University of South Florida
SAISA Spring Top 9 Invite
BULLS SET TO COMPETE IN SAISA WOMEN'S TOP 9 INVITATIONAL ON HOME WATERS
March 22, 2025 | Women's Sailing
TAMPA, FLA., MARCH 22, 2025 — The USF women's sailing team is set to host the South Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (SAISA) Conference Women's Top 9 Invitational on Sunday, welcoming top programs from across the region to compete on St. Petersburg waters. Due to spring break scheduling conflicts, this year's regatta will feature six teams—Clemson, Florida State, Jacksonville, Palm Beach Atlantic, Rollins, and host South Florida. With available open berths, the Bulls will enter two teams in the event.
Despite missing some of their usual starters, USF's depth will be on full display as they look to remain competitive against strong competition.
The first Bulls lineup will feature Kailey Warrior (sophomore) and Sara Menesale (first year) in A division, while Ghislaine van Empel (first year) and Cate Brennan (junior) will compete in B division. The Bulls second lineup will be represented by Kalea Woodard (senior) and Melissa Janes (junior) in A division, with Grace Jones (first year) and Heidi Hicks (senior) sailing in B division. The event will be a combined division regatta, meaning all four USF pairs will race simultaneously against the other competitors.
Racing is scheduled to begin at 9:45 a.m. ET and will conclude no later than 3 p.m. ET. The forecast calls for a light, shifty northeast breeze in the morning, which is expected to diminish by early afternoon.
"We're excited to host this event and give our athletes an opportunity to compete on our home waters," said USF head coach Allison Jolly. "While we'll be missing some of our regular starters, the depth of our roster gives us confidence that we can still perform at a high level. No matter the conditions, we're looking forward to great competition and valuable experience for our sailors."
Follow the team on Twitter and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information.
About USF Sailing
The USF sailing program has reached the national finals in 11 of the last 12 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 and Gold Medalist, 2016 Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee and 2019 U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee.
– #GoBulls –
