The Elm Student Newspaper
Sailing Wins Delaware Spring Open
Volume 80, Issue 25
May 1, 2009
By Brian Schultz
Sports Editor
The 17th ranked WC Sailing team put on an impressive show at the Delaware Spring Open, as they finished first. At the Thompson Trophy, the team finished 11th out of 18 teams. WC moved up three spots in the rankings after notable performances at Prosser Trophy and America Trophy throughout April.
At the Delaware Spring Open, WC saw its younger members step up and make a name for themselves. Freshman skipper Michael Whitford and freshman crew Hannah Beekman were the sailors for WC in the A Division races. The duo took the other teams by storm and won six out of the 10 races. In the other four races, Whitford and Beekman placed second twice, fifth and fourth, admirably. The remarkable performance in A Division gave them first over Maryland by six points. Meanwhile, freshman skipper John Hartz and sophomore crew Rhiana Wells followed their teammate’s determination. The pair competed in the B Division races and took first in seven out of the 10 races, while finishing fourth and second twice in the other three. Hartz and Wells beat out Maryland by 14 points to take home first place in B Division. WC’s dominating performance won them the regatta by 20 points over second place Maryland.
Competing for WC at the Thompson Trophy, which was hosted by Coast Guard, were junior skipper Conner Blouin with sophomore crew Caroline Hill in A Division and senior skipper Derek Packard and junior crew John MacLellan in B Division. Blouin and Hill faced tough competition not only against top ranked Boston College, but the weather as well. Winds were hitting the regatta from the north, west and south. The A Division duo managed to finish 11th out of 18 teams, respectively. Packard and MacLellan also found the same fierce competitors in B Division, as they were able to finish in 13th place. Overall at the Thompson Trophy, WC finished 11th behind #1 BC, eighth ranked Harvard and sixth ranked St. Mary’s.
WC saw vast improvement in its spring races as the team found its way back into the national rankings and look to finish on a high note. The team travels to Massachusetts this weekend to compete at the ICSA National Semifinals, hosted by Harvard and MIT.