Black River sailing sweeps state championships, competes on national level

The Black River sailing team has put together a championship fall in the water.

The River Rats won the Michigan double-handed state championship and several single-handed state championships.

Matthew TeVelde won the ILCA 6 fleet single title, while LJ Nykamp won the ILCA 7 fleet (different sail sizes) to complete the Black River sweep. Zeeland East's Cameron Bert was second in the ILCA 7.

"For the Black River Sailing Team, it is not all about the victory; it's about whether or not we put out our best effort, and this year, our hard work allowed us to be at the top step of the Double-Handed State Championship podium," Nykamp said. "This victory meant a lot to Matthew and me, but it also meant a lot to the team as a whole. Even Though it was the singlehanded championship, it took hours upon hours of collaboration, teamwork, and training equal to that of the individual sailors to achieve this goal. So, the individual victories can be seen as a collective victory for the whole sailing team and a statement of our hard work and dedication."

Nykamp, Anneke Hackney, TeVelde, Olive McGough and Jonas Pearson won the State of Michigan Double Handed Championship.  This qualified them to sail in the Midwest Interscholastic Championship at Chicago Yacht Club, where they finished third and qualified for the Atlantic Coast Championship.

"The Black River Sailing Team has a very positive and supportive dynamic. As a team and individuals, we realize that every team member comes from a different background, personally and in terms of sailing," Hackney said. "Growth is what we strive for. Setting daily and season-long goals has been a massive part of this year's season. The supportive atmosphere, and effort to help one another on a day-to-day basis is one of the most excellent parts of our team. From tactics to rigging to strategy to general skill, every team member helps one another. This collaborative dynamic helped us win the state championship, place third at the Great Lakes Championship (Chicago), and achieve a berth at Double-Handed Atlantic Coast Championships."

The ACCs was in Annapolis, Maryland, and saw some of the best club competition in the country.

"Having the opportunity to attend this event as a team was incredible. Black River has never reached this level of competition, so being a part of the team that was able to attend the ACCs was a completely foreign experience to both the current team and team alums," Nykamp said. "The experience of traveling to a region so different from ours with a team as close-knit as ours was so fun. From the flight to each race to team dinners, we gave everything our all and had a great time while doing it."

Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’[email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as  Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.