KINGS POINT, N.Y. - Stanford was named the recipient of the Leonard Fowle Trophy, the award for the best overall collegiate sailing team. It marks another landmark accolade for the Stanford sailing program after a season full of awards, highlighted by championships in both the women's fleet race and the open fleet race.
"I've always thought the Fowle Trophy was an apt barometer measuring the team in college sailing with the most quality - the most diversity of talent," said head sailing coach Chris Klevan. "If that definition applies to this team, I feel it's quite remarkable as we are such a small team."
The Cardinal's stellar season began with a first-place finish in the ICSA men's singlehanded championships by freshman Chapman Petersen. He became just the third male Stanford sailor to win the title, while Hallie Schiffman took second place in the women's division.
"To win three nationals and to finish runner up in three others, sailing five different drivers and five different crews at those championships on a team of 15 total sailors, shows our depth in ability," added Klevan. "But to do this, especially this spring season, sailing a small group of young people, sailing from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. some nights, for eleven straight days, while taking classes and missing school shows something different and absolutely astounding."
"It shows the strength of character our team possesses, cultivates and emboldens. I could not be more proud of the way this team competed all year, the strides they made as sailors and people and the bonds they built together."
The Cardinal tripled it's ICSA team title total this spring, adding two more title to go along with the ICSA Open Team title from 1996-97. In all four of the spring championships, Stanford never finished lower than second place, adding runner up finishes in the ICSA Women's Team Race and Open Team Race competitions.
The Cardinal picked up a number of awards this spring, including seven different sailors receiving All-America honors. Stanford's star skipper Michelle Lahrkamp was lauded with the James Rousmaniere Award for Student Leadership, the first time a Stanford sailor has received the award.
Vanessa Lahrkamp joined her sister Michelle as the only sailors in Stanford history to receive two All-America honors in the same season, garnering the award as a skipper in both the women and open divisions. It marks the second consecutive season that Michelle has been a two-time All-American skipper.
Abigail Tindall, Patricia Gerli, and Ellie Harned were each named ICSA All-America Crew selections, while Grace Austin added an honorable mention nod. Tindall and Harned were both also named to the shortlist for ICSA Crew of the Year.
Hannah Freeman also joined the Lahrkamp sisters as a ICSA Woman All-American Skipper, making it a grand total of nine All-America nods for the Cardinal.
Stanford will return the core of its championship teams for the 2023-24 season and will look to continue its success on the water.
