 | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
 | |
Young talent leads Elis
Sailing Coach Zack Leonard recently received some welcome news: Yale had reached the No. 20 spot in the national rankings. But Leonard has bigger plans. "This is only one of the steps along the way towards what we're trying to do," he said. The squad's goal is to qualify for nationals. "I expect us to finish much higher than 20th [by the end of the season]," Skipper Brandon Wall, ES '03, Yale's top racer, said.The team most recently competed at the Boston Dinghy Cup, where Yale finished 10th in one of the toughest fields of any regatta. This weekend, the team travels to the University of Rhode Island, and where they will compete on the same course on which nationals are held. Leonard believes the winter break and spring training allowed the team to reinforce what it had learned in the fall. "We began the season two or three steps ahead of where we were in the fall," Leonard said. Having a deep roster has also helped. "Although only top racers compete [in major regattas], the fact that we have tremendous depth has helped a lot in practice," Wall said. The team's youth means that Yale should only improve with experience.
The Bulldogs know they can compete at the highest level. McNay pointed out that Yale placed higher than Stanford, USC, Boston University, and Navy, all teams that are ranked ahead of Yale, at the Dinghy Cup. "I think we can surprise people," Leonard said. If the sailors continue to improve, a berth at nationals won't surprise anyone.
—Joey Ax
All materials © 2001 The Yale Herald, Inc., and its staff.
Got any questions, comments, or advice? Email the online editors at
online@yaleherald.com.
Like to join us?