Atlantic Coast Championship Results
NEW LONDON, Conn. – The Eckerd College women's sailing program left a lasting impression among an elite field over the weekend at the Atlantic Coast Championships, battling chilly conditions in the Northeast to close the fall campaign.
The regatta was loaded with all top-10 nationally-rated programs from the most recent Sailing World's college rankings presented by Sperry Top-Sider, including team champion and No. 2-ranked Dartmouth College.
Eckerd finished an impressive ninth in the 18-team field and was the top placeholder among all SAISA-affiliated programs that featured No. 7 College of Charleston and the University of Miami.
EC was in the mix all weekend after finishing Saturday's action in 10th and also placed ahead of eighth-ranked Brown University and No. 10 University of Rhode Island.
Eckerd's strong fall finish bodes well for a spot in the new national rankings to begin the spring season that will be released in late-February.
“The ACC's are deeper and more competitive than nationals; all the top teams were here, but the depth is different,” EC Head Coach
Kevin Reali said. “The women's team has been underrated all semester long in the rankings and we've been consistent with our scores. I don't think it can be denied now.”
The Tritons qualified for the ACC regatta earlier in the fall with their finish at the SAISA Singlehanded Championships in Miami on Sept. 29.
Temperatures in Connecticut were consistently in the 50's as the “A” Division was navigated by senior skipper
Kaye Siemers and junior crew member
Rachel Cruz.
The “B” Division, guided by senior
Amy Baxter and sophomore
Ann Williamson, turned in near-identical point totals on the water.
The coed edition of the Atlantic Coast Championships was canceled due to the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
The coed program is continuing to practice for the Match Race Nationals later this week in Fort Worth, Texas.
