EISA Skiing

EISA Skiers Earn All-America Honors at NCAA Championships

2013-03-15T11:41:00.002-07:00

RIPTON, Vt. — At the conclusion of the 2013 NCAA Skiing national championships, 23 EISA athletes emerged with All-America honors. Congratulations to the following skiers who found great success at the national championships:

First Team
Alpine
Kristina Riis-Johannessen UVM GS/SL
Kate Ryley UVM GS
Lizzie Kistler DAR SL
Jonathan Nordbotten UVM GS/SL
Coley Oliver UNH GS
Sean Higgins UVM GS
David Donaldson MID SL
Sam Coffey UNH SL
Taylor Vest-Burton UNH SL
Nordic
Anja Gruber UVM CL
Mary O'Connell DAR CL/FS
Ben Lustgarten MID CL
Silas Talbot DAR CL

Second Team
Alpine
Geordie Lonza WIL GS/SL
Mary Sackbauer MID GS
Taylor Vest-Burton UNH GS
Kate Ryley UVM SL
Sara Kikut DAR SL
Randa Teschner UNH SL
Hig Roberts MID SL
Nordic
Annie Hart DAR CL/FS
Linda Davind-Malm UVM CL
Anya Bean UNH FS
Scott Patterson UVM CL
Sam Tarling DAR FS
Ben Lustgarten MID FS
Silas Talbot DAR FS

Additionally, four EISA schools finished in the top-10 in overall team scoring:
3rd - University of Vermont
5th - Dartmouth College
8th - University of New Hampshire
10th - Middlebury College

2013 NCAA Championship GS Schedule

2013-03-05T17:24:00.001-08:00

Schedule for the 2013 NCAA Championship GS on Wednesday, March 6th.

8:30am - Women's GS Run 1
10:45am - Women's GS Run 2
1:00pm - Men's GS Run 1
3:00pm - Men's GS Run 2

Watch the races live at NCAA.com

2013 NCAA Championship Banquet Video

2013-03-05T17:21:00.002-08:00

NCAA 2013 1 from Andrew Gardner on Vimeo.

Skiers of the Week—Bates Carnival/NCAA Eastern Regional Championships

2013-02-27T07:55:00.000-08:00

ALPINE

Kate Ryley UVM - 1st GS, 1st SL

Photo: UVM Athletics

Travis Dawson UVM - 3rd SL, 3rd GS

Photo: UVM Athletics

NORDIC

Mary O'Connell DAR - 1st 5k Classic, 1st 10k Freestyle

Photo: Dartmouth Athletics

Scott Patterson UVM - 1st 10k Classic, 1st 15k Freestyle

Photo: UVM Athletics

EISA 2013 Season Honors and Awards

2013-02-24T12:45:00.003-08:00

A number of honors and awards were distributed following the Bates Carnival/EISA Championships this weekend. The comprehensive list is below.

All - East Teams

Men's Alpine

-1st Team-

David Donaldson MID

Jonathan Nordbotten UVM

Travis Dawson UVM

Andrew McNealus MID

Sam Coffey UNH

-2nd Team-

Sean Higgins UVM

Coley Oliver UNH

Hig Roberts MID

Ben Morse DAR

Hunter Black DAR

Men's Nordic

-1st Team-

Scott Patterson UVM

Sam Tarling DAR

Silas Talbot DAR

Ben Lustgarten MID

Scott Lacy DAR

-2nd Team-

Steven Mangan DAR

David Sinclair DAR

Rogan Brown UVM

Dylan Grald UVM

Jorgen Grav UVM

Women's Alpine

-1st Team-

Kristina Riis-Johannessen UVM

Kate Ryley UVM

Lizzie Kistler DAR

Geordie Lonza WIL

Elli Terwiel UVM

-2nd Team-

Rebecca Nadler HAR

Randa Teschner UNH

Mary Sackbauer MID

Avril Dunleavy BAT

Elise Tefre UVM

Women's Nordic

-1st Team-

Anja Gruber UVM

Mary O'Connell DAR

Annie Pokorny MID

Annika Taylor UNH

Annie Hart DAR

-2nd Team-

Anya Bean UNH

Linda Danvind-Malm UVM

Kaitlynn Miller BOW

Corey Stock DAR

Elizabeth Guiney UNH

TD Bank Leader Bib (Nordic)

Freestyle

Men: Scott Patterson UVM

Women: Mary O'Connell DAR

Classic

Men: Sam Tarling DAR

Women: Anja Gruber UVM

Podiumwear Leader Bib (Alpine)

Slalom

Men: Travis Dawson UVM

Women: Kate Ryley UVM

Giant Slalom

Men: David Donaldson MID

Women: Kate Ryley UVM

Rookie of the Year

Women's Nordic: Mary O'Connell DAR

Men's Nordic: Jorgen Grav UVM

Women's Alpine: Lizzie Kistler DAR

Men's Alpine: Dominique (Dom) Garand UVM

EISA Coach of the Year

Alpine: Abby Copeland MID & Rogan Connell BAT

Nordic: Cami Thompson DAR

EISA Service Award

Ray Broomhall

Women's Team Champion (Rikert Cup)

Dartmouth College

Men's Team Champion (Dartmouth Cup)

University of Vermont

Overall Team Champion

University of Vermont

Vermont Nets Perfect Season & Third Straight EISA Championship

2013-02-24T06:43:00.004-08:00

Middlebury's Hig Roberts slaying to the win in slalom (photo: Cory Ransom)

NEWRY/RUMFORD, Maine — Despite a strong effort by Dartmouth to block the University of Vermont from claiming a perfect season, the Catamounts rebounded on Saturday to notch their third consecutive EISA title and to complete a clean sweep of all EISA Carnivals in 2013. Vermont pulled off the win by amassing 939.5 points to Dartmouth’s 908.5. The University of New Hampshire finished third with 690 points, just one point ahead of fourth-place Middlebury.

