Tulane Sailing Ready to Defend Title

NEW ORLEANS – Following a productive fall season Tulane University Sailing is prepared to defend its 2022 National Championship title in a busy 2023 spring featuring 13 regular season regattas.

Ciara Rodriguez-Horan, Andrea Riefkohl-Gonzalez, and Cameron Giblin earned All-American honors during the 2022 campaign and provide special insight on how the team's title run impacted the fall and will translate to the upcoming season.

"The team was really excited to get started this fall after last season's big win," Rodriguez-Horan said. "We felt very confident and while we had a few bumps in the road, I believe we're still riding the wave and our drive and dedication will carry us through the next championship."

The Green Wave competed in 12 different regattas during the fall season including the ICSA Open Match Race National Championship. Giblin was among the crew that finished fifth in the regatta.

"Last year's national championship gave our team a lot of confidence going into this fall season," Giblin said. "We learned a lot from last year's championship run but focusing on the small things and making steady progress every day at practice really helped us perform at our highest level."

Looking ahead to another spring campaign the Wave is focused on carrying the momentum and lessons learned from its 2022 championship run into the new season.

"We have continued to push each other in practice, and we are committed to seeing how far this team can go," Riefkohl-Gonzalez said. "The biggest takeaway from our success in the previous year is that this is just the beginning of what this team can accomplish. We continue to push one another because we know we have yet to reach our potential."

"Last year's championship run taught me the power of teamwork," Rodriguez-Horan stated. "I truly believe we did as well as we did because, as a team, we pushed each other to be the best we could be and made sure every teammate had the support they needed to succeed."

Tulane will race in 13 regattas this spring to qualify for the 2023 ICSA National Championships. Included in those events will be three regattas hosted in New Orleans in Lake Pontchartrain. The reigning champions and its trio of 2022 All-Americans are eager for the opportunity to take the Tulane program to the next level and repeat as national champions.

"I am looking forward to showing our depth as a team in both fleet and team racing," Giblin said.

"For this upcoming season I'm looking forward to seeing how the team continues to grow and develop," Riefkohl-Gonzalez stated. "We are still a fairly young team and I am excited to see how we develop through competitions leading up to Nationals in May."

Rodriguez-Horan shared a different perspective as she enters her final season with the Green Wave:

"As this is my last season of eligibility, I'm looking forward to making the most of it. I'm excited for all the experiences and stories that come with competition season, spending time with the team, and doing my best to leave the team better than when I started."

The full 2023 season schedule will be announced soon as Tulane prepares to defend its national title.

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Players Mentioned

Cameron Giblin

Andrea Riefkohl-Gonzalez

Ciara Rodriguez-Horan

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