Championship Central

CHARLESTON, S.C. â€" The Navy intercollegiate sailing team opened the spring national championship season by advancing to the final round of the 2017 ICSA Sperry Women's College Sailing Nationals in Charleston.

Navy placed eighth in the 18-team Western Semifinals after two days of competition on Tuesday and Wednesday. Due to its top-nine finish, Navy advances with the top-nine teams from the Eastern Semifinal to the 18-team final round, which will be sailed Thursday and Friday.

The conditions were challenging both days with shifty winds and strong currents. Thunderstorms passed through the race course and racing was postponed on many occasions.

Navy stayed consistent through day one and was in 10th place, just shy of advancing to the final heading into Wednesday's racing. Day two started off similar as the day before, but the wind steadily increased throughout the day as storms were approaching. As the wind increased, Navy's strength gained through its time in the weight room and its skills developed through all those heavy wind practices paid off, and the Midshipmen closed out the event strong to finish in eighth place and advance to the finals Thursday and Friday.

Senior Hannah Hughes, sophomore Sarah Barkley and freshman Brittney Slook finished ninth in A division while freshman Jessica McJones, senior Molly Hanson and senior Molly Robertson were eighth in B division.

Following the final round of the Women's Nationals on Thursday and Friday, Navy will compete in the ICSA Team Race Nationals from Saturday to Monday and then the ICSA Coed Nationals from May 30 to June 2.