Harvard Sailing finished the first day of the ICSA Women’s Fleet Racing National Championship semifinals in second place on May 15. The Crimson, seeded fourth, is competing in the Eastern Semifinals and earned a score of 48 points, trailing top-seeded Stanford with 33 points. Roger Williams University, College of Charleston, and Dartmouth complete the top five teams after day one.
The results set an important stage for Harvard as it aims to advance to the finals later this week. Strong performances in both divisions helped Harvard move up early before finishing the day just behind Stanford.
Zoey Ziskind and Christina Chen represented Harvard in the A-Division, while Kate Danielson and JJ Drummond competed in B-Division. Peyton Hadfield, Sophia Montgomery, and Amelie Zucker served as reserves for the team.
The Crimson started with mixed results: Ziskind-Chen placed tenth in their opening race while Danielson-Drummond finished fifth. Both pairs improved quickly; Ziskind-Chen posted finishes of first, second, and second over their next three races while Danielson-Drummond went first twice then second—helping propel Harvard into an early lead.
However, later races saw a dip as Ziskind-Chen finished fifth and ninth in their final two outings of the day while Danielson-Drummond took second then eighth place. These results moved Harvard back into second overall by day’s end.
With six out of fourteen scheduled races completed so far at St. Petersburg’s regatta site, Harvard will continue semifinal action Saturday as it seeks to secure a spot in the national finals.
