The NEISA Awards Committee has announced the 2026 NEISA Watch List. Following the fall season, the committee has identified the top contenders for the six major All-NEISA awards. In identifying honorees, the committee looked at the comprehensive records of players throughout the fall season, and narrowed down the Watch List by considering the following criteria: quality and quantity of a sailor’s competitive record, how the record compares to those of fellow competitors, the quality of competition in which the record was achieved, results achieved competing with different skippers and crews, and how the record compares to those of All-NEISA sailors selected in previous years. While these stand-out athletes are the initial contenders, all athletes are eligible for NEISA Awards.
The Watch List honorees are selected for the following awards: NEISA Open Skipper of the Year, NEISA Women’s Skipper of the Year, NEISA Women’s Crew of the Year, NEISA Babineau Crew of the Year, NEISA Open Rookie of the Year and NEISA Women’s Rookie of the Year.
The NEISA Open and Women’s Skipper of the Year awards honor the best skippers in the conference in their respective disciplines. NEISA Skipper of the Year winners and finalists have a strong record of becoming finalists and winners of the ICSA Sailor of the Year Award.
The Babineau Trophy honors the Coast Guard Academy sailor and cadet Julie Babineau and recognizes the most outstanding crew in NEISA across all competition. The Women’s Crew of the Year award recognizes the most outstanding crew in women’s competition.
The Open and Women’s Rookie of the Year awards recognize sailors in the class of 2029 who hold an outstanding record in Open and Women’s competition respectively. Both crews and skippers are eligible for these awards.
NEISA Open Skipper of the Year Watch List
Blake Behrens '27 Brown University
Justin Callahan '26 Harvard University
Carlos de Castro '26 Roger Williams University
NEISA Women's Skipper of the Year Watch List
Bella Casaretto '26 Dartmouth College
Katharine Doble '26 Brown University
Laura Hamilton '27 Brown University
Dorothy Mendelblatt '28 Yale University
Caroline Sibilly '26 Boston College
Zoey Ziskind '27 Harvard University
NEISA Women's Crew of the Year Watch List
Lilly Baker '27 Dartmouth College
Nathalie Caudron '29 Northeastern University
Christina Chen '27 Harvard University
Reese Corckran '28 Brown University
Katherine Majette '27 Brown University
NEISA Babineau Crew of the Year Watch List
Vera Allen '27 Brown University
Lilly Baker '27 Dartmouth College
Nathalie Caudron '29 Northeastern University
Christina Chen '27 Harvard University
Reese Corckran '28 Brown University
Rosella Irfan '27 Harvard University
Caroline Keeffe-Jones '26 Brown University
Jed Lory '27 Roger Williams University
Katherine Majette '27 Brown University
Julia Miller '26 Yale University
Jacob Posner '29 Harvard University
NEISA Women's Rookie of the Year Watch List
Nathalie Caudron '29 Northeastern University
Maddie Janzen '29 Tufts University
Carly Kieding '29 Yale University
NEISA Open Rookie of the Year Watch List
Pearse Dowd '29 Tufts University
Keith Grupenhoff '29 University of Rhode Island
Tanner Krygsveld '29 Boston College
Jacob Posner '29 Harvard University
Noah Stapleton '29 Brown University
Respectfully Submitted by the NEISA Awards Committee:
Johnny Norfleet - Chair
Zoe Hoctor
John Mollicone
Mike O'Connor
Caroline Young