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Former Statesman named one of US SAILING’s Athletes of the Year
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Andy Horton '98 (left) and Brad Nichol were named the 2006 USOC Team of the Year. (Photo from www.hortonnichol2008.com) |
December 21, 2006
GENEVA, N.Y.—Hobart College graduate Andy Horton, 31, of Newport, R.I., was honored by US SAILING today. He and teammate Brad Nichol were named the 2006 U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Team of the Year. US SAILING and the USOC also announced the SportsMan, SportsWoman, and Paralympian of the year.
A 1998 graduate of Hobart, Horton and Nichol are the top-ranked U.S. team in the Star class. Throughout the year, they have reliably found their way onto the podium. Horton and Nichol captured the gold medal at the Qingdao International Regatta—site of the 2008 Olympic sailing races—earned silver medals at the Rolex Miami Olympic Classes Regatta, and brought home a bronze medal in the 93-boat Star European Championship in Germany.
The three-time All-American led the Hobart and William Smith Sailing team to a third place finish in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association coed dinghy championships in 1998, and a fourth place finish in the 1997 Sloop national championships. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology.
A gold medalist in the Lightning class at the 1999 Pan-American Games, Horton and Nichols are vying for a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. Olympic Trials are in October 2007 in Marina Del Ray, Calif. Fans can follow their quest for the a spot in the Olympics on their Web site www.hortonnichol2008.com.
The U.S. Sailing Association (US SAILING) is the national governing body for sailing and sailboat racing. Headquartered in Portsmouth, R.I., the organization’s mission is to encourage participation and promote excellence in sailing and racing in the United States. US SAILING offers training and education programs, supports a wide range of sailing organizations and communities, and provides administration and oversight of competitive sailing across the country, including the U.S. Sailing teams and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing teams. For more information, please visit www.ussailing.org.