September 14, 2008
Washington College Second at Cornell Fall Open
WC Also Takes Fifth Overall at Riley Cup

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College sailing team opened its fall schedule at a pair of regattas this weekend, finishing second of 18 teams at the Cornell Fall Open and placing fifth of 14 teams at the Riley Cup, hosted by Old Dominion.

At the Cornell Fall Open, junior skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) and junior crew Krista Hankins (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) won A Division, while freshman skipper Michael Whitford (Chicago, IL/Francis W. Parker School) and sophomore crew James Shepherd (Chicago, IL/Lincoln Park) were fifth in B Division.

The first-place finish in A Division marked the seventh career first-place divisional finish for Blouin and the second for Hankins. Thriteenth-ranked Navy won the Cornell Fall Open, while host Cornell was third.

At the Riley Cup, senior skipper Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck) and senior crew Seth Olson (Branford, CT/Branford) were third in A Division, while sophomore skipper Guy Tawney (Baltimore, MD/St. Paul's School) and junior crew Genevieve Smith (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) were seventh in B Division. Packard and Olson won two of the eight A Division races.

A lack of breeze limited races at the Riley Cup on Saturday, but Sunday saw much better conditions with a 5-10 knot breeze out of the south. Eighteenth-ranked Old Dominion took the top two spots in the regatta as ODU "Blue" finished first and ODU "Silver" was second. Fourth-ranked Georgetown was third.

Freshman Mildred Conroy (Newton, MA/Tabor Academy) also sailed for Washington at Old Dominion this weekend, finishing 10th of 12 sailors at the school's BYO Laser Radial.

Next weekend, the Washington College sailing team will compete at the Ocean County Fall Open and the Nevins Trophy, hosted by Merchant Marine.