STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford sailing wrapped up the first weekend of the season with top-two finishes in four regattas, taking first at the Allstate Women’s Sugar Bowl and seeing freshman Avery Baldwin take the PCCSC Women’s Singlehanded crown.
“Hitting the road, especially with such a young group is an important step towards becoming the team we are determined to be. Understanding what it takes to be successful here is part of the process,” said head sailing coach Chris Klevan. “And to do it with high vibes, focus and some good moments on the water is all the better. We have everything we need to be great now and for years to come. We will enjoy the work one race at a time.”
Stanford’s C boat took first in the five-team field, as Samara Walshe and Kit Harned edged out Tulane’s A boat 55 to 58.
“Samara and Kit won their event on the last race, showing poise under pressure. The Tulane women pushed us harder than any team at nationals last year,” said Klevan. “To go to their lake and bring home a win is a great start to an exciting season. I’m really happy with the effort from the entire group.”
The Cardinal’s A boat of Sophie Fisher and Ashtyn Tierney finished third with 62 points winning five of 14 races to lead the regatta. The B boat of Alice Schmid and Shay Wood came seventh with 84 points.
“As for the open side, Tulane was consistently a top-10 team last year and they sailed their best boats,” said Klevan.
The Card took second in the open regatta, trailing the hosts 226 to 189. The Cardinal’s A boat came second overall with 66 points, as Griggs Diemar and Dylan Sih led the way for Stanford.
The C boat of Thomas Whidden and Abby Baird took fourth with 76 points, and the B boat of Freddie Parkin and Kate Myles took sixth with 84.
“They were better than us, and while our younger players get to see the level daily at practice, I’m glad they were able go against a quality team so early in their careers,” added Klevan.
Back in the Bay Area, Baldwin won the PCCSC Women’s Singlehanded competition with 14 points. The freshman finished first in six of 10 races, never coming in worse than second place.
Thomas Sitzmann finished second in the men’s competition, falling just four points shy of first place with 17. The junior won three of the 10 races.
The Cardinal is back next weekend with the first round of women’s ACC competition.