This past weekend in SAISA featured state championship regattas in the Carolinas, Florida, and a combined Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia event, the first such events under the new, revised SAISA schedule. Hosted by the University of Tennessee after a late venue change, the Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia "TAG" Trophy regatta was won in impressive fashion by the Sewanee Tigers. Led by Heyward Main (Sr., Charleston, SC), Michael Edge (So., Raleigh, NC), Graham Cosby (Fr., Charleston, SC), and Kendall Buck (Jr., Fairhope, AL), the Sewanee Tigers delivered a perfect regatta with picket fences (all first-place finishes) in every race in both divisions. They even carried bullets into the 5th race of the regatta in A-Division before conditions deteriorated and B-Division was unable to complete a matching rotation. Winning both A and B-Divisions, and the overall regatta, the Sewanee squad secured the first TAG Trophy, debuted undefeated in college sailing, and earned SAISA Open Sailors of the Week!
In Newport News, Virginia, fourteen SAISA and MAISA squads squared off at the annual Hanbury Trophy Regatta hosted by Christopher Newport University. In a competitive coed fleet, the NC State Wolfpack duo of Isa du Plessis (Jr., Ft. Lauderdale, FL) and Olivia Sowa (Jr., Hollywood, MD), started strong with podium finishes in the first set, took control of the lead in B-Division by the 5th race, and didn't let go of the lead for the remainder of the two day event. With 4 bullets (first-place finishes) and nine podium finishes out of 14 races, du Plessis and Sowa won B-Division by 13 points over the closest rival, helped their Wolfpack team earn a 2nd place finish in the overall regatta, and earned SAISA Women's Sailors of the Week honors! Congratulations to both the Sewanee Tigers and NC State Wolfpack sailors!
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About the SAISA Sailors of the Week
Each week of the season, we’ll recognize outstanding performances by sailors across SAISA, as well as by SAISA sailors in competition out of conference. The selection process includes a nomination period each week ending on Sunday. A committee of SAISA coaches from both divisions selects sailors from the nominations received and will announce the SAISA Sailors of the Week early each week following the close of the nomination period. If you’d like to submit a nomination, email the sailor’s name, school, position, and what events or circumstances they demonstrated outstanding performance to SAISAsotw@gmail.com. Nominations close on Sunday at midnight EST and selections will be based on performances for the preceding week and that weekend. Selection categories may include open (co-ed) skipper, open crew, women’s skipper, women’s crew. Pairings or individual sailors may be nominated or selected.
For more information, visit the SAISA website at www.saisasailing.com/sotw