University of South Florida
Women's Fleet Racing National Championship
South Florida concludes season at Women’s Fleet Racing National Championship
May 28, 2024 | Women's Sailing
The Bulls were part of the 36-team championship field.
BOSTON, Mass. (May 28, 2023) – The University of South Florida sailing team wrapped up its 2023-24 season at the Women's Fleet Racing National Championship among a 36-team field. South Florida qualified for the championship event with an at-large bid after finishing third in the conference championship in April.
Sailing for the Bulls was Emma Shakespeare, Hannah Marsicano, Kay Brunsvold, Kalea Woodard and alternate Kailey Warrior.
The 36-team field was split into two locations for the race at either MIT or Havard with the boathouse located on the Charles River. After two days, the top nine teams from each semifinals pod advance to the finals.
The Bulls finished 10th in the Eastern semifinals pod, narrowly missing the championship final.
The conditions on the Charles River in Boston were every bit as challenging as expected. Hosts MIT and Harvard ran a superb event given the circumstances, completing 17 of the 18 scheduled races. Several races were abandoned after major windshifts and race starts were postponed several times due to lack of wind.
Shakespeare and Marsicano fought hard in B division, finishing ninth with four top-five races against the 18-team pod. Brunsvold and Woodard finished 13th in A division, with two top-five races. Warrior was able to gain experience as an observer, prepared to alternate as either a skipper or crew if necessary.
Combining the scores, USF finished 10th out of the 18 teams in the national semifinal competition, just out of position to advance to the national finals.
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 –
