For Juanky Perdomo, freshman year didn’t just involve a record-setting number of hours in Lamont, or a trophy for most Annenberg cookies eaten in one sitting. Instead, Perdomo decided to champion the sailing world by becoming the first Harvard sailor in six years to compete at the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Single-handed National Championship.

At this national championship that took place in Providence, R.I. on November 8-10, Perdomo not only became the first to compete in more than half a decade, but also became the first person since 2005 to earn second place. Tacked on to this list of achievements is the fact that no other freshman has ever been able to compete so successfully at this level.

Perdomo won six races and finished within the top 10 in 18 heats, tallying a total of 74 points. While he was still unable to best Georgetown’s senior Greg Martinez, who earned 64 points, Perdomo earned the second place and received the George Griswold Trophy.

Perdomo has been leading the sailing team ever since the start of this season. At the Navy Fall Invite, he came just nine points away from Martinez again to finish in second, helping propel the team to a fourth place finish. At the New England Freshman Championship, he assisted the team to place third.

The Crimson sailing team has certainly earned its fair share of trophies over the past few years, but Perdomo’s awards add impressive successes to the team’s overall performance.