With fast snow and NCAA spots on the line, Nordic racing action concluded Saturday with 10 and 15-kilometer mass-start freestyle races at Black Mountain.

Unlike the twisting and technical laps of last weekend's Middlebury race loop, Saturday's race course was relatively simple, though not easy. Racers shot down a long hill before ascending two massive climbs, including Black Mountain's infamous “High School Hill”.

“The course was brutal,” said Colby’s John Dixon, “but the coverage was good and the conditions were fair.”

Scott Patterson made it a perfect season in the freestyle races with another decisive victory in the men's event. The UVM Junior has skied every skate race with the same game plan: Get out front and leave the rest of the field to fend for themselves.

In similar fashion to last weekend's skate event, it was Dartmouth's Sam Tarling and David Sinclair who gave chase early on. Neither was able to match the pace of Patterson, however. Tarling finished in second place for the second consecutive day, as Sinclair drifted back to 12th. It was another familiar Dartmouth skier, Silas Talbot, who took the final podium spot in third.

The strong presence of the Dartmouth men at the top of the results sheet led the Big Green to another victory in the team score for the event, but it was not enough to hold off the Catamounts overall.

The women's race was nearly the opposite at the front of the field. Instead of a solo racer out front, the battle for first came down to an exciting sprint finish between Dartmouth's Mary O'Connell, yesterday's 5k classic winner, and UVM's Anja Gruber. In the final meters it was O'Connell who took the win by only a tenth of a second, securing her third consecutive EISA victory this season.

Finishing in third place behind Gruber was another Catamount, UVM's Linda Dandvind-Malm. The top five was rounded out by two Annie's: Pokorny of Middlebury and Hart of Dartmouth.

A little under an hour away at Sunday River, light snowfall and mild temperatures greeted the slalom skiers in the alpine races. Middlebury’s Hig Roberts claimed his first victory of the season in the men’s race after first run winner Jonathan Nordbotten of Vermont skied out on a bumpy second run.

“I’ve been really fast in slalom this year, just on one runs usually. Basically, on first runs I’ve been in there. And second runs, I’ve not been strong with the groove, not putting down two. But today’s I just knew I had to do it, last carnival,” noted a pleased Roberts.

Catamount Tim Kelley proved his return to form by placing second in the race, and his teammate and overall slalom leader Travis Dawson added yet another podium to his collection in third.

In the women’s slalom, Vermont’s Kate Ryley proved she’s prepared to defend her NCAA title. She logged the fastest time both runs to combine for the victory over Dartmouth’s Lizzie Kistler (who tied Ryley’s second run winning pace). Catamount Kristina Riis-Johannessen was able to hold a podium spot in third.

“I think we’re going to take a little break and then train [before NCAAs]. I feel like I was in a rut the last few weeks; I’ve been struggling…. I just need to take it back a step and start training and getting good feelings,” remarked Ryley after the win.

Athletes who qualified to the NCAA Championships in Middlebury, Vt. will spend the next two weeks preparing for the national competition while other skiers now look forward to spring series events including Eastern Cup Finals, NorAm Finals, U.S. Nationals, and Canadian Nationals.

Team scores at the conclusion of the Bates Carnival/EISA Championships:

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 939.5

2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 908.5

3. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 690.0

4. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 689.0

5. WILLIAMS COLLEGE 568.0

6. BATES COLLEGE 515.0

7. COLBY COLLEGE 492.0

8. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY 399.0

9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY 378.5

10. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE 287.0

11. BOWDOIN COLLEGE 183.0

12. BOSTON COLLEGE 154.0

13. UNIVERSITY OF ME -PRESQUE ISLE 133.0

14. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY 123.5

15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE 58.0

16. CLARKSON UNIVERSITY 9.0

17. BABSON COLLEGE 2.0

Adam Terko contributed to this report.

Dartmouth Wins First Day of EISA Championships

2013-02-22T20:20:00.001-08:00

Harvard's Rebecca Nadler and Vermont's Kate Ryley tie for the win at EISA Championships (photo: Cory Ransom)

NEWRY/RUMFORD, Maine — Dartmouth College mounted a surprising effort on the first day of the joint Bates Carnival and EISA Championships to claim an early lead after the giant slalom and classic races. The currently unbeaten University of Vermont Catamounts sit a mere 9.5 points back in second, and Middlebury College is third.

Under sunny skies, the Big Green ladies dominated team scoring in the giant slalom with Abby Fucigna, Sara Kikut, and Annie Rendall all placing inside the top 10. But the podium was claimed by Harvard’s Rebecca Nadler and Vermont’s Kate Ryley who tied for the win with a total time of 2:38.45 and Geordie Lonza of Williams who finished third.

In the men’s race, Middlebury’s David Donaldson proved his previous winning streak was never a fluke when he claimed his sixth victory in the discipline this season. Vermont’s Sean Higgins and Travis Dawson settled into second and third, respectively. It was also an impressive day for the UNH Wildcats who placed skiers Taylor Vest-Burton and Sam Coffey in fourth and fifth.

Sunny skies and warm weather also greeted the Nordic field during Friday's individual classical races in Rumford. Finding the right kick wax was a challenge for many, as temperatures steadily rose throughout the races. A long and steady climb throughout the middle of the course meant slick skis could cost valuable time. In the end it seemed no team had it “nailed”, though various klister wax combinations were used.

Last weekend's classic 5k champion, Middlebury's Annie Pokorny, started fast and skied strong up the long hills of the Black Mountain race course. In the end, however, it was last weekend's 15k skate champion, Mary O'Connell of Dartmouth, who came out on top. O'Connell bested Pokorny by just 1.7 seconds. According to some split-times, O'Connell was trailing Pokorny early on, but made up ground in the very end of the race.

