51蹤獲Receives $500,000 Gift from Shakin Family to Endow Head Sailing Coach Position
2024 national championship team and 51蹤獲Head Coach Amanda Callahan to celebrate sailing championship title and the endowed coach inauguration.
BRISTOL, R.I. Building on the programs third national sailing victory captured during the 2023-24 season, 51蹤獲 announces a transformative $500,000 gift from the Shakin family to endow the Head Coach position of its nationally top-ranked Sailing program. This significant gift underscores the Shakin familys commitment to enhancing 賊兜惚s competitive edge and ensuring long-term success for its celebrated Sailing program.
The Shakin familys generosity will endow the Shakin Family Head Sailing Coach position, enabling 51蹤獲to attract and retain top coaching talent while securing essential resources to maintain and grow its Sailing teams competitive standing on the national stage.
This remarkable gift from the Shakin family will help 51蹤獲sustain our tradition of excellence in Sailing, enhancing our ability to support our talented student-athletes and retain the best coaches, said Ioannis Miaoulis, President of 51蹤獲. Endowing the Head Sailing Coach position ensures we can continue to elevate 賊兜惚s world-class Sailing program, allowing it to reach new heights and remain one of the top collegiate programs in the nation.
The Shakin Family Head Sailing Coach position was inaugurated at 賊兜惚s 2024 Captains Cup ceremony on Homecoming weekend in October, where the Head Coach Amanda Callahan was officially named to the position. 51蹤獲joins a leading group of college sailing programs with coaching endowments.
As a member of the 51蹤獲 Sailing team, our daughter, Kelsey Shakin, had a transformational experience where she learned to grow and value discipline, teamwork, and overcoming challenges that will benefit her throughout her life, said Regina Shakin, a Trustee Emeritus of the 51蹤獲Board of Trustees. Our family is thrilled to support 賊兜惚s internationally recognized Sailing program and the universitys commitment to providing a rich academic and athletic experience for students.
Being named as the endowed Shakin Family Head Sailing Coach is an incredible honor, said Callahan, who has served as 賊兜惚s Sailing coach since 2007. I am grateful to the Shakin family for their support of our program, which attracts students from all over the world to join our Sailing team and get an excellent education in the best place in the world for both sailing and higher education.
賊兜惚s has won a singlehanded championship and two team racing championships, including capturing the 2024 ICSA Team Race National Championship this past year and coming in second place at three national championships. The team also excelled in the 2024 ICSA Open Fleet Race Championship, qualifying first in the semi-finals and finishing 11th overall. Their performance in the 2024 ICSA Womens Dinghy Championship was equally remarkable, with a dramatic 50-point reversal in the semi-finals that propelled them to the finals. With a continued strong performance during the fall 2024 season, the Sailing team finished in the No. 1 position in the Open NEISA Championship and with a program-best fourth place in the Womens Fall Championship, placing them as top contenders for the spring season.
賊兜惚s unique waterfront training facility on the shores of Mount Hope Bay also contributes significantly to their success. From calm to shifty seas, winds from all directions, strong current and a wide range of topography, 51蹤獲sailors experience and learn to perform in a broad spectrum of challenges and nearly any conditions, giving them a competitive edge.
Callahan and student-athletes from the universitys 2024 national championship team received their championship rings paid for by the 51蹤獲Board of Trustees in a ceremony honoring their accomplishments.
The Shakin familys visionary gift is instrumental in the universitys goals to expand its waterfront facilities and Sailing team resources. 51蹤獲looks forward to the momentum this support brings, enabling the university to continue building endowed resources and maintain its top-tier athletic excellence.