Aug. 3, 2010

SAN PEDRO, Calif.-- Stanford recruit Mateo Vargas is battling for the top spot at the U.S. Youth Championships at the Port of Los Angeles, as one of five Stanford incoming freshmen competing in the event.

Vargas, who trailed by a single point after day one, saw Mitchell Kiss win the final two races to finish day two of the four day event with eight points. Vargas, who is No. 13 in the world, has 11 points, never finishing lower than fifth over the six races and amongst the 27 competitors.

Also competing in the race from Stanford is Molly McKinney, who is the second-best woman so far with 55 points (behind Erika Reineke's 41 points) and 12th overall. Sally Mace is 24th with 105 points. Head-to-head, Reineke has beaten McKinney four out of six times amongst the women.

Helena Scutt is currently in eighth place after day two, four points from sixth, tallying 68 points with partner Katy Cenname in the 29er Division. The duo started off the event now lower than eighth over the first six races, but slipped, ranking in the lower half in three of the next four races to finish day two with 68 points of the 13 competitors.

In the laser division, Kevin Laube is in 12th place of 14 competitors with 68 points, finishing the last two races with an eighth and ninth place finish.

Results from the Youth Championships
http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/US_Youth_Champs.htm

Incoming Stanford Recruits (in-progress, day two of four):
29er Division: Helena Scutt/Katy Cenname (8th, 63 points)
Radial: Vargas (2nd, 11 points), McKinney (12th, 55 points), Mace (24th, 105 points)
Laser: Laube (12th, 68 points)