Third place went to another Dartmouth skier, Emily Blackmer. Blackmer has shown consistent classic form this season, and raced to another strong finish for the Big Green. Vermont’s Anja Gruber and Dartmouth’s Annie Hart rounded out the top-5, as the Dartmouth women took the victory in the team score.

In the men's race, the final podium finishers all started one after another. Middlebury’s Ben Lustgarten was bib 61, followed by Dartmouth’s Sam Tarling in bib 62 and Vermont’s Scott Patterson in bib 63. Despite all three starting within a minute and a half of each other, the three men all skied very similar races; only 7 seconds separated the top three at the finish. Patterson was victorious, with Tarling just 2 seconds behind in 27:21.8. Lustgarten continued a strong season of podium-performances with third place.

With so many pre-race favorites starting near each other, Lustgarten remarked he was “just happy to ski my own race and feel good.”

Finishing just off the podium were Dartmouth skiers David Sinclair and Silas Talbot, taking 4th and 5th place, respectively, to give the Big Green a team victory to add to their women's earlier performance and their team’s overall success on the day.

Racing continues Saturday with mass-start 10 and 15-kilometer freestyle races in Rumford and the slalom races at Sunday River.

Adam Terko contributed to this report.

Team scores after Day 1 of the Bates Carnival and EISA Championships:

1.   DARTMOUTH COLLEGE                  DAR   448.0            
2.   UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT              UVM   438.5            
3.   MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE                 MID   382.0            
4.   UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE        UNH   354.0            
5.   WILLIAMS COLLEGE                   WIL   288.0            
6.   BATES COLLEGE                      BAT   249.0            
7.   COLBY COLLEGE                      CBC   248.0            
8.   ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY             SLU   185.0            
9.   HARVARD UNIVERSITY                 HAR   181.5

10.   ST MICHAELS COLLEGE               SMC   146.0            
11.   BOWDOIN COLLEGE                   BOW   101.0            
12.   BOSTON COLLEGE                    BC     79.0            
13.   UNIVERSITY OF ME -PRESQUE ISLE    UMPI   67.0            
14.   PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY         PSU    60.0            
15.   COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE              CSC    28.0            
16.   CLARKSON UNIVERSITY               CLK     9.0            
17.   BABSON COLLEGE                    BAB     2.0

Skiers of the Week—Middlebury Carnival

2013-02-21T05:09:00.001-08:00

ALPINE

Geordie Lonza WIL - 1st SL, 4th GS

Photo: Williams Athletics

Hig Roberts MID - 4th SL, 4th GS

Photo: Middlebury Athletics

NORDIC

Linda Danvind-Malm UVM - 3rd 15k Freestyle, 5th 5k Classic

Photo: UVM Athletics

Will Wicherski WIL - 4th 10k Classic, 7th 20k Freestyle

Photo: Facebook

Skiers of the Week—Dartmouth Carnival

2013-02-21T04:52:00.006-08:00

ALPINE

Lizzie Kistler DAR - 4th GS

Photo: Dartmouth Athletics

Sean Higgins UVM - 2nd GS

Photo: UVM Athletics

NORDIC

Kaitlynn Miller BOW - 3rd 5k Classic

Photo: Bowdoin Athletics

Silas Talbot DAR - 3rd 10k Classic

Photo: Dartmouth Athletics

New Faces on Podium as Vermont Wins Middlebury Carnival

2013-02-17T04:20:00.005-08:00

HANCOCK/RIPTON, Vt. — The University of Vermont overcame adversity to extend their lead over Dartmouth and claim victory in the Middlebury Carnival by 74 points. Dartmouth College came in second with 859 points and Middlebury College skied to third place with 766 points.

In the women’s giant slalom race, athletes in the top 15 struggled to find a rhythm while other athletes were able to attack from the back. University of New Hamphire’s Randa Teschner started bib 24 and won the first run. She kept her momentum second run and went on to win the race. Middlebury’s Mary Sackbauer had her first EISA podium on her home hill, taking second place. UNH’s Jenna Kantor rounded out the podium in third, giving the UNH lady Wildcats a team victory.

For the men, Vermont’s Jonathan Nordbotten grabbed his first giant slalom victory of the season. Coming into first run, Nordbotten was concerned with maintaining his speed onto the flats.

“You have to skate as hard as you can out of the start to the pitch and then you have to ski those three first gates on the pitch really well,” Nordbotten said.

Catamount teammate Travis Dawson, who won Friday’s slalom race, skied to second place and won the second run, placing the Vermont men’s team in first position. Middlebury’s David Donaldson finished third for the day.

Down the road at the Rikert Nordic Center, conditions were sunny, fast and at times dangerous for Sunday's mass start freestyle races on the final day of the Middlebury Carnival.

Scott Patterson once again dominated the men’s 20k event. The UVM junior broke away from the field near the 5-kilometer mark, and skied alone for the rest of the race, winning the event in a time of 45:13.7. Dartmouth's Sam Tarling, winner of Friday's 10k classic race, skied alone as well, chasing Patterson for the duration of the race. Tarling settled for second, and skied into the finish just ahead of a charging group of skiers fighting for the final podium spot.

In a lunge for the line, Dartmouth's Scott Lacy grabbed third place over Middlebury's Benjamin Lustgarten. UVM's Rogan Brown rounded out the top-5, helping Vermont claim a narrow 2-point victory over the Big Green in the team score.

While Patterson has failed to lose a freestyle race all season, it was a new face atop the women's podium. Dartmouth's Mary O'Connell won her first EISA Carnival in 39:35, besting UVM skier Anja Gruber by 17 seconds. O'Connell broke away early, though Gruber made a move to regain contact with the Dartmouth skier and retake the lead at the 10-kilometer mark. O'Connell was not fazed, however, and made a definitive break during the last lap to cruise to her first win.

