Chris KlevanStill, this Yale team could be decidly the best women's team race team ever before the event even reaches 5 years old.
Johnny NorfleetHard to unseat the reigning champs when they win back to back events with a 22-1 record across both events. Their first real test against Stanford could come this weekend at the Dellenbaugh but it's unknown if Stanford will have their best women's team there or racing on the coed side at the Marchiando
Ken LeglerYale dominated their two regattas, the Duplin at Harvard and the Jen Harris at Navy.
Johnny NorfleetRelatively "untested" on the women's side as their starters are spending much of their time at the coed team race events, but hard to rank anyone except Yale higher than Stanford until another teams proves they can beat them!
Ken LeglerStanford has not competed in the women's regatta as they have a different academic schedule than most but they did get open opportunities. On the weekend Stanford' won two open regattas, women made a majority of the two Stanford teams.
Chris KlevanIn college, speed and boathandling often mean more than team race experience. This team may not have a bag of sneaky tricks, but if you are looking at their transoms after go, it's possible you'll never catch up
Johnny NorfleetAlong with Penn, Cornell remains head and shoulders above the rest of MAISA. Unlike Penn, their women's team has been spending some time on the coed team race circuit and are holding their own quite well. I'm interested to see how they will match up against the most competitive field this season at the Dellenbaugh
Ken LeglerIWith varsity for women only at Cornell, the Big Red takes opportunities in both women's and open events. So far the experience they gain in Open events is helping them stay well above mid-fleet in the women's events. They were one of four teams within a point at the top of the 96-race Seahawks Invite.
Chris KlevanNot quite the team they were last year. Expect that to open the door for Cornell, MIT, BC and Dartmouth to find the top four next to Stanford and Yale
Johnny NorfleetThere is a lot of parity amongst the group from about 4-9 in my rankings. This volatile Brown team took a dip on my list after their performance at the Duplin, but they have shown they can be amongst the top 5 when at their best and I expect them to rebound well at home this coming weekend
Ken LeglerA down year for Brown is still at a level most teams never achieve. They graduated some top players but watch the younger starters rapidly improve.
Johnny NorfleetPenn is the only team to hand Yale a loss in the afformentioned 22-1 stretch so that has to mean something. They continue to fight with Cornell for the best of MAISA but they have yet to prove that they can consistently beat the best NEISA women's team at full strength, having raced against BC and Dartmouth teams that were missing at least one starting driver. We probably won't see them outside of MAISA until nationals given the placement of their conference fleet race champs this coming weekend
Ken LeglerThis might be the best Penn Women's team yet. Second at Navy and right in the mix at the Seahawk.
Johnny NorfleetAnother team who has to balance their rosters out with a women's skipper splitting time between the women's and coed team race events. Finding themselves in a 3 way tie for 2nd at the Seahawk TR without Maddie Hawkins shows that this team can compete with the best when they are at full strength. Getting more reps for their other players and slotting Maddie back into the picture for the championship events could go either way for them, either helping season the rest of their roster or throwing off their routine when it matters most. I think it is more likely to be the former
Ken LeglerLike Stanford, Dartmouth has a unique academic schedule. As such they do their best in April and May. Down a bit now they'll be back.
Chris KlevanTalent aplenty. Results yet to follow.
Johnny NorfleetOnly a couple results to show thus far in the season but they are looking to be much improved from their disappointing 2023 campaign. They aren't far behind BC for 2nd best in NEISA
Ken LeglerThe Crimson women skippers are good, unlike the sensational male skippers on that team.
Johnny NorfleetLike their coed team, this Charleston women's team is back with a vengeance. A big win at the Seahawk women's, but will they be able to carry through that momentum against a deeper field at the Dellenbaugh? I expect to see them mixing it up with Tulane, MIT, and Brown for somewhere around 6th place
Ken LeglerCharleston jumps the most in the rankings. Their warmer eather head start helped them win the Seahawk in the closest regatta of the year.
Johnny NorfleetTulane is definitely trending upward with a decisive 5th at the Duplin this past weekend. With a full week of training in Boston ahead of them, I expect that trajectory to continue. They are proving that they deserve a berth at nationals but face their hardest test at the Dellenbaugh this coming weekend
Ken LeglerThe Tulane women's team has been a bit inconsistent but finished well enough at Harvard to stay in the conversation.
Johnny NorfleetA good weekend for MIT at the Duplin showing they can still mix it up with the top of NEISA, but their results thus far have otherwise been somewhat of a mixed bag. I'm sounding like a broken record, but I expect they will be tested at the Dellenbaugh this coming weekend
Ken LeglerMIT is a likelable team with barely enough depth to score mid-fleet but they could do really well at home.
Johnny NorfleetWe haven't seen much of this group yet, but they matched up well against MIT in the Women's SNETR earlier this month. Like Tufts they have their work cut out for them to distinguish themselves at the NEISA champs and earn a selection
Ken LeglerI've got the Coasties in the final spot just ahead of Navy, ODU, St. Mary's, etc. They haven't raced in MAISA heda to head so call it a gut feeling.
Johnny NorfleetGeorgetown has emerged as the clear 3rd best in MAISA, a step behind Cornell and Penn, but head and shoulders above the rest. Their only remaining event before selections is the MAISA champs. A top two finish there would probably give them enough to earn a berth, but another 3rd will make it tough for the selectors to distinguish Georgetown from the bubble teams in NEISA
Ken LeglerGood result for the Hoyas at the Seahawk but they need to show more to make the show.
Johnny NorfleetFresh off a productive spring break in Maryland, the Jumbos produced a solid finish at the Duplin, getting the overall win against Brown and Bowdoin. They won't be at the Dellenbaugh this weekend due to needing to attend the sail-in regatta for their conference champs, so the next time you'll see the Jumbos is at the NEISA Women's champs. Can they put together a good enough showing at the Legler Trophy to earn a selection to their first team race nationals?
Ken LeglerThe Jumbos managed to beat a couple good teams at the Duplin which is a start but they will need to take another step up to make nationals.
Johnny NorfleetA solid first showing at the Duplin but we will learn more soon as they sail all three of the forthcoming weekends, ending with NEISA champs. A strong showing over schools like CGA, MIT, and Tufts will help make their case for one of the last at large spots to nationals
Ken LeglerThe Polar Bears came out of hibernation with a good training trip in Florida. They were a bit off the pace at the Duplin but they should improve going into April.
Johnny NorfleetSome solid early season finishes including a tie with Tulane and a close battle with Georgetown, but not much more since while the afformentioned opponents have gone on to produce improved results. Chances are slim for an at large bid but they are good enough to surprise some teams at MAISA champs so you never know!
