CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Cardinal concluded the spring season on Monday, finishing seventh in the ICSA Open Fleet Race Championship. It was the final race of the four national championships which saw Stanford claim two titles and earn top-10 finishes in the other two disciplines.
"We fought hard for eight days, returning home humbled champions," said head sailing coach Chris Klevan. "Despite a disappointing finish at the open fleet race championship; a finish inciting feelings not dissimilar to those left by the open team race championship a month ago - we left it all on the water and we will come back hungry for next season while adding another trophy to our trophy case. This is a good position to be in."
I believe this team will be remembered fondly in the college sailing history books," added Klevan. "We are the first defending women's champion to defend since the Dartmouth women did it the 2013 and 2014 seasons. We left no question as to who is the best in the women's game and the future seems bright should the work continue."
Stanford advanced to the Open Fleet Race finals comfortably after taking third in the eastern semifinal, trailing only Harvard and Dartmouth. Stanford's score in the B division topped all teams in the semifinal, as five sailors combined to earn the result: Vanessa Lahrkamp, Thomas Sitzmann, Reade Decker, Gwendolyn Donahue, and Alice Schmid.
In the finals, Stanford ultimately came in seventh place, scoring 315 points. Harvard was the eventual champion, finishing with 227 points with Yale in second at 235 points.
Michelle Lahrkamp, Ellie Harned, and Thomas Sitzmann controlled the A boat throughout the final rounds, finishing in seventh in the division with 156 points.
In the B division, Vanessa Lahrkamp took control of the skipper duties while Alice Schmid and Gwendolyn Donahue handled the crew position. The trio finished with 159 points for ninth overall in the division.
Stanford finishes its spring season with two national titles, coming in the ICSA Women's Team and Women's Fleet events, the second straight year Stanford has claimed multiple championships in a single year.
