March 30, 2008
WC Finishes First, Second at Two Regattas
Washington wins North Spring #1, Second at Central Spring #1

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College sailing team turned in a pair of strong performances at two MAISA co-ed dinghy regattas this weekend. WC won the 16-school North Spring #1, hosted by Hobart/William Smith, and finished 2nd of 13 schools at the Central Spring #1, hosted by Ocean County.

At the North Spring #1, sophomore skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) and sophomore crew Krista Hankins (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) won A Division by 20 points, while sophomore skipper Patrick Clancy (Scituate, MA/Boston College HS) and freshman crew Caroline Hill (Tiverton, RI/Bishop Stang, MA) were third in B Division. Blouin's first-place finish in A Division was the fifth first-place divisional finish of his career and his second first-place A Division finish in a row at regattas held at Hobart/William Smith. He was first in A Division last fall at the Hobart/William Smith Fall Intersectional.

Eighth-ranked Hobart/William Smith finished second overall at the North Spring #1, while top-ranked St. Mary's was third.

At the Central Spring #1, junior skipper Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck) and junior crew Seth Olson (Branford, CT/Branford) were second in A Division, while junior skipper Nicholas Larmore (Wilmette, IL/New Trier) and senior crew Shrijana Puri (Bethesda, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) placed second in B Division. Packard and Olson won three of the 13 A Division races, while Larmore and Puri won five of the 13 B Division races.

Seventeenth-ranked Navy won the Central Spring #1, while eighth-ranked Hobart/William Smith was third. Only three points separated the top three teams as Navy finished with 88 points, Washington with 90, and Hobart/William Smith with 91. Merchant Marine was a distant fourth with 121 points. The Central Spring #1 was held in northeast winds of 8-10 knots with stronger gusts.

Next weekend, the Washington College sailing team will compete at the Captain Prosser Trophy- the MAISA Team Race Championships - hosted by Merchant Marine. The WC sailors will also compete at the Arrigan Memorial, hosted by Georgetown, and the Central Spring #2, hosted by Princeton.