The No. 6 St. Mary’s College of Maryland coed sailing team has secured a spot in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) Open Team Race National Championship. The selection committee announced the team’s at-large berth on April 18th, with St. Mary’s College seeded sixth in the national field. The championship event will take place at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., from May 27-29.
St. Mary’s College has made 25 appearances in the ICSA Open Team Race National Championship, and this year marks the team’s third straight appearance. The Seahawks have previously won the Walter Cromwell Wood Bowl five times as team race national champions, with victories in 1999, 2000, 2004, 2007, and 2010. In 2022, the team placed 15th at the open team race nationals hosted by Tulane University.
Georgetown University claimed the Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA) Open Team Race Conference Champion automatic qualification to the open team race nationals.
Despite their loss to Georgetown in the Prosser Trophy, the MAISA Open Team Race Conference Championship, St. Mary’s College has had a strong spring season. The Seahawks finished in the Top 3 in five of their seven open team races, including a victory in the Aaron Szambecki Team Race at Old Dominion University on March 25-26.
St. Mary’s College Head Coach Adam Werblow expressed his team’s excitement for the upcoming championship event, stating, “We are thrilled to earn another opportunity to represent St. Mary’s College at the ICSA Open Team Race National Championship. Our team has been working hard this season and we are looking forward to the competition.”
The ICSA Open Team Race National Championship will feature 16 teams competing in a round-robin format. The teams will then be ranked based on their win-loss records, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals and the winners of the semi-finals competing in the championship race.
St. Mary’s College is among the top teams in college sailing, with a long-standing tradition of success. The team’s appearance in the ICSA Open Team Race National Championship is a testament to their hard work and dedication throughout the season. Fans and supporters of the Seahawks will be eagerly watching as they vie for another national championship title.