NC State makes history with first-ever College Sailing National Championship podium finish

by Dana Magliola 2 Nov 13:30 PST October 30 - November 1, 2026

L to R, Top to Bottom: Adam Nilsson, Marc Hauenstein, Callen Burnett, Christopher Andersen, Jack Christenson, Reese Levinson, Olivia Burdette, Anneliese Farner, Cruise Lickerman. NC State's keelboat squad poses after winning race 9 by over a quarter-mile © NC State University Sailing Team

The NC State University Sailing Team made program history this weekend, earning its first-ever podium finish at a collegiate sailing national championship.

The Wolfpack finished third overall at the 2026 Kennedy Cup, the Intercollegiate Sailing Association's Keelboat National Championship, held October 30 through November 1 at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Competing against the nation's top collegiate keelboat teams aboard the Naval Academy's fleet of Navy 44 racing yachts, NC State established itself as a championship contender winning the opening race and remained within striking distance of the lead throughout the three-day competition. The Wolfpack finished with 37 points, just three points behind national champion Navy (34) and two behind runner-up Maine Maritime Academy (35). NC State edged out the U.S. Coast Guard Academy on a tiebreaker to secure its historic third-place finish.

"This is an extraordinary accomplishment for our sailors and a milestone for our entire program," said Dana Magliola, head coach of NC State Sailing. "We've spent years building a team capable of competing with the best programs in college sailing, and this result is a testament to the commitment, talent, and determination of our students. We came into this championship ready to compete, won the opening race, and were in the hunt for a national title all weekend. To finish on the podium, just three points behind the winner, is something the Wolfpack can and should celebrate."

The Wolfpack made an immediate statement on Friday, winning the opening race of the championship and following with a second-place finish in race two, and a third-place finish in race 3. The strong start placed NC State among the early leaders and set the tone for a weekend of close racing against some of the nation's most accomplished collegiate sailing programs. Racing continued Saturday in challenging conditions marked by shifting winds, strong tidal currents, and increasingly tight competition. After eight races, the top five teams were separated by just seven points, setting up a dramatic final day with the national championship still very much in contention. NC State closed out the championship on Sunday by winning the ninth and final race, taking an early lead and maintaining it through fading winds and difficult conditions on Chesapeake Bay. The victory gave the Wolfpack two race wins in the nine-race championship series and secured its place on the national podium.

The championship effort was led by skipper Callen Burnett (Fr., St. Petersburg, FL), with crew members Christopher Andersen (Sr., Dana Point, CA), Olivia Burdette (So., Wilmington, NC), Jack Christenson (Fr., Wilmington, NC), Anneliese Farner (Sr., Sneads Ferry, NC), Marc Hauenstein (Sr., Leonardtown, MD), Reese Levinson (So., Rocky River, OH), Cruise Lickerman (Fr., Chicago, IL), Adam Nilsson (So., Lexington Park, MD), and Kaleb Pearson (So., Columbia Falls, MT). Pearson competed on Friday, with Hauenstein joining the racing crew for Saturday and Sunday.

"We have a really talented young group of sailors, and I think we're just scratching the surface of what this team can accomplish," said Marc Hauenstein, past team captain and one of only three seniors on the squad. "As a senior, it's exciting to see how far this program has come and know that we're leaving behind a team that's capable of competing for national championships for years to come."

The podium finish is particularly significant given the differences in resources and training opportunities among the competing programs. NC State operates as a student-led university club sport, supported by volunteer coaching, alumni, and the nonprofit SailPack Foundation. The championship field included numerous well-established varsity sailing programs with professional coaching staffs, dedicated offshore racing teams, and their own fleets of keelboats for training. Although the University of Rhode Island also competes as a club sport, its program benefits from a professional head coach and a dedicated university sailing facility. NC State, by contrast, does not employ a paid sailing coach or maintain its own keelboat training fleet. The Wolfpack was also unique in the championship field in drawing its competitors directly from its regular intercollegiate dinghy racing roster rather than fielding a separate team dedicated to keelboat competition. Despite these differences, NC State's sailors demonstrated their ability to compete with the country's most established offshore sailing programs.

"What makes this result especially rewarding is how far this team has come in such a short time. We finished ninth in our first Kennedy Cup appearance last year, and we learned some hard lessons on the Navy 44s at the Shields Trophy earlier this season. Rather than getting discouraged, these sailors took those experiences seriously, worked hard together, and committed themselves to improving as a team," said Wolfpack head coach Dana Magliola. "To see them come back and compete for a national championship from the first race to the last, and ultimately finish on the podium, says a tremendous amount about their determination, growth, and commitment to one another. They earned every bit of this result."

An important part of the team's preparation came through the generosity of fellow competitors. In the lead-up to the championship, NC State sailors trained with support from Ned Goss, offshore sailing coach at the College of Charleston, and members of Charleston's varsity offshore sailing team. The Wolfpack also benefited from the support and guidance of Coach Nancy Haberland and members of the U.S. Naval Academy's offshore team and corps of professional safety officers. This collaboration provided valuable opportunities for the Wolfpack to develop its keelboat racing skills and exemplified the Corinthian traditions of sportsmanship, mentorship, and mutual respect that have long defined competitive intercollegiate sailing.

"We're especially grateful to College of Charleston's Coach Ned Goss their offshore sailing team, as well as Coach Nancy Haberland of Navy for their support in helping us prepare for this event," Magliola said. "They welcomed our sailors and helped us develop the skills needed to compete at this level, even knowing we would be lining up against them at the national championship. That kind of sportsmanship represents the very best of college sailing, and we're proud to be part of a community that values those traditions."

The podium finish represents a landmark achievement for NC State Sailing, North Carolina's oldest and most decorated collegiate sailing programs. Founded in 1954, the student-led club sport has developed into a nationally competitive program, fielding teams in dinghy, singlehanded, and offshore keelboat competition. The Wolfpack sailing team has qualified for ICSA dinghy national championships each year consecutively since 2021 in both coed and women's competition, but has not yet earned a podium finish. The Kennedy Cup is the annual collegiate keelboat national championship, bringing together top ten qualifying college sailing programs from across the country. The event tests teams' boat handling, tactics, seamanship, and teamwork aboard larger racing yachts, offering a distinct challenge from the smaller dinghies typically used in collegiate sailing competition.

2026 Kennedy Cup Final Results (Online Scores Here)

NC State placed third over Coast Guard on a head-to-head scoring tiebreaker based on the number of first place race finishes (NC State: 2; USCGA 0).

For more information visit www.sailpack.org