ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- After a winter spent off the water, the Cornell sailing team opened its spring campaign with a gritty performance at the Naval Academy, competing against a strong MAISA field that included Fordham, Navy, George Washington, Old Dominion, Penn, and St. Mary's (Md.). With Cayuga Lake still frozen and much of the fleet seeing its first action in weeks, the Big Red fought through early rust on Saturday and secured a win over rival Penn while narrowly dropping several tight races en route to a sixth-place finish.

Cornell bounced back on Sunday, finishing the first round robin with a 2-1 start and falling only to eventual champion Georgetown. The Big Red then avenged several of Saturday's results in the partial second round, going 4-2 with wins over Fordham, George Washington, Old Dominion and a 2-0 sweep of Penn. Sophomores Gilda Dondona and Ava Gustafson, junior Winborne Majette, and senior Sophia Mulvania paced Cornell's effort across a weekend that featured light winds Saturday and strong breeze Sunday.

The Big Red will return south when it competes at Navy's Jen Harris Women's Team Race and the St. Mary's Team Race beginning on Saturday, March 7.