Current Sailors
Class of 2012
Andrew Altamirano | SEAS
Andrew is the current Communications Chair for CUST. He is originally from Orlando, FL, and he began his sailing experience with CUST in fall 2009. He is majoring in structural engineering with a minor in architecture. Besides sailing, Andrew is a member of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity, and enjoys hanging out with friends and listening to music.
Ben Barczewski | GS
Ben is majoring in political science. He started sailing in the fall of 2009 when he joined the Columbia Sailing Club. Ben is also a competitive cyclist, and enjoys waterskiing and traveling.
Zach Burnett | GS
David Coplon | SEAS
David is in his fourth year on the team and is currently the co-captain. He is from Mount Desert, Maine where he grew up sailing out of the Northeast Harbor Fleet. In the summer, he races keelboats. He is majoring in Civil Engineering and enjoys skiing and biking.
John Croll | SEAS
John is from Chicago and is studying mechanical engineering. He’s been sailing dinghies since he was 11 on Lake Michigan. He is currently the Captain for the team. He is also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon and is on the Club Sports Governing Board.
Stephanie Hart | CC
Steph is majoring in Economics and has been sailing for the past nine years mainly in Lasers and Club 420s. She was the A skipper of the Greenwich Academy Sailing Team and is currently a sailing coach during the summers.
William Hines | SEAS
Billy is from Hingham, MA and is studying Mechanical Engineering. He is a combined plan student and came from Bates College. He's been a lifelong sailor and enjoys racing dinghies, keelboats, and just cruising around.
Austin Lo | SEAS
Austin is majoring in Operations Research. Originally from Westlake Village, CA, he enjoys snowboarding, bunnies and urban photography. He is the current Treasurer of the team. On campus, he is active in the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity and the Order of Omega.
Sarah Lyon | BC
Sarah was 5 when she began to spend her summers on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin. It was there that she learned to sail and came to love the sport. Currently, she is a sophomore at Barnard College and is studying environmental biology. She is so thankful for the community, memories, and adventures that CUST has provided over the last two years. They are truly one of a kind!
Harley McGrew | GS
Harley is majoring in creative writing with a minor in computer science. Before moving to New York, he was introduced to sailing Vanguard 15s on the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. He also enjoys photography, travel and auto sports.
Rebecca Newmann | BC
Rebecca Newman is majoring in Economics and is the current Social Chair of the team. She is from Greenwich, CT and had some sailing experience from spending summers on Long Island Sound, but didn't sail competitively until joining the team the spring of her sophomore year. Rebecca is also the President of Columbia Women's Business Society.
Will Prasifika | CC
Will was born in Dublin, Ireland. He is studying medieval history at Columbia University. He learned to sail during the summer in the west of Ireland and is the Founder and President of the Edmund Burke Society.
Class of 2013
Aida Conroy | CC
Aida is from Chicago and went to boarding school in New Hampshire (Exeter). She is double majoring in American Studies and Sustainable development. Aida was a member of the varsity crew team in high school and rowed into her sophomore year at Columbia before joining the sailing team this past spring. Besides CUST, Aida is the committee head and active member in Eco-Reps.
Michelle Edelstein | BC
Michelle is from Toronto, Canada and is majoring in English. She began racing in her Sophomore year. Outside CUST, Michelle is also a member of Sigma Delta Tau.
Will Ford | CC
Will intends to major in East Asian Languages and Cultures, with a focus on Chinese Literature. An avid sailor since the tender age of eight, Will now passes his summers in Bay View, MI, by teaching at a community sailing school, going bow to bow against the local pros in his Laser, and yacht racing. He enjoys running in Riverside Park.
Irene Jacqz | SEAS
Irene is from Newburyport, Massachusetts, and is currently secretary of the sailing team. She loves snowboarding and cooking, and plans to major in earth and environmental engineering.
Jack Koehler | SEAS
Jack is majoring in Applied Mathematics. He had no prior dinghy racing experience before joining CUST, but enjoys sailing in the summer on his grandpa's Catalina 34. He currently lives in Arlington, Virginia.
Payam Rabizadeh | GS
Payam is majoring in Economics-Mathematics. He is from Iran and moved to Great Neck, NY in 2009. Payam is new to sailing and is excited to be part of the team. He is also involved in the Economics Society and Jewish Sephardic Club and enjoys cycling, swimming and traveling.
Alison Rosenfeld | BC
Ali Rosenfeld is a junior at Barnard College, majoring in Religion. She is currently serving as Merchandise Chair. Originally from Larchmont, Ali has been sailing with her father and at summer camp since she was little. She has very much enjoyed being part of the team and has learned a lot.
Class of 2014
Conor Cashel | CC
Conor is from Hingham, MA and is an undecided sophomore in the Columbia College. He grew up sailing at Fishers Island Yacht Club in Fisher's Island, NY. He sailed for his high school team in Hingham, and also during his freshman year at Cornell. Off the water, Conor loves to ski, follow the Yankees, and listen to John Mayer.
Mariam Gadjiko | CC
Nicolas Leeper | CC
Class of 2015
Nathaniel Byerly | CC
Nathaniel is from Baltimore, Maryland and plans on studying Russian and Political Science. Although he previously knew how to sail, he had no racing experience before joining CUST in the fall of 2011. In addition to sailing, Nathaniel enjoys swimming and traveling.
Catherine Duggan | BC
Katie is from Albany, New York, and learned to sail at the Lake George Club in the Adirondacks. She plans on majoring in East Asian Studies. In her free time Katie enjoys skiing, running and playing ultimate frisbee.
Mary Margaret Meehan | CC
Mary Margaret Meehan is a freshman from Redding, CT and learned to sail Optis and 420's during the summers on Long Island Sound. When not sailing, running, or hiking, Mary can be found in a tree reading or playing with her dogs.
Moriah Sulc | BC
Moriah is from Silver Spring, Maryland and plans to major in Statistics. She has sailed during the summer since she was 9, but had no racing experience prior to joining CUST. Aside from sailing, she enjoys figure skating and baking.