Local high school students from Southwestern, Panama and Maple Grove competed at Buffalo Yacht Club to start off the spring season. Cameron Turner, sailing with A.J. Smith as crew in A Division, along with Will Turner skippering with Abigale Kreinheder as crew in B Division, took first place for Southwestern High School.

The win clinched the league qualifier to move on to compete at Kings Point to try to secure a slot in the upcoming high school sailing national championship.

The rest of the team also fared well in Buffalo. Teammates John Kelly, skipper, with Jake Vavala, crew, sailed A Division while Patrick Kelly, skipper, and Madeline Wight, crew, sailed in B Division and took fourth place sailing for Southwestern and Maple Grove.

Brooks Turcotte skippered with Victoria Smith, crew, in A Division to form a mixed team with sailors from Rochester, who took sixth place.

Below are all of the high school sailing team members. In front, from left, are: Victoria Smith, Southwestern; Madeline Wight, Maple Grove; and Abigale Kreinheder, Southwestern. In back are: Patrick Kelly, Southwestern; William Turner, Southwestern; A.J. Smith, Southwestern; Brooks Turcotte, Panama; John Kelly, Southwestern; Jake Vavala, Southwestern; and Cameron Turner, Southwestern. Submitted photos

The winning Southwestern team is competing both today and Sunday at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, Long Island, in the Mid-Atlantic Championship District Qualifier. All week long, despite inclement weather, the team has been practicing off Richard O. Hartley Park in Lakewood, honing skills hoping to become one of the top 18 teams in the country contending for a national championship. That competition will be held in Cambridge, Massachusetts in mid-May.

“The team has been working hard, and will be very competitive against the teams this weekend,” coach Hunter Farris said. “I’m looking for a strong finish.”

The young team is comprised of one freshman, two sophomores and one junior. Southwestern junior A.J. Smith turned down an invitation to compete at the National Snowboarding Championships at Copper Mountain this weekend and is hoping to make it to nationals with his sailing team.

“It’s the second time we’ve made it this far. We finished middle of the pack last time, so we definitely want top four and a spot at the nationals this year,” Smith said. “It will be tough but we can do it.”