June 17, 2010
NORFOLK, Va. - A third-place result at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Women's Dinghy National Championships highlighted a very successful year for the Old Dominion sailing program. The women's squad was ranked as high as No. 1 nationally and qualified two team members for the ICSA Women's Singlehanded National Championships. The co-ed team was also successful in 2010, maintaining a Top 20 ranking throughout the year and qualifying for the Co-ed National Championships in Madison, Wis.
Both women's and co-ed sailors were honored at years end as junior skipper Stephanie Roble and senior crew Michael Komar were each named ICSA All-Americans after stellar performances throughout the year and at the National Championships.
Roble sailed in both the women's and co-ed national championship regattas for ODU, leading the Lady Monarchs to a third-place finish. The junior sailed with sophomore crew Emily Reich and the duo finished fifth in the A-Division with 78 points. Komar sailed with Roble for six A Division races at the coed national championships. The duo posted three Top 10 results.
The Lady Monarchs' third-place result at women's nationals was due in large part to senior skipper Katrina Williams and junior Morgan Wilson. The pair netted a first and second-place finish in the only two races sailed on the final day. Light wind plagued women's nationals, but solid results in the final two races propelled ODU into third. Williams and Wilson claimed second overall in the B-Division with 53 points. Roble and Reich finished fifth in the A-Division with 78 points.
Four Monarch sailors combined for an 11th place finish in the B Division at the ICSA Co-ed National Championships, but ODU claimed 14th overall. Alan Alkins, Katrina Williams, Wilson Stout and Dillon Paiva contributed to five Top 10 finishes in just nine races. Alkins and Williams each skippered ODU to separate second-place finishes, with Stout at crew in each race. Roble raced 10 A Division races with Michael Komar, Emily Reich and Miles Martschink all splitting time at crew. The A Division sailors ended the week in 16th.
Both Wilson and Williams also qualified for the ICSA Singlehanded National Championships. Although both sailors gained on the leaders during the final day of competition, Wilson finished in fifth and Williams in eighth. In total, Wilson had 11 top-five finishes in 18 races. The fifth-place finish is the juniors best ever after claiming ninth and 11th in her first two championships. Williams, who placed as high as third in her two prior championships, had 13 top-10 finishes this year.
The Lady Monarchs also claimed second at the MAISA Fall Women's Championships. The ODU trio of Roble, Ashley Pellerito and Ashley Brusso won the A-Division with 22 points. Arianna Baker, Shannon Wilkins and Jordan Stock led the Lady Monarchs to a third place finish in the B Division.
In team racing, ODU earned a fifth-place finish at the MAISA Team Racing Championships. ODU won five races during the event, including a victory over No. 7 Hobart/William Smith.
The ODU team was led by Patty O'Bryan, Roble, Kevin Shockey, Alan Alkins, Komar, Stout, Paiva and Martschink. The Monarchs split matchups against King's Point, Hobart/William Smith and NY Maritime, while topping No. 17 Washington College twice.
Other notable Regatta's during the year included the Riley Cup, BYO Radial and Mrs. Hurst Bowl. At the Riley Cup, ODU bested a highly talented field that included No. 1 St. Mary's. Zack Kelchner and Ashley Pellerito won the A Division, while Zach Runchi and Jessica Milligan placed third in the B Division. Roble won six races and blew away a nine-person field to win the BYO Radial. Teammate Morgan Wilson finished fourth. The Lady Monarchs also won the Mrs. Hurst bowl behind strong efforts from Roble and Ashley Brusso. ODU won four races and posted 11 Top 5 finishes in the two flights of racing.