Tierney serving as the crew.
LAST SEASON » Stanford cemented itself as the best women’s sailing program in the nation in 2024, completing the sweep of the ICSA Women’s Team and Fleet Race Championships, also becoming back to back champions in the Women’s Fleet.
Stanford’s fall season began with eight regatta wins. Along with the success on the water, the Cardinal sailors also celebrated their 2023 trophies, as the team received its championship rings at a football game.
Stanford picked up right where it left off to start the spring season, winning six straight regattas. The Cardinal went on to claim four conference championship trophies, taking both the women and open divisions of the team and fleet races.
To cap off the season before Nationals began, Stanford claimed the PCCSC Open Team Race title and the Thompson trophy over the same weekend. The Cardinal went 38-1 across the two events to take the wins in a conference championship and a premier interconference trophy.
The Cardinal then headed to the Charles River where it competed in four straight national championships hosted by MIT. In the first regatta, Stanford earned a top five finish, taking fifth place in the ICSA Open Team Race. The result was Stanford's sixth straight top-five finish, dating back to 2018.
Directly following the open team race, Stanford captured its first title of the 2024 spring season. The Cardinal took the trophy in dominant fashion, as Stanford sailed to an 18-1 record to top the field at the ICSA Women's Team Race National Championship.
In the following national championship event, Stanford claimed yet another title. The Cardinal took its second straight ICSA Women's Fleet Race title and its fifth national title overall, topping the field on the Charles River in Massachusetts.
The title was Stanford's fourth national title in the last calendar year (2023 - ICSA Women's Fleet, ICSA Open Fleet; 2024 - ICSA Women's Team, ICSA Women's Fleet). The Cardinal also won multiple national titles in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history.
Following Stanford's dominant performance in the national championships, the Cardinal took home plenty of individual accolades.
Vanessa Lahrkamp was named the Quantum Women's College Sailor of the Year, the second in program history as Lahrkamp joins her sister who earned the accolade in 2020. Vanessa Lahrkamp was instrumental in leading Stanford to the ICSA Women's Team and Fleet Race titles in 2024, also earning the title of PCCSC Women's Skipper of the Year.
Vanessa Lahrkamp also earned two All-America awards, claiming a nod as an ICSA Women's Skipper All-American and an ICSA Open Skipper Honorable Mention selection. It's the second straight year Lahrkamp was honored in both the Women's and Open divisions.
Michelle Lahrkamp also earned two All-America awards for the second straight season, being named both an ICSA Women's Skipper and Open Skipper All-American.
Hannah Freeman earned her second consecutive ICSA Women's Skipper All-America award while Thomas Sitzmann joined the Lahrkamp sisters with an ICSA Open Skipper All-America nod.
Stanford also had three crews named All-Americans. Alice Schmid, Ellie Harned, and Gwendolyn Donahue were each named All-America Crews after their dominant performances led Stanford to two national titles.