Sailing Claims Second Coaching Staff of Year Honor, Has Three Earn All-Ivy Recognition
On Tuesday, the Ivy League announced its women's sailing All-Ivy honorees, recognizing three members of the Big Green and naming the Big Green Coaching staff as Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.
Sailing Claims Second Coaching Staff of Year Honor, Has Three Earn All-Ivy Recognition
5/5/2026 2:05:00 PM | Sailing - Open & Women's
PRINCETON, N.J. – On Tuesday, the Ivy League announced its women's sailing All-Ivy honorees, recognizing three members of the Big Green and naming the Big Green Coaching staff as Co-Coaching Staff of the Year.
Interim Head Coach Rebecca McElvain alongside Assistant Coach Zoë Hoctor was named the league's Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. In her sixth season on the coaching staff and first at the helm, the Big Green earned 25 top five finishes including wins in the first round of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship and the Harvard Women's Team Race. The Big Green also earned their first top four finish at the Open Team Race National Championship for the first time since 2019.
This is the first time Dartmouth has won the Ivy League's coaching staff of the year honor in porgram history and the first time it has taken home the honor in both the Ivy League and New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA).
Lilly Baker and Bella Casaretto were named Second Team All-Ivy while Sudi Zhao earned Dartmouth's Academic All-Ivy recognition.
Baker, who most recently won NEISA Babineau Crew of the Year and was named an All-NEISA Second Team Open Crew and All-NEISA First-Team Women's Crew, adds a Second Team All-Ivy recognition to her successful junior campaign.
She has competed in 12 regattas this season, all of which helped the Big Green to top ten finishes. Baker started her season with a first-place finish at the Hatch Brown Trophy to open the fall season. She also earned podium finishes in the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship, the Marchiando Trophy Team Race and the NEISA Open Team Race Championship.
Casaretto, who was named the NEISA Women's Skipper of the Year and earned All-NEISA First Team Women's Skipper honors also took home Second Team All-Ivy recognition.
Casaretto competed in 15 regattas throughout the course of this season, finishing in the top five in all but two. She earned two podium finishes in the fall, helping the Big Green to second at the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship as well as the Yale Women's race. In the spring, her best finish was also second in the Marchiando Team Race.
Zhao wraps her senior campaign earning Dartmouth's Academic All-Ivy recognition. She sailed in 15 regattas, finishing in the top ten in each race. Zhao won the B Division of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship first round, helping the Big Green to qualifying for the championship.
In the spring, Zhao's best finish was third, earning two podium finishes at the McMerrick Team Race and the Blaire Herron Memorial Women's Team Race.
The Big Green will wrap their spring season next week as they travel to Florida for the fleet race national championships. The women's championship will take place from Friday, May 15 through Monday, May 18 and immediately be followed by the open race on Tuesday, May 19 through Friday, May 22.
More information on how to follow this year's championships will be available soon.
Interim Head Coach Rebecca McElvain alongside Assistant Coach Zoë Hoctor was named the league's Co-Coaching Staff of the Year. In her sixth season on the coaching staff and first at the helm, the Big Green earned 25 top five finishes including wins in the first round of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship and the Harvard Women's Team Race. The Big Green also earned their first top four finish at the Open Team Race National Championship for the first time since 2019.
This is the first time Dartmouth has won the Ivy League's coaching staff of the year honor in porgram history and the first time it has taken home the honor in both the Ivy League and New England Intercollegiate Sailing Association (NEISA).
Lilly Baker and Bella Casaretto were named Second Team All-Ivy while Sudi Zhao earned Dartmouth's Academic All-Ivy recognition.
Baker, who most recently won NEISA Babineau Crew of the Year and was named an All-NEISA Second Team Open Crew and All-NEISA First-Team Women's Crew, adds a Second Team All-Ivy recognition to her successful junior campaign.
She has competed in 12 regattas this season, all of which helped the Big Green to top ten finishes. Baker started her season with a first-place finish at the Hatch Brown Trophy to open the fall season. She also earned podium finishes in the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship, the Marchiando Trophy Team Race and the NEISA Open Team Race Championship.
Casaretto, who was named the NEISA Women's Skipper of the Year and earned All-NEISA First Team Women's Skipper honors also took home Second Team All-Ivy recognition.
Casaretto competed in 15 regattas throughout the course of this season, finishing in the top five in all but two. She earned two podium finishes in the fall, helping the Big Green to second at the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship as well as the Yale Women's race. In the spring, her best finish was also second in the Marchiando Team Race.
Zhao wraps her senior campaign earning Dartmouth's Academic All-Ivy recognition. She sailed in 15 regattas, finishing in the top ten in each race. Zhao won the B Division of the Women's Atlantic Coast Championship first round, helping the Big Green to qualifying for the championship.
In the spring, Zhao's best finish was third, earning two podium finishes at the McMerrick Team Race and the Blaire Herron Memorial Women's Team Race.
The Big Green will wrap their spring season next week as they travel to Florida for the fleet race national championships. The women's championship will take place from Friday, May 15 through Monday, May 18 and immediately be followed by the open race on Tuesday, May 19 through Friday, May 22.
More information on how to follow this year's championships will be available soon.
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