NORFOLK, Va. - Chapman Petersen became the first Stanford men's sailor since 2006 to claim the ICSA Singlehanded Championship, and just the fifth Stanford sailor to ever win a national title in the individual discipline.
Petersen joins 2006 champion Emery Wager and 1963 champion Basil Twist as the only men's sailors to claim the title in Stanford history. It also marks the Cardinal's first ICSA championship since Christina Sakellaris earned the Singlehanded championship in 2018.
"The score-line Chapman put together, at the biggest stage, shows impressive maturity, on top of obvious skill," said head sailing coach Chris Klevan. "He represented his teammates well."
The freshmen took the national championship in decisive fashion after moving into the top spot in the event running total after the eight race. Petersen went on to maintain his lead from the eighth race onward, staying in first all the way through race 14.
Petersen earned an impressive 64 points during the regatta, eight less than the second place finisher, a senior sailor from Saint Mary's College of Maryland. Petersen was one of five freshmen in the field of 18, which included his own Stanford teammate, Jack Baldwin who finished in 15th.
Meanwhile, in the women's discipline, Hallie Schiffman finished second overall. Schiffman moved into first place in the running total after the 10th race, but ultimately took second with 73 points, behind Harvard's Sophia Montgomery who finished with 58.
"Hallie, coming up just short of a championship, must be terribly disappointed," noted Klevan. "However, I could not be more proud. She approaches everything she does with professionalism and care. I'm inspired every day I work with her because she's a winner and wants to win the right way."
Grace Austin also competed in the championships, finishing 13th in a field of 19.
This marks Stanford's best-ever finish in both the men's and women's ICSA Singlehanded Championships in the same season, topping the 2006 result where Emery Wager claimed the title for the men's division and Evan Brown finished fifth in the women's.
"The success at this regatta as a whole came from a group of four working well together," added Klevan. "I believe they've learned how to be successful as a unit due to the team we have together weekly."
Stanford returns to action next weekend for the final contests of the fall season, the Fall PCCSC Championship and the ICSA Match Race Championships.