BRISTOL, R.I. - This coming weekend two members of the Roger Williams University Sailing team and Coach Amanda Callahan will travel to Corpus Christi, Texas for the ICSA Men’s Singlehanded Championships on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Freshman Luke Lawrence (Palm City, Fla.) and defending National Champion Cy Thompson (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands) look to bring the title back to RWU for the second consecutive year.
Lawrence is excited for the chance to win a National Championship saying, “I’m looking forward to sailing against the best in the country. It’s a great opportunity and I’m really looking forward to bringing back a second National Championship to RWU. The season has been going well, and Coach Callahan has been doing a great job in preparing us for the upcoming weekend.” He has done quite well in his debut season, as he ran the solo “C” Division at the Navy Fall and helped the team win the event as well as helping in the fourth place finish overall at the Nevins Trophy. He has done very well racing duals as well helping the team to a third place finish at the Smith Trophy at MIT. Lawrence earned his spot after finishing fourth behind Thompson at the ICSA New England Men’s Singlehanded Championships.
Thompson and Lawrence earned a spot at the National Championships after they finished third and fourth at the New England Men’s Singlehanded championships which were held here at Roger Williams a month ago.
Thompson, a Junior, is looking to defend the title that he won a year ago. After spending the 2007-08 season competing for a chance to represent the Virgin Islands at the 2008 Olympics, he came back and became National Champion. He was also named RWU Male Athlete of the Year, All-American Coed Skipper, and All-NEISA First Team Skipper. Thompson became the first Sailing National Champion in school history a year ago in Ithaca when he narrowly defeated Kyle Rogachenko from Old Dominion in a tie-breaker scenario that went to Thompson as he beat Rogachenko in 11 of the 18 races held. He is anxious for the weekend to get started, saying, “winning this regatta twice in a row, would be a great accomplishment for myself and the sailing team, but as long as the title stays in the hands of a Roger Williams sailor, then I would be pleased as well!"
Coach Callahan will be traveling alongside Thompson and Lawrence as they go to Texas. She has high hopes for the two saying, “We’ve got two great guys here that both have an excellent chance at winning. The group going from New England in general is quite strong and will have a good showing. It’s going to be an exciting weekend as Cy defends his title and Luke tries to take it from him.”
The duo get on a plane tomorrow headed for Corpus Christi, and will be competing Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the hopes of bringing back a second consecutive ICSA Men’s Singlehanded National Championship.