[SAILING]

CRAIG T. KOJIMA/CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM John Birkett and Katie Shuman of Tufts University finished seventh in the coed dinghy championship at Keehi Lagoon.

St. Mary’s storms back

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By Grace Wen
gwen@starbulletin.com

Sometimes it's good to fly below radar.

The St. Mary's (Md.) sailing team began the 2002 Intercollegiate Sailing Association coed dinghy championships in eighth place after the first day. The fourth-ranked Seahawks held a slim one-point lead after the second day and trailed much of the third day before sneaking in to capture their second coed dinghy national championship (1995).

St. Mary's scored a regatta low 203 points for the victory yesterday. Harvard, the team racing champion, finished second with 210 points followed by Hawaii in third with 219 points.

The final score belies the closeness of the regatta. All three teams were separated by just four total points before the last race of the day.

But the Seahawks didn't feel much pressure since they were in third place at the time.

"It was a really exciting event," St. Mary's coach Adam Werblow said. "Everyone's going crazy for Hawaii, the home team. Harvard has been the best country in the team all year long. We couldn't ask for anything more.

"Quite frankly, we thought we were a good team but we didn't come in here thinking this was the most likely outcome. It helped keep us relaxed because nobody expected us to win."

The Seahawks won largely behind the strength of senior Brent Jansen and junior Gaylen Largay's performance, which was first among B division teams. The A division team of Skipper Danny Pletsch, and crew Dave Perkowski and Jen Vandemoer was also solid with a second-place showing in their division.

The lowest division score in the entire regatta was posted by Hawaii freshman Bryan Lake and sophomore Jennifer Warnock in the A division. Lake didn't take much comfort in their win.

"We wanted to win it all," Lake said. "Yeah, we won A division as a freshman but we wanted to win as a team."

"Our goal was to be top five in all of them and we competed well," UH coach Andy Johnson said. "Obviously, we were first and second the whole time. But more than anything we ran a fantastic event.

"I'm really relieved that's it all done. I'm a little sad we didn't pull through in the end."

The disappointment shouldn't last long with a bright sailing future ahead for the Rainbows. Lake was dominant in his races and Johnson said he's a shoo-in for All-American honors.

UH loses senior Molly O'Bryan, a three time All-American, but the cupboard isn't bare. The Wahine sailors should be tough again with Warnock and Renee DeCurtis coming back. Johnson said both were as good as sophomores as O'Bryan had been in her second year.