Written by Marketing & Communications EPIC intern Luke Savelli ’25
Ella Bowers ‘28 is taking the Red Knight athletic community to uncharted waters. Bowers spent a good part of her summer sailing locally for Benilde-St. Margaret’s and also as part of the Wayzata Yacht Club sailing team which competed at the Sears Cup National Championship in San Diego. Bowers–only a freshman–and her team did not disappoint, bringing back the coveted Sears Cup for the state.
Her coach, Jackson Cornell, said, “I’m incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished, and I’m excited to be able to be a part of it. Practices were intense, but we kept it all positive. It’s hard to put into words what it actually means for our team.”
The Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Championship is an extremely competitive sailing competition and winning the Sears Cup is nothing short of remarkable. Over 5,000 sailors, ages 12-18, compete in 12 local sections from all 50 states. Then, 20 teams of four qualify for the championship, this year held in San Diego.
“Seeing the trophy with all the past names since 1921 and knowing our names would also be engraved on it, was exhilarating,” Bowers said.
A week before the qualifiers in July, Ella had never crewed in the J22 boats that she would compete in, yet her sailing experience with BSM and the Wayzata Sailing team helped her quickly train for the competition. The J22 is a 23 foot long, 1,800 pound sailboat. In the prelims, Bowers’ team won all nine races.
In San Diego at the national championships, Bowers crew had a strong start with two wins, but things quickly took a turn of adversity. Bowers’ boat was hit with penalties and miscommunication, and she even lost her visor when the boat was hit by a strange upwind. Yet Ella and her crew, not dismayed, fought through the difficulties and won the last four races in a row. Ultimately, this led to our Red Knight being crowned the 2024 Chubb U.S. Youth Triplehanded Champion alongside her teammates Dominik Moncur, Stonewall Anderson, and Harper Lundeen-Hetland, also of Minnesota.
And coming back to Minnesota was met with a celebration-filled welcome by the coaches. “I couldn’t have been happier,” Bowers said, adding, “This was one of the best experiences of my life”.
Bowers has kept her winning streak going locally by winning the girls’ division of the State Singlehanded Championship in the Laser-boat category in September. She also competed at the Cressy Qualifier though going through hard winds, placing ninth, a reflection of the large amount of hard work Ella has been putting in, leading to experience and wins on the water even through difficulties.
Bowers only signed up for BSM’s growing sailing team last spring, joining Claudia Kroll ‘25, Nick Grimm ‘28, Louis Smith ‘28, and Laken Barott ‘28. Joining the team quickly stoked the fire for her passion for sailing, a high-action, adrenaline-filled sport thanks to its intensity and fun. Bowers said, “A new love of sailing this summer changed my life for the better.” The support from BSM and her coaches has inspired her to participate in the national race and look forward to more time on the water both here in Minnesota and nationally.
Her teammate Claudia Kroll said she is “super excited for Ella and for representing what the Benilde-St. Margaret’s team can accomplish!”
Bowers plans to use her love for the sport to continue competing with the team in local races and participating in this month’s Northwest Great Lakes Qualifier in Sheboygan, WI. Her goal is to gain more experience and earn more medals with her teams.
Bowers’ achievements in sailing while representing BSM have been incredible and her hunger for winning is only growing. You can find her and the rest of the BSM sailing team at the Bde Maka Ska sailing building readying for practice at 3:30 p.m. after school. The team welcomes new members to join them on the water for some adventure-filled fun. Let’s show support from our community, and cheer on Bowers and the other Red Knights at their next regatta!
