Sept. 13, 2002
The Old Dominion sailing program will open up 2002 competition this weekend as they host the Riley Cup and the ODU Radial. There will also be a team traveling to the Naval Academy for the Laser Opener.
The Riley Cup will feature a two-division regatta meet while the Radial will consist of about 18-20 women's teams competing with laser radials. A singlehanded men's team will be racing in Annapolis, MD for the Laser Opener.
The ODU sailing squad is coming off a successful 2001-02 campaign including an ICSA Women's National Championship, the third in program history. Altogether the team won ten different regattas and will look to better that number this year.
In last year's Riley Cup ODU combined to finish fourth as Bill Berg (Longwood, FL) and Liz Bower (Fairport, NY) took fifth in the A division while Jack Kerr (Seattle, WA) and Rachel Wright (Rochester, NY) won the B division race. The Monarchs had six sailors finish in the top 14 in the 2001 version of the Radial, including five in the top 10. Sally Barkow led the way with a second place showing. Georgetown won last year's Riley Cup and St. Mary's took the Radial.
Two-time All-American and former Monarch sailor Brad Funk won the 2001 running of the Laser Opener. ODU will look for senior Neil Ford (St. John's/Virgin Island), who came in 7th last year, to step up in Funk's absence.
The racing action begins Saturday at the ODU Sailing Center and will conclude on Sunday.