When Genoa Griffin was 12 years old, her father gave her an ultimatum. Determined to keep her active during the summer, he told her to take a business computer course or a competitive sailing course at the Davis Island Yacht Club. Griffin chose a summer on the water. A decade later, Griffin's sailing career has reached its pinnacle. Easily the most dominant skipper in the University of South Florida's 11-year sailing team history, Griffin last month was ranked the nation's top female collegiate sailor. When told of the distinction, released in May, Griffin was taken by surprise, she said. The sailing company Quantum Sails created the poll based on the regatta performance of sailors from 150 schools. "I had to go online and check for myself," said Griffin, 23, who graduated from USF in May. "My first reaction was, "Oh, my God, is this real?' " And what was her second reaction? "What do I have to do next to stay No. 1?" As it turns out, Griffin had only one chance to defend her ranking. Griffin sailed June 2-4 for the last time as a collegiate skipper in the biggest of regattas: the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association North American Championships, which this year was in Detroit. During the regatta, she went head to head with a highly competitive field that included her closest rivals from traditional sailing powerhouses, such as Old Dominion and Yale universities. Unfortunately for her and her teammates, the outcome was disappointing. After battling wind, choppy waters and an occasional drizzle, USF finished 11th, respectable for a young program but still in the middle of the pack. Tufts University won the title. The mediocre outcome knocked Griffin down in the rankings, and she ended her collegiate career ranked as the No. 5 skipper in the country. For Griffin, being named one of the nation's elite sailors marked the culmination of a life of sailing. Her father, in choosing her name, did not pick Genoa in honor of the Italian city. He chose Genoa because it is also a term for a large jib on a racing yacht. And with a name that carries a certain air of destiny, Griffin has played a key role in helping USF's team become a force in college sailing. A few years ago, the team wasn't a factor in the sailing world. The sport of sailing continued to be dominated by the same handful of teams, mostly from the Northeast. But with a warm climate and a calm bay perfect for sailing year-round, coaches from around the nation began to refer to USF's team as sailing's sleeping giant. That giant awoke in the spring of last year. A win-filled season culminated with a victory at the southeastern regional regatta. There, USF beat heavily favored Charleston Southern University, which had previously dominated the southeast region. The victory allowed USF to sail into last year's ICSA national championship in Hawaii and compete in its first national regatta. The team finished 13th. The trend continued this year. USF was ranked among as one of the top 10 sailing teams in the nation. It defeated Charleston Southern in the SAIAS regional regatta for a second time and earned the trip to Detroit. All the while, Griffin set the tone for the team. Individually, she has been stellar. In November, she earned USF's first top five finish in a national event when she finished fourth in a single-handed race. Stephanie Doyle, head coach for the USF sailing team, describes Griffin's performance over the past few years as the catalyst for the team's success. "She has motivated the team more than I could ever imagine," Doyle said. "Before, no one on the team thought we could compete on the national level. She's proven otherwise." Doyle said Griffin's strong performances come not so much from superior skill, but from an intense work ethic. Griffin trains hard in the offseason and is always in top physical shape. Mentally, Doyle said Griffin is always a positive leader. "Genoa never gives up," Doyle said. Like every great collegiate athlete at the end of four years, Griffin now faces a turning point. She graduated with a marketing degree, but she said she is not willing to leave behind the sport she loves. "I'm not ready to jump into the real world," she said. This summer, Griffin plans to travel to New Jersey, where she will be an instructor at a yacht club north of Atlantic City. When she gets home, she said she would like to help out at USF or get a job coaching. And the possibility exists, Griffin said, that she will trade in her green and gold for red, white and blue. She may make a run for the U.S. Olympic team. But whatever she does, Griffin said she'll be happy if she's out on the water. "I'd like to stay with sailing no matter what," she said. _ Rob Brannon can be reached at 226-3303 and rbrannonsptimes.com.