* Annie Haeger, a team-mate of Hunter Johnstone from his Opti MOST Sailing Team days, was just awarded the 2011 QUANTUM ICSA Collegiate Woman Sailor of the Year award
and was selected to the 2011 Women’s All-America Team at the final
Sperry Top-Sider Women’s National Championship banquet. The prestigious
awards are a highlight of the collegiate sailing year.The Quantum Women’s College Sailor of the Year award annually honors an individual who has performed at the highest level of competition in district and national championships. The ICSA All-America committee evaluates all of the finalists’ results and calculates the winner. Quantum believes that women sailors should receive the same recognition that male sailors receive in the sport to acknowledge women’s’ excellence in sailing and continue to foster its growth. Past winners of this award include Olympic Gold Medalist and 2012 Olympic hopeful, Anna Tunnicliffe (Old Dominion University) and Genny Tulloch (Harvard University) a 2012 Olympic hopeful.
Annie is from Lake Forest, Illinois but grew up sailing on Lake Beulah in Wisconsin. 'What set Annie apart this year was that she has already placed at a National Championship this year, she won second at the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded Championship in the fall, ' says John Vandemoer, head coach for Stanford University and a member of the All-America selection committee (Note- John also coached Annie when she was part of the MOST Opti Team). Annie had great success all year placing in the top three in nearly every Women’s event she sailed in as did her fellow finalist Megan Magill, a senior from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.
In Annie's acceptance speech she immediately thanked her father, Kent, for always cheering her on. She went on to be grateful for her teammates who she has worked so hard with. 'I am shocked,' Haeger says blushing, 'there are a lot of amazing sailors.' She goes on to explain that she has a remarkable crew, Emily Massa a junior from Barrington, RI, without whom she could not have accomplished this. Haeger leads by example when she coaches youth sailors in the summer, 'I try to get girls excited about sailing.' With her success thus far she is certainly giving girls a reason to look up to her. 'Next year I will sail more coed events,' Haeger predicts, she is looking forward to expanding her competition and seeing what else is possible. br />
