Coast Guard Academy maintained a razor-sharp focus throughout the Sperry College Sailing Women's National Championship.

But once the Bears clinched the women's program's first title near the end of Friday's regatta, they really cut loose.

The celebration really kicked in when the B Division duo of Dana Rohde and Hannah Herring crossed the finish line in San Diego. Nikole Barnes and Anna Morin, who raced in the A Division, already were waiting.

"Our team is pretty mellow and mild during events and really, really focused," coach Brian Swingly said during a phone conversation on Friday night. "For them to be able to just let loose and cheer and have a good time. When Dana crossed the final line, the two boats came together. They pushed each other in the water and capsized the boats and the coaches got pushed in the water.

"It was a full-on, pretty fun celebration."

Coast Guard beat 17 other teams, finishing with 204 points and outdistancing runner-up Brown (244). Boston University (282), Rhode Island (296) and Yale (303) rounded out the top five.

Among all the Coast Guard Academy athletic programs, only the coed sailing team has captured a national title. And those crowns were earned in the 1960s.

"The coed team won five or six national championships, but none in the last four decades," Swingly said. "For us to win the first one in the modern era is special."

The Bears accomplished the feat with a strong four days of racing, starting with two days of semifinal competition. They advanced to the final round by winning the Western semifinal.

After trailing early in Thursday's regatta due in part to tricky wind conditions, the Bears regained their momentum. They surged in front about halfway through the day and never relinquished the lead.

"There was no looking back," Swingly said. "I think we won seven of the last eight races, which is unheard of. No one does that. That propelled us to the front."

Coast Guard never relaxed on Friday, the final day of racing. The disciplined Bears stayed focused until the end.

It was a celebration worth waiting for and big improvement over last year's 11th-place finish.

The Bears had another reason to celebrate, too, Barnes, a junior was named the Quantum College Sailing Women's Sailor of the Year, the sport's version of the Heisman Trophy.

They'll get back to business Saturday, preparing for the coed national championship, which starts on Tuesday. They finished second last year and will try to complete their West Coast journey with another national title.

g.keefe@theday.com