Another Vermont skier, Linda Danvind-Malm, claimed her second top-5 performance of the weekend in 3rd place. Dartmouth and UVM swept the first six places, as Annie Hart (DAR) and Stephanie Kirk (UVM) rounded out the top-5. Like the men's race, the competition for points was tight, though this time it was the Vermont women who eked out a 4-point victory in the team score.

One of the more notable aspects of the races was the icy corners, which led to numerous crashes and moments of carnage throughout the day. Patches of ice surrounded by sugary snow littered the course's technical downhill sections, and both races featured multiple pile-ups and falls as racers lost poles and even skis.

“I was lucky to stay on my feet, but a lot of girls ran into trouble when things got congested on those corners,” exclaimed St. Lawrence senior Kelsey Nichols. “It was wild!”

Middlebury will host NCAA Championships back at these same venues in less than a month, but first the EISA circuit travels to Eastern Championships hosted by Bates College Feb. 22-23.

Complete individual and team scoring from the Middlebury Carnival can be viewed here.

Gabbi Hall and Adam Terko contributed to this report

Dartmouth Chases Catamounts After Opening Day of Middlebury Carnival

2013-02-16T02:36:00.002-08:00

Middlebury's Annie Pokorny takes the
home carnival win (photo: Cory Ransom)

HANCOCK/RIPTON, Vt. — The University of Vermont settled into its familiar position in the lead after the first day of the Middlebury Carnival, but Dartmouth College sits a close second, only 11 points behind, while host team Middlebury College is third, 69 points off the lead.

On Friday morning, EISA Nordic racers got to experience updated and modernized courses at the Rikert Touring facility in Ripton, Vermont. In a few weeks these trails will play host to the Nordic races of the 2013 NCAA Championships, hosted by Middlebury College.

Snow was thin and rapidly disappearing at lower elevations during the week in the village of Middlebury, but a new snowmaking system and the benefit of being nestled high in the Green Mountains kept enough coverage at Rikert to hold races on the originally-planned courses.

Temperatures near freezing and changing snow made for a tough kick-waxing day, with klister wax and 'zero' skis both in play. Conditions from ice to loose snow and slush were present on varying parts of the course, so finding the right skis for the full loop was a challenge.

In the women's 5k classic, Middlebury's Annie Pokorny took home the individual victory at her home carnival. Pokorny was well clear of second place, as Laval's Catherine Auclair was next fastest at nearly 20 seconds back. Third place went to consistent classic skier Anja Gruber of UVM. Dartmouth’s Annie Hart and Vermon’t Linda Danvind-Malm rounded out the top 5, as the University of Vermont women took the top team score.

The sun poked through cloud cover as the men started their race, but conditions remained relatively stable. Middlebury's Benjamin Lustgarten, likely aiming to double-up the home team's individual victories at their own carnival, went out fast and led eventual-winner Sam Tarling of Dartmouth early in the race. On the strength of his powerful double-poling, however, Tarling made up ground on the second lap despite slick skis, and took the victory with a time of 25:36.7.

“I was getting some pretty poor splits early on,” said Tarling afterward, “but I guess I was able to turn it around in the second half. The second half I was just able to double-pole, and while I didn't have maybe the best kick I had really fast skis, so it worked out.”

The Dartmouth men had a 1-2 finish thanks to Silas Talbot, who pulled off second behind Tarling in 25:44.3. Vermont's Scott Patterson, and the EISA points leader, took third, Will Wicherski of Williams was fourth, while Ben Lustgarten of Middlebury was able to hang on for fifth. The Dartmouth men took top honors in the team score.

Down the road at the Middlebury Snow Bowl, alpine racers faced similarly warm snow conditions. In the women’s slalom, Geordie Lonza of Williams College, a podium favorite from the 2012 season, finally returned to form in 2013 to claim the win.

“My mindset was that I needed to attack the whole way down because this hill is pretty easy and straight forward,” said Lonza. University of Vermont’s Kate Ryley took second and Dartmouth College’s Sara Kikut placed third.

On the men’s side, Vermont’s Travis Dawson, the EISA slalom leader, grabbed the victory. His impressive first run, which he won by half a second, put him in a good standing for the second round. The second run course was a bit trickier.

“They played the side hill a lot and there were a few more combinations and tricky spots,” Dawson said. “You can feel how warm it’s gotten here today, the snow was a little softer and I knew there was going to be a groove, so I just stuck with it.”

University of New Hampshire’s Coley Oliver skied to second place and Middlebury’s Andrew McNealus took third to round out the podium.

Racing continues on Saturday with the giant slalom races at the Middlebury Snow Bowl and skate races at the Rikert Nordic Center.

Complete individual and team scoring available here.

Gabbi Hall and Adam Terko contributed to this report

Vermont Wins Dartmouth Carnival After Doubling GS Results

2013-02-13T01:13:00.001-08:00

Despite the cancellation due to extreme winds and then the rescheduling of Saturday's slalom race, team scoring for the Dartmouth Carnival is now complete. Vermont claimed victory with 977 points, Dartmouth finished second with 871, and Middlebury wound up third with 785.

The men's and women's slalom races will be contested on Sunday, Feb. 17 at the Dartmouth Skiway, but the results will only be used in qualification for NCAA National Championships. Results from the alpine giant slalom were doubled in order to finalize team scoring from the Dartmouth Carnival.

