University of South Florida
SAISA Fall Open Conference Championship
University of South Florida Sailing Wins SAISA Fall Conference Championship
November 01, 2023 | Women's Sailing
The Bulls hosted and won the championship in a nail-bitting finish.
TAMPA (November 1, 2023) – The University of South Florida sailing team concluded their Fall season by hosting and winning the SAISA Conference Women's Fall Championship on October 27-28 at the St. Petersburg campus waterfront venue.
Racing began Friday afternoon and concluded on Saturday, with 11 teams from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina competing. Winds were from the NE at 10-13 knots from the NE with heavy chop on Tampa Bay, dropping to 6-8 knots with some full moon tidal current and moderate chop.
Racing was extremely close among the top three teams as South Florida, College of Charleston and Jacksonville University exchanged the lead throughout the series.
With one nail-biting race to go, USF and Charleston were tied with 40 points behind Jacksonville at 41 points. When the dust settled, the teams finished in that order; USF, CoC, and JU.
Consistent finishes by seniors Emma Shakespeare and Jewel Kelly resulted in a second-place mark in the A division, and juniors Kay Brunsvold and Kalea Woodard sailed well in the B division, also finishing second. Alternates Eden Nykamp, Hannah Marsicano, Heidi Hicks, and Janie Powell were ready to go if needed.
Combining the scores from each division gave South Florida the overall conference victory, beating competitors such as FSU, Florida, Miami, NC State, and Georgia.
About USF Sailing
The USF sailing program has reached the national finals in 10 of the last 11 years. The Bulls finished in the top 10 during the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The sailing team is based out of St. Petersburg and has been led since 2014 by head coach Allison Jolly, a former USA Olympian, 2016 Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee and 2019 U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee.
Follow the team on Twitter and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
– #GoBulls –
