CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The Harvard sailing team tallied several NEISA honors for the 2019-20 season, the organization announced today, including senior Jessica Williams earning Women's Crew of the Year honors. Head coach Mike O'Connor, meanwhile, collected his first NEISA Coach of the Year award after guiding the Crimson to 15 top-five finishes over the course of the year, with a regatta victory in both the fall and the spring season. The squad overall pulled in a combined 11 honors, with two additional finalists.
Williams claimed two of the awards for herself (Women's Crew of the Year/ Women's Crew First Team), and was also named a finalist for the Coed Crew of the Year. The NEISA spoke to Williams' success on the season:
"Williams, a captain of the Harvard Sailing Team, anchored an impressive season by a young and talented group of Harvard sailors that made steady improvements through the season, as a team, and also leading the development of her first-year sailing partner, skipper Sarah Burn. Williams showed her versatility by sailing in over 95% of the races with Burn, in both light and heavy air, and scored a dominating win in B-division at the Stu Nelson trophy, a 3rd place in B-division at the women's showcase finals and a 4th place in A-division at Yale women's. Williams beat out an extremely talented field of finalists that included: Annabelle Hutchinson '21 from Brown University, Emma Jakobson '21 from Harvard University, Sonia Lingos-Utley '21 from Yale University and Catherine Webb '22 from Yale University."
First-year Sarah Burn followed in Williams' footsteps, collecting All-NESIA Women's Crew First-Team honors, and was tabbed the Women's Rookie of the Year.
"Burn was an immediate starter for the Crimson and went on a mid-season run tear finishing in the top four in five straight regattas including a win at the ever competitive and demanding Stu Nelson Regatta," the NEISA said of Burn. "Burn started in every major women's regatta this season sailing with 2020 NEISA women's crew of the year, Jessica Williams '20."
Senior Iulianna Taritsa and junior Emily Wang took home Coed Crew First-Team honors, while Emma Jakobson earned a spot on the Women's Crew First Team. Jakobson was also named a finalist for the Women's Crew of the Year.
Siblings Eli and Henry Burnes landed spots on the Coed Skippers First Team, while sophomore Emma Kaneti earned a spot on the Women's Skippers First Team.
The Crimson returns all but five sailors in the 2020-21 season.
