Avonna Niegelsen ‘26

Commodore & Social Chair

Avonna Niegelsen is the Commodore and Social Chair for Marquette Sailing. She coordinates social events within the team, with other organizations on campus, and within the MCSA. She is also the main point of contact for anything regarding MUST. This is her third year on the team and her second year on the executive board. She is very excited to lead the team for a successful season of racing and comradery!

Jacob Millman ‘26

Vice-Commodore & Alumni-Fundraising Chair

Jacob is a Junior Real Estate and International Business major, concentrating in the Real Estate Asset Program (REAP). He started sailing for the first time in college and has really enjoyed his time with MUST so far. He loves to try new food, read mystery books and hang out with friends. Jacob also works as a Tour Guide in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at Marquette. Jacob is looking forward to his second year in the position and taking on the responsibility of Vice-Commodore. He loves connecting with alumni and creating fundraising opportunities to support the team. His favorite part of MUST is all of the amazing people on the team and attending Regattas.

Ben Karle ‘28

Equipment Chair

Ben is a freshman majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He is the current Equipment Chair which is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of all boats, sails and other miscellaneous equipment! This is his first year with MUST, but he has been sailing since his sophomore year of High School on Lake Michigan where he primarily sails 420s and a J/24 named nicknamed the “Pregnant Cow.” He is excited for the upcoming season and is excited to help the team grow competitively and create a welcoming environment for all future sailors. He is excited to bring his experience, enthusiasm, and mechanical knowledge to the team, ensuring that equipment is always in excellent condition, so every team member has the resources they need to succeed.

Liz Lothian ‘27

Regatta Chair

Liz is a sophomore majoring in Biomedical Engineering with a concentration on Bioelectronics. She is the current Regatta Chair for MUST, responsible for organizing home regattas (Pere Marquette, Alumni Regatta, and Cream City Classic), and preparing MUST’s members to travel to away regattas. This is her first season with the team but has been sailing since she was eight on Lake Geneva. Liz’s favorite part of MUST is the opportunity to keep sailing in college and all the friends she’s made.

John Riordan ‘26

Publicity Chair

John is a Junior studying Civil Engineering at Marquette and Studio Art at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. He serves as the Publicity Chair, and is responsible for writing and distributing the MUST newsletter (the Windward Marq), updating the website and various social media, publicizing and involving #MUST on campus, informing the team of meeting dates, regattas, socials, and other events, as well as elections and other notable announcements. John has been sailing for over 13 years on Lake Michigan, and has worked as a sailing instructor for 5. Outside of sailing, he enjoys backpacking, playing the cello, skiing, and visual art. This is John’s 6th season on the team and his favorite part about MUST is getting active on the water and going to different sailing venues.

Brian Zettlemoyer ‘27

Finance Chair

Brian is a sophomore majoring in Finance and Information Systems. He serves as the current Finance Chair and is responsible for seeking out and applying for sources of funding, creating a budget for the team at the beginning of each semester, collecting team dues and helping the captain maintain the membership roster, paying fees, bills, and invoices on behalf of MUST. This is his second year on the team and started sailing when he was six years old on Lake Beulah, WI. He has competed throughout the Midwest in a variety of boats with the Inland Lakes Yachting Association, as well as on the coast. His favorite part of MUST is sailing in regattas and making great friends along the way.

Stella Brown ‘27

Merchandise Chair

Stella is a sophomore majoring in Psychology and their pronouns are She/They/He. She started sailing at sleep-away camp 8 years ago and has been consistently sailing ever since. He competitively sailed and coached 420’s and various other boats all through high school and in college. He’s been a part of MUST for the last 2 years and their favorite part of the club is getting to sail all over the Midwest. As Merchandise Chair, they are responsible for designing, distributing, and marketing the sailing apparel. They’re excited to design new merchandise for the team and alumni. Outside of sailing Stella enjoys reading, going to concerts, and any other activity where they’re on the water.

Eli Sveen Erling ‘26

Captain

Eli is a Junior studying Mechanical Engineering, with a concentration in Innovation and Leadership through the Excellence in Leadership Program (E-Lead). He first learned how to sail at 12 yrs old through a Chicago Park District Program run out of Jackson Park Outer Harbor, Chicago, IL. Since then, he’s dived headfirst into the sailing world, having honed his skills sailing 420s in high school as well as learning keelboat sailing through a local Sea Scout ship. This is his 3rd year sailing for Marquette and has really enjoyed traveling to other schools for regattas and sailing against other Midwest teams. Off the water, Eli’s favorite part about the team is the excellent merch designs he has collected over the years. He is excited to help continue the future of the team by teaching the next generation!

Executive Board