By Jonah Haskell

The imminent approach of spring has the sports world in a frenzy as baseball is once again in the news, but A-Rod is not the only Bronx-based athlete gearing up for a long season. The ice on the East River has melted and the Fordham Club Sailing team can now begin preparing for a spring 2015 season that its hopes will equal, or even rival, its fall 2014 campaign. That is easier said than done, though, as the Rams are coming off their most successful season in their history.

The team welcomed six freshmen to their ranks in September, and rookie coach Johnny Norfleet, along with team captains Adam Keally, JJ Monro and Elaina Mansley, wasted no time whipping their team into shape. After a successful September, the Rams hit their stride in mid-October, placing fourth overall in the Navy Fall Interconference Regatta on Oct. 19 and then winning the Hoyt Trophy at Brown on Oct. 26.

They maintained their hot streak until the end of the season, when they posted their best-ever finish in the Atlantic Coast Championship, a well-earned fifth place. Sophomore Will Holz qualified for and flew to Seattle to participate in the singlehanded sailing national championship in November, where he finished 15th. Fordham’s strong performance was recognized by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association, as the Rams ranking rose from 18th on Sept. 25, to 6th at the end of the season. Fordham’s No. 6 ranking is the highest of all college club sailing teams, with only varsity programs ranked above them.

All of that will be on team members’ minds as they put their boats on the water for the first time in 2015 later this week. They will look to continue their fall success over the rest of the semester and into the early summer. The Rams will begin their season practicing at SUNY Maritime on the frigid East River, and six sailors will travel to Georgetown on March 6 to compete in Fordham’s first regatta of the season. The Rams will take advantage of spring break to return to Washington D.C., where they will spend the week training with the Georgetown and Dartmouth sailing teams. In late April, Fordham will host the Greater New York Dinghy Open, with teams from all over the Northeast coming to participate.

The overall goal of the season will be to continue their climb in the ICSA rankings and to qualify for the National Championship Finals. Last year, the Rams were bounced from the competition in the semi-final round, missing the cut to advance by one spot. This year, they aim to push themselves over the hump and into the 18-team final round for the first time. If they succeed, the Rams will be sailing until early June — but the time invested is worth it for Fordham’s dedicated sailors.