ATLANTA, GA (March 15, 2014): Wolfpack sailors travelled to Atlanta for the final conference regatta of the regular Spring season, North Points #4 hosted by Georgia Tech. NC State sailors delivered a 2nd place finish in A-Division led by junior skipper and race team captain David Rogers (Mt. Pleasant, SC) and sophomore crew Paulina Spencer (Raleigh, NC), and an outright win in B-division led by senior skipper Benton Morton (Wilmington, NC) and junior crew Jill Tucker (Jamestown, NC). With final scores tallied, NCSU came up short by only 4 points of regatta host Georgia Tech. This was the second event this season won by the host team as the Yellowjackets were propelled by a dominant performance from GT skipper J.D. Reddaway and crew Andrew Branch who finished every one of the 5 races on the day in first place.
NC State sailors hauling their boat to the water prior to the start of the day's regatta
With their strong finish at North Points #4, NC State secures 3rd place overall standing in the SAISA North Division for the Spring 2014 season, finishing the season behind only the College of Charleston and Clemson. As a result, NC State once again qualifies for SAISA Conference Championships, and what will be their sixth consecutive appearance. SAISA Conference Championships will be held April 26-27 in Jacksonville, Florida hosted by Jacksonville University.
"We're excited to qualify for SAISA Conference Championships again this season. We've had a strong showing from our veteran leaders on the squad, and our younger sailors have gained great experience throughout the year," said NC State coach Dana Magliola. "It's a well-earned accomplishment as all the hours of practice and hard work on the water, in the classroom, and in the gym have paid off for our team."
Light breeze on Lake Lanier made for close racing.
NC State also brought a second squad to compete at Georgia Tech. Led in A-Division by junior skipper and Women's Team captain Nikki Palen (Greensboro, NC) and junior crew Annalisa Kristoffersen (Raleigh, NC) finished 9th ahead of the University of Georgia, and sophomore skipper Marc Celestini (Toronto, ON) and junior crew Daniel Hemstreet (Huntersville, NC) in B-Division placed 6th ahead of UGA, Georgia Tech's 2nd team, and both squads from Auburn. As a result, the "Red Terrors" as they were called, celebrating a NCSU mascot from a bygone era, finished the regatta in 7th overall ahead of Auburn and Georgia only 3 points behind host Georgia Tech's 2nd squad. Full scores are available here.
