Students, relatives, and members of the press packed the lobby of the Mark C. Marin Center on Thursday morning to bid graduating sailors a heartfelt farewell.
The highly accomplished seniors, still celebrating a second-place finish at the ISSA Mallory Fleet National Championships in New London, Conn. (May 31–June 1), fought back tears as they reflected on a journey defined by far more than results.
“These guys have been my family since I was 5,” team captain Tanner Krygsveld said, gesturing toward teammates Robert Richards and Alejo Di Blasi. “Wins come and go— there’s always another event—but what I’ll miss most is the brotherhood. It’s hard to leave that.”
Tanner is headed to Boston College this fall. When asked what legacy he hopes to leave, he joked, “I finished second a lot, so I hope they don’t do that,” then added, “but I hope what people remember is that I worked hard and gave it everything. I hope it motivates the younger guys to do the same.”
Fellow senior Mia Ronen, who will sail at the University of Pennsylvania, joined the team as a sophomore—a late start in a sport most of her teammates began in early childhood.
“I only considered it because Robert and Tanner asked,” she laughed. “I had no idea what was going on, and sailing is very technical, so there was a big learning curve. But it taught me not to give up when things get hard.”
Marni Walters beamed with pride as she listened to her son Richards, share wisdom gained over his high school sailing career. When asked how he plans to continue performing at such a high level, Richards replied, “Knowing the long-term goal is a good thing, but I just plan to get a little bit better at each practice. Setting up small goals creates the small wins that lead to the big one.” While he focuses on preparing for this next chapter, Walters says she is most excited to see the childhood friends reunite at collegiate competitions.
Di Blasi, heading to Tulane University, revealed that he did not love sailing at first — but it shaped his identity over time.
“I started when I was five and hated it. No kid wants to sail in circles,” he laughed. “As I grew up, I started to like the challenge. Then I needed it. It gave me something to chase. When I wasn’t sailing, I felt like I was wasting time.”
Kim Ballowe, former sailing coach, smiled as she reflected on Alejo’s journey.
“I’ve coached all three Di Blasi kids,” she said. “They’ve been part of this program for a decade. Alejo was just the baby brother when I met him. Now he’s heading off to sail in college.”
When asked what advice he would leave behind for the team, Di Blasi did not hesitate:
“Stick with it. I know you guys will be amazing. Just show up. You may not be able to give it your very best every day, but give it that day’s 100%.”
The press conference was supported by Head of School Shannon Harris, Director of Middle and Upper School Kim Ballowe, Athletic Director Mark Daniel, and Coach Thomas Barrows ’06, who each celebrated the team’s success and the mark these seniors will leave. Ronen, Krygsveld, Richards, Di Blasi, and Isabell Thill all plan to sail competitively in college.
Graduating Sailors and College Commitments: Mia Ronen – University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School of Business; Tanner Krygsveld – Boston College; Robert Richards – U.S. Naval Academy; Alejo Di Blasi – Tulane University; Isabell Thill – Penn State University; Cruz Lonski – Tulane University; Andreas Lucas – Rollins College; Ben Thill – University of California, Riverside
As the final photos were taken and students floated around the room with their families, there was no talk of rankings or records, just a deep, shared sense of gratitude. These students did more than just compete. They carried a legacy—and left one behind.