Rollins College sophomore Annie Samis has earned a landmark at-large selection to the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded Nationals, marking a historic first for the Tars sailing program. The momentous announcement confirms that Samis will represent Rollins at college sailing’s premier individual event later this fall.
Samis will compete at the Janet Lutz Trophy, hosted by Fordham University at the American Yacht Club in Rye, New York, on November 7-8. The national championship will be sailed in ILCA 6s in a singlehanded format, bringing together the best collegiate women’s singlehanded sailors in the country.
The selection process sees five sailors qualify automatically by winning their respective conference championships, while 13 additional sailors earn at-large bids along with two alternates. To be eligible for an at-large berth, sailors must compete in an ICSA Singlehanded Conference Championship during the current season. The selection committee evaluates results from both singlehanded and doublehanded ICSA competition across the current and previous seasons when determining the at-large field.
Samis put herself in the national conversation early in her collegiate career. She competed in the SAISA Women’s Singlehanded Championships last September, finishing second in the field. She carried that momentum into the Tars’ doublehanded results throughout the year, including a National Semifinal appearance last spring.
At the SAISA Women’s Singlehanded Championship earlier this year, the sophomore finished fourth overall with 28 points across nine races. She recorded eight top-five finishes and crossed the line first three times, earning race wins in the fourth, fifth, and ninth races.
The strong showing was part of an impressive opening fall for Samis, who has also been a fixture in the Tars’ doublehanded lineup throughout the season. Now she takes the next step onto college sailing’s biggest stage as one of the sailors selected to compete for the Janet Lutz Trophy.