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 977.0
2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 871.0
3. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 785.0
4. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 707.0
5. BATES COLLEGE 493.0
6. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY 429.0
7. COLBY COLLEGE 412.0
8. WILLIAMS COLLEGE 409.0
9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY 291.0
10. UNIVERSITE' LAVAL 226.0
11. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE 224.0
12. BOWDOIN COLLEGE 201.0
13. BOSTON COLLEGE 200.0
14. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY 104.0
15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE 72.0

Weather Challenges Dartmouth Carnival, Vermont Holds Steady Lead

2013-02-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

Middlebury's Mary Sackbauer charges to a career first top-5 finish (photo: Cory Ransom)

LYME, N.H./CRAFTSBURY, Vt. — With a blizzard bearing down on much of the East Coast this weekend, EISA officials, coaches, athletes, and volunteers alike faced numerous challenges to complete all events of the Dartmouth Carnival. At the postponement of only the alpine slalom races, UVM currently leads team scoring over the Big Green carnival hosts by 38 points. On the strength of an impressive performance by Middlebury's alpine squad, the Panthers sit third but still remain more than 100 points behind Dartmouth.

In Friday’s classic races, moved to Craftsbury, Vt. due to a lack of snow at Dartmouth prior to the storm, Vermont’s Anja Gruber and Scott Patterson returned to the top step of the podium. Middlebury’s Annie Pokorny turned out another exceptional performance in second, and Bowdoin’s Kaitlynn Miller broke up the typical juggernaut to crack into third.

“Conditions at Craftsbury were great with lots of new snow, a really challenging course and perfect classic skiing—real winter!” exclaimed Gruber, who won the race by over 18 seconds. “I had amazing skis and got good splits from our coaches already half way through the race. Not everybody had been through at that point though, so you really just have to try as hard as you can the whole course. A 5k is over with so quick that you really don't have too much time to think about how you are doing,” she reflected.

In the men’s race, Patterson was chased down by a Dartmouth force led by Sam Tarling in second and Silas Talbot in third. Vermont and Dartmouth skiers locked up the top seven positions in the race, quite reminiscent of the EISA women’s competition last season.

“I would say this year for men's Nordic is very similar to the women's last year; both the UVM and Dartmouth teams are very deep, and we both seem to be packing our racers in the top 5 in every race,” acknowledged Talbot. “There are certainly skiers, like Ben Lustgarten from Middlebury and Jordan Buetow from Bates, who have done a good job of cracking the podium and the top 10, but it is for sure dominated by our two schools.”

Explaining how the Dartmouth men have worked together for both individual and team success, Talbot continued, “With a team in which all six of our racers are capable of putting up a top-5 result, we know that pushing one another in a race is the best way for a good team score.”

Dartmouth followed up with team success in Saturday’s 3x5k freestyle relays where their men’s and women’s squads both claimed victory over Vermont. In the women’s race, UNH clawed into third, while Middlebury did so in the men’s event.

Back in New Hampshire at the Dartmouth Skiway, snow and wind challenged athletes on the giant slalom course down Holt’s Ledge. The wind was so aggressive on Saturday that lifts did not open at the mountain in time to hold the race. Organizers are now looking for a date and location to make-up the event.

But in Friday's giant slalom, the Vermont trio of Kristina Riis-Johannessen, Elli Terwiel, and Kate Ryley once again swept the podium. Middlebury’s Mary Sackbauer logged a career first top-5 result in FIS University competition. The Vail, Colo. native built off double 12^th-place finishes at the Colby Carnival to make a statement on the circuit.

“I have been making good turns in training and in races, but couldn't put it all together until today,” said Sackbauer. “We had a really good training at Burke the other day, and I figured a few things out.”

Adjusting to skiing in the East wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for the Coloradan, but she seems to have it figured out now. “The conditions were definitely hard to get used to. I hadn't ever been as cold as we were in Sugarloaf last weekend…. As for the ice, it took a long time for me to feel comfortable and confident on it,” Sackbauer added.

In the men’s giant slalom, Sackbauer’s teammate David Donaldson extended his winning streak in the event to all four of the contested carnivals to date. Vermont’s Sean Higgins claimed the lead after first run but ultimately settled for second, and Middlebury’s Andrew McNealus was third.

Team scores for the Dartmouth Carnival at the conclusion of all Nordic races and the alpine giant slalom:

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT 713.0

2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE 675.0

3. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE 565.0

4. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE 520.0

5. BATES COLLEGE 384.0

6. WILLIAMS COLLEGE 346.0

7. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY 318.0

8. COLBY COLLEGE 291.0

9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY 241.0

10. UNIVERSITE' LAVAL 226.0

11. BOWDOIN COLLEGE 201.0

12. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE 140.0

13. BOSTON COLLEGE 100.0

14. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY 52.0

15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE 36.0

Skiers of the Week—UVM Carnival

2013-02-08T06:48:00.001-08:00

ALPINE

Kate Ryley UVM - 1st GS, 2nd SL

Photo: UVM Athletics

Sam Coffey UNH - 2nd GS, 2nd SL

Photo: UNH Athletics

NORDIC

Annie Pokorny MID - 1st 5k Freestyle, 2nd 10k Classic

Photo: Middlebury Athletics

Sam Tarling DAR - 1st 10k Classic, 2nd 10k Freestyle

Photo: Dartmouth College

Change to Cross-Country Schedule for Dartmouth Carnival

2013-02-06T09:21:00.004-08:00

The cross-country races of the Dartmouth Carnival have been relocated. Races will now be contested at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center in Craftsbury, Vermont on the following schedule.

Big Green Kicks Within 8 Points of Champion Catamounts

2013-02-04T08:55:00.001-08:00

Dartmouth's Tarling and Middlebury's Lustgarten pace one another to the podium (photo: Cory Ransom)

STOWE, Vt. — The Dartmouth Nordic team came oh so very close to taking down the seemingly indomitable Vermont Catamounts in the final day of competition at UVM’s home carnival. Despite posting double victories by Sam Tarling and Annie Hart, two athletes who recently returned to EISA competition after racing in U23 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic, Dartmouth could only come within eight points of their 30-point deficit heading into the last day of races.

