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MMA Sports Wrap-up

Castine
Originally published in Castine Patriot, May 24, 2012 and The Weekly Packet, May 24, 2012
GSA Eagles capture fourth in Downeast Regatta, third in state

by Anne Berleant

Under the captainship of seniors Tess Lameyer and Courtney Koos, the GSA sailing team finished fourth in the Downeast Fleet Racing Invitational, held at Maine Maritime Academy on Saturday and Sunday, May 19 and 20.

“We were in fourth by just a number of points. That’s how close it can be,” said coach Tom Gutow.

The Eagles finished with 125 points, behind third-place winners Cheverus High School, with 120 points. Falmouth won the regatta with 44 points, followed by Tabor Academy with 105. Mount Desert Island finished in eighth place with 180 points.

GSA’s “A” boat, crewed by Koos and Lameyer, captured three first-place finishes, with Lameyer crediting their strong showing to “being conservative [and] watching the shifts.”

The “B” boat, crewed by sophomores Gordon Lameyer and Alex Witting, grabbed “bullets” in their first and fourth race.

“We were first by about 20 boat lengths in the fourth race,” said Witting. A protest in their fifth race, on Sunday, led to a disqualification.

“It’s hard to roll with the punches. You have to move on,” Gutow told the team when they were back on land.

Up to that point, the Eagles were holding fast to second place.

“I was disappointed by the protest,” said Witting. “But overall, I was very happy.”

The wind was inconsistent on both days. “It came up, went back down, [and] changed direction a couple of times,” holding to around 10 to 12 knots both afternoons, Gutow said.

Their strong finish helped the Eagles secure the third-place trophy for Maine for the 2012 season.

“Collectively we have a much stronger team this year,” said Koos.

The excitement was not limited to racing in Smith’s Cove, however. On Saturday, “Kiki” Kennedy, parent of a student from Marblehead, Mass., saw a woman choking on Court Street and performed the Heimlich maneuver, while her husband called 911.

“I just did what anyone would do,” Kennedy said.

First Responders came quickly, she said. “They were so fast. We couldn’t believe it.”

Gutow, who is also EMS Service Chief for Castine First Responders, had a more measured response: “We responded to a medical emergency,” adding that Kennedy’s quick actions “potentially saved a woman’s life.” The identity of the woman was not released.

Koos and Lameyer next race in the sail in the women’s Herreshoff Trophy race on May 27.

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