ITHACA, N.Y. – The Hampton University sailing team finished 17th overall in the America Trophy hosted by Cornell University on Saturday and Sunday.

The Pirates finished with 478 points, tallying 17th in the A Division with 247 points and 16th in the B Division with 231 points. Shane Rickie Horsford and Athnel George competed in the A Division, while Andrew Shoemaker and Ian Guagliardo competed in the B Division. 

"it was a very strong field and a great experience to challenge the good sailors here," first-year coach Alessandro Ambrosi said. "In order for our team to grow, we need these kinds of hard competitions."

West-to-southwest winds aided Saturday's action, where the A Division ran 10 races and the B Division had eight races. Sunday began with rain and winds out of the west-northwest. By the end of the day, the sun came out with winds shifting to out of the north.

Six A Division races and eight B Division races closed out the action on Sunday afternoon.

St. Mary's won the MAISA title with 124 total points. The top eight teams at the America Trophy qualified for the 2010 ICSA National Championships, which will be held May 25-June 3 in Madison, Wisc.

The Pirates will return to action on Saturday and Sunday, when they close out the 2009-10 season in West Point, N.Y. to compete in the Army 2-on-2 Team Race. For more information on Hampton University sailing, please call the Office of Sports Information at (757) 727-5811, or visit the official Pirates website at www.hamptonpirates.com. 


2010 America Trophy Final Team Scores
1. St. Mary's -- 124*
2. Georgetown -- 124*
3. SUNY-Maritime -- 167*
4. U.S. Naval Academy -- 173*
5. Hobart & William Smith -- 193*
6. Washington College -- 224*
7. Old Dominion -- 255*
8. Kings Point -- 268*
9. Penn -- 270
10. Fordham -- 274
11. Cornell -- 339
12. Virginia -- 351
13. Ocean County -- 388
14. George Washington -- 440
15. Colgate -- 443
16. Columbia -- 458
17. Hampton -- 478
18. Princeton -- 514

*Qualified for ICSA National Championships