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 | Squads Gain Needed Experience

The Georgetown sailing team has had an impressive season, finishing strong against many of the top teams in the country. The team finished in first place at the Carl Van Duyne MAISA Singles and placed third overall at the Navy Fall Women’s Interconference Regatta two weekends ago.

This past weekend, however, the team had a very divided performance, taking first place at the Truxtun Umsted Interconference Regatta while placing 16th at the Yale Women’s Interconference Regatta.

Georgetown sailors — including graduate student Greg Martinez, junior Jack Marshall and junior Clay Broussard — qualified to compete in the Carl Van Duyne MAISA Singles, which comprised the second and final qualifying round for the Men’s Singlehanded ICSA National Championships.

Martinez and Marshall had amounted an untouchable lead in the points going into the final race, during which Martinez pulled ahead for the narrow victory. Martinez finished first overall thiw weekend while Marshall finished second.

In the end, the points race between Martinez and Marshall came down to the wire, but when compared to the rest of the competition, the two were on their own level. According to Georgetown Head Coach Michael Callahan, what was most impressive was that the teams they defeated so handily were also very talented.

“The kids from [George Washington] and Old Dominion and the kids from Queens University were all really good sailors,” Callahan said. “I think that [Martinez] and [Marshall] built themselves such a big lead that it gets kind of lost. They clinched it with two races to go.”

Martinez, who won the national championship two years ago, will be looking to reclaim his title after he missed out on qualifying by just one point last year. For Marshall, this will be his first time competing in nationals.

Martinez also continued his strong season by finishing fourth this past weekend in the C Division of the Truxtun Regatta. Callahan noted that Martinez’s finish to the race was particularly impressive.

Callahan was pleased with what he described as a great performance across the board. 

“[The Truxtun Regatta] showcases the depth of your team,” Callahan said.  “[It’s a] hard event to win.” 

In the A Division, sophomores Campbell D’Eliscu and Rebecca Fung took second place. Sophomores Roger Dorr and Meaghan MacRae took fourth in the B Division. In the C Division, Martinez placed fourth. Marshall took the top spot sailing alone in the D Division.

This young group looks poised to perform well in the upcoming conference championship. The College of Charleston, which finished second at the Truxtun, had two Olympians competing for its team. Despite going head to head with Georgetown, it was unable to surpass the Hoyas.

While the coed team saw success at its weekend meet, the women’s team placed 16th at the Yale Women’s Interconference Regatta. Callahan was disappointed with the outcome of the race and knew his team could have competed better.

“The girls did not sail as well as they could have,” Callahan said, “The girls were a bit frustrated and when you’re frustrated you don’t sail your best.”

In the A Division junior Rose Edwards and senior Emily Fung placed 16th overall. Junior Lola Bushnell and sophomore Hannah Hess placed 13th in the B Division.  The team will have to improve its performance quickly if it hopes to advance to the national championship.

This weekend brings with it two conference championships in which the coed and women’s teams will compete. At these events the top two finishers advance to nationals. Senior A.J. Reiter, who has performed well this season, will skipper the coed team.

“Talent-wise they’re going to be good,” Callahan said.

Callahan has expressed concern about the team’s practice availability, as it has significantly fewer boats and opportunities to get on the water than other teams do.

As for the women, Callahan stressed that the team must rebound from the disappointing defeat of the previous weekend.

“It’ll be hard,” Callahan said. “But I have confidence we’ll do well.”

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