“I’m just so happy to be back with the team. I love the carnivals, I think they’re the best racing, they top anything,” said Hart. “My goal was not to fall, but then to go really hard once I didn’t fall. The downhill at the start was so tricky and crazy and then with kick wax coming off the ski, you don’t want to have to go so slowly because it will come right off, and you have to go up the hills.”

Skate race winner Annie Pokorny of Middlebury managed another podium finish in second, and Vermont’s Anja Gruber, sporting the Leader Bib, cruised into third, but not without a bit of misfortune followed by encouragement from her rivals.

“It was so fast. The downhills got really sketchy and icy, and I had a little fall in the second lap,” confessed Gruber. “Having such a competitive field is really, really fun. Actually, it was so great because when I fell, they all just were like, ‘Anja! Get up!’ They were so nice and really helped me a lot. We ski together,” reasoned Gruber.

“I think we’re fortunate that we have a really strong circuit. It just makes us all that much better. We’re all really supportive of each other,” said Hart.

Newcomers Corey Stock of Dartmouth and Linda Danvind-Malm of Vermont finished sixth and seventh, respectively, to pick up more team points for the battling schools.

“I love when the freshmen do well! I think confidence-wise and team morale, we’re pretty stoked on life right now,” said Hart.

The women’s Leader Bib in the skate standings has developed into an intense battle as Gruber, Taylor (UNH), and Bean (UNH) all hold 160 points at the conclusion of the first three races. The addition of ladies who have returned from international competition will further intensify and shake up standings after the Dartmouth Carnival.

Sam Tarling, who led Vermont’s Scott Patterson by a mere second at the intermediate split in the men’s race, opened the gap to 10 seconds on his closest competitor by the time he crossed the finish line. Tarling and Patterson, who finished in reverse order the previous day, will likely be in hot contention for all remaining EISA races this winter.

However, Middlebury’s Ben Lustgarten proved, once again, that he is a serious threat in classic as he retained the Leader Bib for one more week by finishing third. Silas Talbot and Steven Mangan locked up positions four and five for Dartmouth, respectively. But Jorgen Grav and Cole Morgan picked up the next scoring slots for Vermont, and enabled their team to hold on to the home carnival victory.

Final team scores at the conclusion of the UVM Carnival:

1.   UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT              UVM   868.0            
2.   DARTMOUTH COLLEGE                  DAR   860.0            
3.   UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE        UNH   744.0            
4.   MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE                 MID   673.0            
5.   WILLIAMS COLLEGE                   WIL   519.0            
6.   BATES COLLEGE                      BAT   501.5            
7.   ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY             SLU   480.5            
8.   COLBY COLLEGE                      CBC   439.5            
9.   HARVARD UNIVERSITY                 HAR   351.5

10.  ST MICHAELS COLLEGE                SMC   249.5            
11.  BOWDOIN COLLEGE                    BOW   193.0            
12.  BOSTON COLLEGE                     BC    172.0            
13.  UNIVERSITE' LAVAL                  LAV   138.5            
14.  PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY          PSU   117.0            
15.  UNIVERSITY OF ME -PRESQUE ISLE     UMPI  109.0            
16.  COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE               CSC    75.0

Racers Return from U23 Worlds to Sweep Podium

2013-02-02T17:25:00.000-08:00

Corey Stock, Annie Pokorny, and Annie Hart all returned from U23 World Championships to stand on the podium in this weekend's 5k skate race at the UVM Carnival (photo: C.J. Feehan)

STOWE, Vt. — Top Eastern Nordic skiers returned from the U23 World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic to claim a slew of podium results at the first day of UVM Carnival Nordic competition at the Trapp Family Lodge. Under sunny morning skies, Middlebury’s Annie Pokorny, who just returned from Europe earlier this week, claimed her career first EISA victory. She was joined on the podium by fellow world travelers Corey Stock and Annie Hart of Dartmouth who finished second and third, respectively.

“I’m very happy to have won. Last year, it was really exciting to be in the top 10, and I feel like this year I’ve gotten my skis under me a little better,” said Pokorny. The University of New Hampshire Wildcats dominated the first two weekends of EISA racing before the return of a handful of athletes who were away at the European races.

“I think you can definitely say that this year it’s going to be really tight every race,” added Pokorny. “I know the results today, we were all within seconds of each other. It’s probably gonna switch around a lot this year… I’m excited to be racing against such good girls.”

Vermont’s Scott Patterson continued his streak of success, nabbing another victory in the men’s 10k skate race. He was chased by Dartmouth’s Sam Tarling who returned to EISA competition for the first time this year after also spending time in the Czech Republic. Freestyle specialist Jordan Buetow of Bates College rode Tarling's wake to pick up his career first collegiate podium in a race scored for NCAA championship qualification.

“The past two weeks, I felt like I was missing a little something, but my form seems to be coming around. I just went out trying to ski big and relaxed and knew that if Sam [Tarling] caught me, he'd be a good ride, and I never let him go,” said an enthusiastic Buetow. “Course conditions were great for me today—it was pretty icy in spots but the organizers did a great job putting a course together with what they had to work with. The fast and hard snow allows us big guys to ski with a lot of power, and it definitely played to my advantage,” he added.

As a result of the first day of Nordic competition, Dartmouth has now reeled in UVM and sits 30 points shy of the Catamounts. New Hampshire is also within 81 points of the leading home team. The classic races to conclude the UVM Carnival will be contested tomorrow.

