Kate Danielson Captures the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championship

This weekend, Harvard junior Kate Danielson won the ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championship, finishing first among 18 competitors at the Janet Lutz Trophy regatta. Freshman Grace Montgomery also delivered a strong performance for the Crimson, finishing sixth in her national championship debut.

Danielson concluded the regatta with 42 points, comfortably ahead of Tulane’s senior Ava Anderson, who placed second with 58 points. Yale’s junior Audrey Foley rounded out the podium with 71 points, while Stanford’s sophomore Avery Baldwin and Old Dominion’s sophomore Esther Ireland finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

The victory marks Danielson’s first Singlehanded National Championship and Harvard’s fifth women’s singlehanded national title. Danielson also becomes the third different Crimson sailor to win the event, joining Margaret Gill ’02, who won in 1999 and 2001, and Sophia Montgomery ’26 — Grace’s older sister — who claimed the title in 2022 and 2024.

For Danielson, the victory represents the culmination of three consecutive appearances at the National Championship. The St. Petersburg, Fla., native finished fourth as a freshman in 2024 before improving to third place in 2025. On Sunday, Danielson continued her upward trajectory, securing first place and adding another national title to Harvard sailing’s trophy case.

G. Montgomery also impressed in her first appearance at the regatta, finishing sixth with 79 points. The freshman followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Sophia, a two-time national champion in the event, 2024 Olympian, and recent qualifier for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Both Danielson and G. Montgomery earned their spots at the championship following strong performances at the NEISA Women’s Singlehanded Championship in late October. Danielson finished second at the regional event, while G. Montgomery placed fifth, with both sailors securing at-large berths to the national competition.

The championship marked the final event of Harvard’s fall sailing season, capping off a successful season that included victories at the Women’s Atlantic Coast Championship and the Victorian Urn Trophy.

With Danielson now an individual national champion and G. Montgomery recording a top-six finish in her debut, the Crimson closes out its fall season with another major achievement on the national stage.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

—Staff writer Tamar H. Scheinfeld can be reached at [email protected].