Lee Ann Townsend
Sport: Sailboat Racing
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of Education, Languages, and Instructional Design
What she does: I race my J/24 sailboat with an all-women crew, totaling 5-6 of us at any given regatta. I am blessed with a “posse” of about 10-12 talented women sailors that I can draw from for different events, depending on each person’s availability. We race every Tuesday evening out on Lake Ontario and then travel to and compete in major J/24 class events all over the USA, racing against mostly all male teams.
Townsend, left, pictured with her all-female crew.
How she got into sailboat racing: I grew up on Sodus Bay where my dad raced his sailboat, instilling a desire in me to learn. So, I attended sailing school at the Sodus Bay Junior Sailing Association in the summer as an adolescent, learning the basics of sailing and sailboat racing. I eventually joined the Women’s Racing Program at the Rochester Yacht Club, which led to my purchase of a J/24 sailboat about 12 years ago. At that point, I became dedicated to developing an all-female crew. After years of racing on other sailboats where the women were mostly delegated to “rail meat” (weight only) with no real “job” on the sailboat, it was time I created a women-led team of my own.
Proudest accomplishment: My team’s proudest moment was winning the 2023 District 7 series of regattas. Winning this series secured us a berth to the 2024 J/24 World’s Championship in Seattle, Washington. This was an intense 5-day event, where we competed against the best teams from around the world with many top teams comprised of paid pros. A highlight of the event included meeting the 4 other all-female teams from different parts of the world. While we had a major crew setback after arriving in Seattle, losing a member to a family emergency, this experience was still extremely rewarding and exhilarating!
Stevie Rudak
Sport: Dance
Digital Content Specialist, University Communications
Tell us about it: As a professional dancer for the Buffalo Bandettes, I perform at all Buffalo Bandits home games throughout the National Lacrosse League (NLL) season. I also represent the team at a wide range of community events, including nonprofit initiatives, local races, charity drives, and other public engagements. At each game, I perform choreographed routines with my 11 teammates — and sometimes alongside community partners such as Danceabilities and young dancers that participate in our Junior Bandettes program.
How long have you been a Bandette? I began my rookie year with the Bandettes in September 2024 after a childhood friend invited me to join her for a class in Buffalo. What I thought would be a simple dance class turned out to be the Buffalo Bandettes Prep Class — an introduction to the team’s style and choreography.
Rudak performs during halftime of a Buffalo Bandits game. Credit: Bjorn Franke
By the end of that class, I knew deep down that this was something I genuinely wanted to pursue. Opportunities for dancing beyond college — or on professional sports dance teams in New York — are rare, and this was one of them! Without hesitation, I signed up for their two-day audition just a few days later and threw myself into both the physical and mental preparation it required. Only 12 girls make it onto the team and about 40 showed up to auditions.
Proudest moment: I got to witness the Buffalo Bandits achieve a three-peat as NLL champions — being right there to cheer them on to victory! The arena was filled with purple and orange confetti, fans were screaming, and horns blared. I’ll never forget the chills running through me as I watched this moment alongside my teammates, then looked up to see my family in the stands — knowing they had been cheering me on every step of the way too.
Teri Burke
Sport: Watercross Racing
Assistant Director, Student Accessibility Services
Tell us about it: Watercross Racing has been around for over 30 years with IJSBA (International Jet Sports Boating Association) founded in 1982. My husband, Pete Burke, and I, are both SUNY Brockport Alumni and have been a part of East Coast Watercross since 2016. I compete at the local, national, and international levels: ProAm X2 Open and Novice 1100 Limited.
Burke catches some air during a watercross race.
How did you get started? Our watercross racing hobby began in 2015 when my husband went with some co-workers to check out a local IJSBA East Coast Watercross event. He was hooked, and we have been racing as a family ever since, traveling along the East Coast and across the country to participate in events.
Proudest achievement? After I was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2017, my watercross friends and I built “Waterme111on”, a Kawasaki X2 that took me to the World Stage in Lake Havasu, Arizona. I took 3rd at IJSBA World Finals in Vintage X2 Open as a sponsored rider. It was an experience I will never forget! I remember crossing the finish line and seeing everyone running across the beach to meet me. After we went through tech, our team carried the ski on their shoulders with me on top. An unforgettable, surreal experience!