By Matthew Rocco
Ranney School’s sailing team is headed to the Mallory National Championship, placing the Panthers among the 20 best high school sailing programs in the country.
The Tinton Falls school will compete in the nationals May 12-14 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ranney already has a title to its credit this spring after winning the 2017 New Jersey Interscholastic Sailing Association (NJISA) Spring Fleet Championship in Toms River earlier this month.
With the state championship in the books, the Panthers booked a ticket to the Mid-Atlantic Scholastic Sailing Association (MASSA) Mallory Qualifier Regatta held at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. MASSA includes teams from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia.
Ranney and Christian Brothers Academy both qualified, finishing fourth and second, respectively. Severn School (Severna Park, Maryland) won the district championship.
This year marks the first time since the NJISA was formed in 2010 that two schools from the 25-member league advanced to the national championships. Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (2011) and Toms River High School South (2012) were the only other schools to qualify until now.
The championship berth is a big step for the Panthers, who are competing in just their second full season. They also took fourth place in the Atlantic Coast Championship earlier in the spring season.
The team is led by head coach Clay Johnson, a veteran of four Olympic trials. Ranney’s sailors are senior Mari Patient and sophomores Luke Arnone, Blake Epstein, Cameron Giblin, Matt Hamelsky, Kelsey Stout and Catherine Vucetic.
Last year, Arnone and Giblin received NJISA First Team Skipper awards.
Before Ranney sails the Charles River in the nationals, the 2017 New Jersey sailing finals will be held April 29 at Shrewsbury Sailing & Yacht Club in Oceanport.
