For the first time in program history, the Rams qualified for the New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA) Women's Team Race Championship. The milestone comes despite the team's status as a student run club sport competing against fully funded Division I varsity programs.
"It definitely puts a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," said junior captain Ariana Schwartz. "They have access to a ton of resources and money, and being a D1 sport makes it easier to get access to that, but we work really hard with what we got."
That work includes a rigorous practice and training schedule: the team has lifts three times a week and on-water practices four days a week. Schwartz, a native of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands noted how the team's path to the championship was literally frozen. The team's home at Salt Pond froze over following a late winter blizzard. The ice delayed the start of spring practices until early March, which was a full month later than the previous year.
"We practice in the Salt Pond and it was all frozen around the boats so we couldn't get out for a long time." Schwartz said.
The Rams secured their spot in the championship after their second place finish at the Callahan regatta hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. In between qualifying for the NEISA Championship and competing in it, URI hosted the Southern 5 regatta at the Salt Pond. In this regatta the Rams defended home pond, finishing first out of the eight competing teams.
The Rams then traveled to Medford, Massachusetts, for the NEISA Championship at Tufts University, where they finished 10th overall on the waters of upper Mystic Lake.
The battle for the 9th spot came down to a tie-breaker between the regatta's only non-Division I programs: URI and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy(Division III varsity program). Both teams finished the opening rounds with a 1-8 record. While the Rams secured a marquee victory over the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Coast Guard Academy claimed the higher seed by virtue of their head-to-head win over URI.
Unlike their varsity counterparts who often travel in athletic department buses, URI sailors rely on a network of students' personal vehicles for transportation. Schwartz noted that the logistical hurdles have actually strengthened the team's chemistry and culture.
"We're a very bonded and very tight-knit team," Schwartz said, noting that upperclassmen often drive freshmen to practice. "Even when my car has been broken down, I've managed to get to class just through my teammates helping me."
Rhode Island has one of the few sailing programs that offer both dinghy and offshore sailing. Schwartz, who leads the team alongside co-captain Olin Guck, believes this versatility allows the team to attract high caliber sailors and compete with varsity programs. The team now looks toward a busy late-April schedule with their sights set on a potential berth in the team race National Championship.
"It's a really big accomplishment to make it to nationals" Schwartz said "It takes a lot of dedication, a lot of grit to make it there."
