September 28, 2008
Washington Finishes 2nd at North Fall #1
WC Also Represented at Three Other Regattas

CHESTERTOWN, MD -- The Washington College sailing team was represented at four regattas this past weekend. Washington was second of 16 teams at Hobart/William Smith's North Fall #1 and seventh of 18 teams at the Senator's Cup, hosted by St. Mary's. Meanwhile, at Navy, freshman Mildred Conroy (Newton, MA/Tabor Academy) finished 13th at the Faye Bennet Trophy, the MAISA Women's Singles Championships, and sophomore Guy Tawney (Baltimore, MD/St. Paul's School) was 13th at the Laser Qualifier South.

At the North Fall #1, junior skipper Conner Blouin (Tampa, FL/Jesuit) and junior crew Krista Hankins (Bridgeton, NJ/Cumberland Regional) won A Division, while senior skipper Derek Packard (Excelsior, MN/Breck) and sophomore crew Caroline Hill (Tiverton, RI/Bishop Stang, MA) were third in B Division. Blouin and Hankins finished first, second, or third in six of the seven A Division races. The first-place divisional finish for Blouin and Hankins was their third in a row. It was also Blouin's ninth career first-place divisional finish and Hankins's fourth career first-place divisional finish.

Nineteenth-ranked New York Maritime won the North Fall #1, while eighteenth-ranked Navy was third. All races were held on Sunday in north breezes at five to 10 knots.

At the Senator's Cup, freshman skipper Michael Whitford (Chicago, IL/Francis W. Parker School) and junior crew Genevieve Smith (Hampstead, MD/North Carroll) were 10th in A Division, while senior skipper Seth Olson (Branford, CT/Branford) and junior crew John MacLellan (Catonsville, MD/Catonsville) placed sixth in B Division.

A total of eight races in each division were sailed at the Senator's Cup, with six of them held on Saturday in rain and light easterly breezes. Poor sailing conditions limited Sunday's races to two in each division. Fourth-ranked St. Mary's won the Senator's Cup, followed by sixth-ranked Georgetown in second and 15th-ranked Old Dominion in third.

At the Faye Bennet Trophy, Conroy's highest finish in the eight races was fourth. At the Laser South Qualifier #2, Tawney's highest finish in eight races was 11th. On Saturday, light winds and heavy rain limited the Faye Bennet competitors to three races and the Laser Qualifier competitors to two races. Sunday morning winds were even lighter, but a light southerly filled in at around 1:00 p.m. and five more races were completed in the Faye Bennet and six in the Laser Qualifier.

Next weekend, the Washington College sailing team will compete at the Tom Curtis Memorial, hosted by Georgetown.