Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Sailing: Hoyas Surge Ahead in Rankings

Hoyas Surge Ahead in Rankings

By Ed Przylucki Hoya Staff Writer

Having jumped 13 spots in the national rankings over the course of February, the fourth-ranked Georgetown University sailing team had the opportunity this past weekend to jump even higher with boats at four regattas.

The first regatta of the weekend, the SUNY Maritime Intersectional Fleet Regatta, was a highlight of the weekend for the Hoya co-ed squad. Finishing fourth out of 18 teams, the Hoyas established themselves early and made their presence felt late, finishing only 11 points behind the winning boat.

“We sailed really well,” Head Coach Mike Callahan said. “We only finished 11 points out of first, which I think shows how strong we’ve been sailing the last month.”

The Team Regatta at the College of Charleston saw yet another strong performance by Hoya sailors. This regatta featured a three-on-three format in which one school puts their three best boats up against those of another school.

Georgetown finished up the weekend event with a 9-8 record, which was good enough to place them third behind St. Mary’s College and the host, College of Charleston. This showing will no doubt bolster Georgetown’s placement among the elite teams in the nation.

The Ice Free Open, held at Christopher Newport College in Newport News, Va., was the best showing by any Georgetown team over the weekend. The Hoyas were able to finish first in the regatta with the help of freshman Byron Lamotte and his crew, sophomore elanie Wood. The pair won 12 of 14 races to capture the A-division.

“Their performance really put us over the top,” Callahan said. “If [Lamotte and Wood] hadn’t won those races the way they did, we wouldn’t have come close to winning the regatta.”

The women’s team, currently ranked 13th nationally, sailed in the Navy Women’s Spring Invitational at the United States Naval Academy this past weekend. The team of freshman skipper Mimi Elliot and freshman crew Shelly Wentworth won the B-division, helping Georgetown place third out of 17 teams.

This was good enough to rank as the best finish ever by a Georgetown team at this event. Among those teams defeated by the Hoyas were the first-, third-, fifth- and seventh-ranked teams in the nation.

“[Elliot] did really well. It was a great experience for her to beat such stiff competition in only her freshman year,” Callahan said. “She should be able to continue this through the rest of the season.”

This weekend, the Hoyas will compete in three relatively big regattas: the Coed Intersectional at the Naval Academy, the Salisbury College Coed Regatta and the Women’s Intersectional at St. Mary’s College.

“These regattas, especially the one at the Naval Academy, can really help us out,” Callahan said. “[The regatta at the Naval Academy] will have four divisions and about 80 boats on the water all at once. If we do well enough here, we can definitely move up a spot or two in the rankings.”

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