Team scores at the conclusion of both alpine and Nordic skate races at the UVM Carnival:

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT - 640.0

2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE - 610.0

3. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE - 559.0

4. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE - 475.0

5. BATES COLLEGE - 385.0

6. WILLIAMS COLLEGE - 377.0

7. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY - 369.0

8. COLBY COLLEGE - 353.5

9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY - 270.0

10. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE - 224.5

11. BOSTON COLLEGE - 172.0

12. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY - 117.0

13. BOWDOIN COLLEGE - 102.0

14. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE -75.0

15. UNIVERSITE' LAVAL -69.0

16. UNIVERSITY OF MAINE PRESQUE ISLE - 49.0

Skiers of the Week—Colby College Carnival

2013-01-29T16:01:00.002-08:00

ALPINE

Kristina Riis-Johannessen UVM - 1st SL, 6th GS

Photo: UVM Athletics

Travis Dawson UVM - 3rd SL, 4th GS

Photo: UVM Athletics

NORDIC

Annika Taylor UNH - 1st 15k Freestyle, 2nd 5k Classic

Photo: UNH Athletics

Ben Lustgarten MID - 1st 10k Classic, 3rd 20k Freestyle

Photo: Middlebury Athletics

Wildcat Women Maintain Nordic Dominance As Vermont Wins Colby Carnival

2013-01-28T14:05:00.001-08:00

New Hampshire's Annika Taylor (4) and Elizabeth Izzo (7) worked together for the team win (photo: C.J. Feehan)

CARRABASSETT VALLEY/WATERVILLE, Maine — The women’s Nordic team from the University of New Hampshire continued to demonstrate its dominance in the second day of the Colby Carnival, but it was the defending NCAA champion University of Vermont Catamounts who once again posted the highest team score for the weekend with 962 points. Dartmouth finished second with 845, and the New Hampshire Wildcats were third with 786 points.

Kristina Riis-Johannessen led the charge in Vermont’s women’s slalom podium sweep at Sugarloaf. Fellow Catamount Elise Tefre was second and Kate Ryley third. Bates’ Avril Dunleavy, who threatened a podium result with her first run, ultimately finished fifth for her second straight top 5 of the weekend.

The men’s slalom saw Norwegian World Cup skier and Vermont Catamount Jonathan Nordbotten get back to his winning ways. He took the win over Middlebury’s David Donaldson by just one-tenth of a second. The undeniably consistent Travis Dawson of UVM rounded out the podium in third, and Dartmouth’s Hunter Black took fourth. Middlebury posted the strongest team scoring in the event behind Vermont’s impressive showing.

Back at the Quarry Road trail network behind Colby College, the mass start skate races had familiar results despite numerous crashes and some up close and personal encounters with trees. Vermont’s Scott Patterson got off to a quick start in the men’s 20k and held a sizeable gap over the competition throughout the entire 5-lap race. He ultimately finished over a minute ahead of runner-up Steven Mangan of Dartmouth. Middlebury’s Ben Lustgarten, the victor from the previous day, finished third. Vermont’s Peter Hegman, who crashed on a rugged downhill turn that took out a handful of competitors, was able to rally to an 11^th-place result.

“I definitely turned it into my own race,” noted Patterson. “I do a lot of training on my own, so I like skiing out there on my own. It’s pretty sweet after last year when I was always way back there, struggling and having a miserable time. It’s amazing to be back on top, and I’m really enjoying skiing.”

Despite Anja Gruber’s initial lead in the women’s 15k, strong tactics by New Hampshire Wildcats Annika Taylor, Anya Bean, and Elizabeth Izzo eventually overtook the dominant Catamount who was hung out alone in the lead pack. Taylor and Bean finished first and second, respectively, and Gruber had to settle for third. However, it was Gruber’s fourth podium in as many races, so she had no complaints on the day. Bowdoin’s Kaitlynn Miller turned out an impressive performance in fourth, and Elizabeth Izzo ultimately finished seventh.

“UVM started off really hard, and I don’t like to start off hard, so I kind of just played my race and stayed out of trouble,” said race winner Taylor. “The last laps, I was just trying to push my way on the flats to get around people and then end up first on the downhill because I’m pretty confident on the downhills. It’s surreal! I guess Cory’s [Schwartz] doing something right, and we work so well together as a team.”

Next week’s EISA action is a return to the UVM Carnival where the Nordic portion of the event will be contested Feb. 2-3 at the Trapp Family Lodge.

Donaldson Blocks UVM Sweep at Day 1 of Colby Carnival

2013-01-26T17:23:00.002-08:00

Dartmouth's Abby Fucigna rips to a podium finish at Sugarloaf (photo: Cory Ransom)

CARRABASSETT VALLEY/WATERVILLE, Maine — On the opening day of the Colby College Carnival, Middlebury’s David Donaldson claimed victory in the giant slalom to block a threatening podium sweep by the University of Vermont. Convincing victories by Catamounts Kate Ryley in the slalom and Anja Gruber in the 5k classic have propelled UVM into the team lead. Calculating the classic, giant slalom, and slalom races (to be reported on tomorrow), Vermont (731) currently maintains a 104-point lead over Dartmouth (627), while New Hampshire (584) is third and Middlebury (540.5) sits fourth.

The University of New Hampshire Nordic women prevailed once again in the 5k classic despite Gruber’s victory. Wildcat Annika Taylor was second, Anya Bean seventh, and Elizabeth Izzo eighth in the race held on a new trail network in Waterville near the Colby campus. The women’s podium was rounded out by Dartmouth’s Emily Blackmer in third.

Alpine Panther David Donaldson was joined in victory by his Nordic teammate Ben Lustgarten in the men’s 10k classic. It was a career first EISA victory for the Middlebury junior. Dartmouth’s Scott Lacy and Silas Talbot, who swapped places from last weekend’s 20k classic race, finished second and third, respectively.

On his strategy for the course, Lustgarten remarked, "I really just tried to hit those longer steep hills hard and then attempted to recover with a strong double-pole in the flats and recover as much as possible in the three-second tuck on the tiny downhills. The weather was not as bas as training this past week so it felt really good actually, could race in a headband so that was really nice."

