LADY MONARCHS WIN NATIONAL SAILING CHAMPIONSHIP

The Old Dominion University women's sailing squad led from start to finish and captured the 2002 ICSA Women's North American Collegiate Sailing National Championship held at the University of Hawaii. It was the school's 12th overall sailing National Championship.

Ranked second nationally coming into the championships, the Lady Monarchs held off a final day rally by the defending champion University of Hawaii Rainbows for a nine point victory. ODU tallied 168 points, Hawaii was second with 177 and St. Mary's took third with 95 in the 18-team event. This was the Lady Monarchs first national championship since 1987. They also won in 1982.

"I think it was a great event and it was exciting that it came down to the last two races," said ODU head coach Mitch Brindley, president of the ICSA (Intercollegiate Sailing Association). "The key was really in the depth, experience and determination of our sailors. We have five solid skippers who pushed each other hard all semester to get here and win. Both of our Skippers sailed this event last year in Boston, so their experience really helped us."

ODU's squad included A division sailors Sally Barkow (Nashotah, WI.), Cara Gibbons-Neff (Annapolis, MD.), and Debbie Capozzi (Bayport, NY.). They took first place in A Division with 62 points which included four firsts, and seven second's in 18 races. The B-Division sailors included Corrie Clement (Metairie, LA.), Liz Bower (Fairport, NY.) and Anna Tunnicliffe (Perrysburg,OH.). They scored 106 points for a fifth place finish. In the final two races, ODU took a first and a second, while Hawaii took an eighth and a fifth.

"Intensity and team work," said All-American skipper Sally Barkow. " All year long, we never let down."

Old Dominion has a chance at two more national championships this week. The Team race national championships begin Monday and the Coed-Dinghy nationals begin on June 5th. In the fall, ODU placed second in the ICSA Men's Singlehanded and third in the Women's Singlehanded National Championships which were held at ODU.