Big Green Land 10 on ICSA All-Academic Team

7/24/2024 3:11:00 PM | Sailing - Open & Women's

By: Rebecca Osowski

HANOVER, N.H. – On Wednesday, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) announced this year's All-Academic team, honoring ten members of the Big Green.

To qualify for the ICSA All-Academic team, student-athletes must be junior or seniors, competed or served as an alternate in seven regattas over the year, and earned a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

This year's representatives are Reese Bragg, Faye Benjamin, Elise Donovan, Maddie Hawkins, Alexandra Pierce, Gray Hemans, Yumi Yoshiyasu, Sarah Young, Mike Hanrahan, and Taylor Eastman.

Bragg competed in 16 regattas through the fall and spring seasons, earning 11 top five finishes and falling outside the top ten only once. Bragg's best performance came alongside fellow recipient Hawkins at the Women's Dinghy National Championship, winning the A Division with 97 total points. Her first-place finish helped the Big Green to third place overall.

Benjamin sailed at the Yale Women's Regatta, the Mrs. Hurst Bowl, the Victorian Urn Trophy, and the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship, just to name a few. Her best performance was a sixth-place finish at the Victorian Urn Trophy.

Donovan continues to rack up the academic awards, collecting her third of the season. She has posted 11 top five finishes and multiple winning records. A specific weather sailor, Donovan had immense impact when she entered the water, including helping the Big Green to third place finishes at the Open and Women's Dinghy National Championship.

Hawkins capped her senior year with more success, earning national sailing recognition highlighted by an A Division win alongside Bragg at the Women's Dinghy National Championship. She finished outside the top five in only three of the 16 regattas she sailed in, still finishing in the top ten in those three regattas. She also capped her Big Green career with an ICSA All-America honor.

Pierce raced in ten regattas, serving as a reserve in five more. She earned a second-place finish at the Marchiando Trophy and helped the team to a first-place finish in the Open National Semifinal for her two best performances of the season. Pierce collected four top five finishes as well as nine top ten finishes over the course of the season.

Hemans posted top ten finishes at each of the 11 regattas she sailed in, finishing as high as third place four times. Her best performance was the third-place finish at the Women's National Semifinal of the Dinghy National Championship, beating 15 other teams.

Yoshiyasu also concluded her senior season with more success, adding an ICSA All-Academic honor to an All-American honor. She sailed in 17 regattas, opening the season with a first-place finish at the Regis Trophy, setting the tone for a dominant season on the water. 13 of her 17 regattas ended with top five finishes while the remaining four saw her in the top ten.

Young sailed in 14 different competitions, following her teammates with dominant top five and top ten finishes. She finished regattas outside the top five only twice and outside the top ten only once. Her best was a second-place finish at the Women's New England Fleet Race Championship.

Hanrahan competed at multiple regattas over the course of the season including the Mendum's Invite, the Central 4, Little 3, and Bears Invite. He finished first overall in the B Division at the Mendum's Invite, helping the Big Green to a fifth-place overall finish.

Eastman served as a reserve at both women's national championships, also having impact during the regular season. In her second regatta of the year, she posted a first-place finish at the Regis Trophy, earning six top five finishes over her remaining eight regattas.

While five of these sailors will move on following their graduation in June, Young, Hemans, Pierce, Benjamin, and Bragg will all return to the Big Green for their senior season.