Over an hour away at the bone-chillingly cold and windy Sugarloaf, Lustgarten's Panther counterpart Donaldson held off UVM’s Sean Higgins, Morgan Megarry, Travis Dawson, and Dom Garand who commanded positions 2-5. For California native Sean Higgins, it was his first NCAA podium since winning the Williams Carnival slalom last February.

“I was fourth a couple more times than I’d like this year, so it was definitely a great feeling to be back on the podium. We love Donnie and we have so much respect for his skiing, so it’s not that big of a deal when he beats us,” said a pleased yet humbled Higgins.

Vermont’s Kate Ryley claimed a big win in the giant slalom as well with a greater than one second margin of victory over defending NCAA champion Rebecca Nadler of Harvard. Abby Fucigna of Dartmouth squeezed into third for the Big Green and also collected her career first EISA podium result.

“I was trying to win, but a podium is a good first step. I had an interesting start to the season figuring out equipment, and I’ve been skiing a little better in GS, so this is a step in the right direction,” reasoned Fucigna.

Also noteworthy in the giant slalom was Avril Dunleavy of Bates who started with bib 32 and climbed her way to a fourth-place finish. New Hampshire’s Jenna Kantor, who had struggled to put two solid race runs together this season, started in position 35 and clawed into seventh. Crowd favorite Jim Ryan of the home team Mules posted a top-10 finish for his Colby fans.

Complete Carnival results here.

Skiers of the Week—St. Lawrence University Carnival

2013-01-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

Alpine

Elli Terwiel UVM - 1st SL, 3rd GS

Photo: UVM Athletics

David Donaldson MIDD - 1st SL, 1st GS

Photo: Middlebury Athletics

Nordic

Anja Gruber UVM - 1st 15k Freestyle, 2nd 3k Prologue

Photo: UVM Athletics

Scott Patterson - 1st 20k Freestyle, 1st 3k Prologue

Photo: UVM Athletics

Middlebury's Donaldson and Vermont's Patterson Go Two-For-Two

2013-01-20T10:39:00.003-08:00

Vermont's Elli Terwiel won the women's slalom by a sizable margin (photo: Marina Knight)

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The defending NCAA champion University of Vermont Catamounts capped off an impressive victory in the first completed carnival of the EISA season with slalom races and an individual freestyle prologue on Sunday. Vermont tallied 1,013 points to take the team win over runner-up Dartmouth with 788 points and third place New Hampshire who collected 748.5 points.

The University of New Hampshire Nordic women once again dominated the freestyle race, winning team scoring in the 3k prologue. Elizabeth Izzo took the win, and teammates Anya Bean and Annika Taylor finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Vermont Catamount Anja Gruber, who won Friday's race, finished second while Dartmouth's Carly Wynn rounded out the podium in third.

Vermont's Scott Patterson won for the second day in a row, demonstrating that the illness and injury that plagued him last season is certainly a thing of the past. Jordan Buetow of Bates, a promising freestyle specialist, collected his first EISA podium in second, as did Vermont's Cole Morgen in third.

The slalom races at Whiteface Mountain in nearby Wilmington saw familiar faces on top once again. Middlebury's David Donaldson won the men's contest and is now 3-for-4 on victories in EISA competition this season. Vermont's Travis Dawson, last week's slalom victor, placed second and New Hampshire's Coley Oliver was third.

Donaldson, or 'Donnie' as he is known on the circuit, skied with bad frostbite from the previous day and remarked, "It was a little warmer [today] which actually played against my frostbite because if it's cold enough, you don't feel your toes, they just kind of go away, and you can ski the rest of the day. When it's as warm as it was today, you feel them every single turn."

Middlebury alpine coach Abby Copeland says Donaldson brings something special to the Panther squad. "Donnie brings way more than just good results. He's a real team guy, always helping out, coaching actually. Athletes ride up the chairlift with him to get feedback, and he's supportive of everyone on our team which is, frankly, my favorite thing about him. To see him ski well both days is awesome for him and awesome for the team," she said.

In the women's race, Vermont's Elli Terwiel, fresh off a 17th place finish in the Flachau World Cup night slalom, claimed a victory just shy of two seconds over teammate Kristina Riis-Johannessen. Dartmouth's Lizzie Kistler, a freshman, claimed her first official EISA podium in third.

EISA racing continues Jan. 25-27 when Colby College hosts the next carnival with alpine events at Sugarloaf and Nordic races at the Quarry Road Trails.

Complete team scoring from the St. Lawrence Carnival:

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT - 1013.0

2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE - 788.0

3. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE - 748.5

4. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE - 695.0

5. BATES COLLEGE - 551.5

6. COLBY COLLEGE - 474.5

7. WILLIAMS COLLEGE - 449.0

8. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY - 445.0

9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY - 314.5

10. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE - 219.5

11. BOWDOIN COLLEGE - 196.0

12. UNIVERSITE' LAVAL - 181.5

13. BOSTON COLLEGE - 151.0

14. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY - 129.0

15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE - 81.0

16. UNIVERSITY OF ME - PRESQUE ISLE - 68.0

Video of double race winner David Donaldson of the Middlebury Panthers.

New Hampshire Wins Women's 15k, Vermont Takes Overall Lead at St. Lawrence Carnival

2013-01-19T05:58:00.002-08:00

Vermont's Scott Patterson returns to his winning ways (photo: C.J. Feehan)

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The New Hampshire Wildcats registered a monumental team victory in the women's 15k freestyle race at Mt. Van Hoevenbeurg on the first day of the St. Lawrence Carnival. Anya Bean, Annika Taylor, and Elizabeth Izzo swept positions 2-4 to produce the best Nordic result for their school in recent history. Vermont holds the team lead by 97 points over Dartmouth heading into the second day of competition, but the first day of racing produced some surprise results across the board.

New Hampshire's head Nordic coach Cory Schwartz remarked, "Our women's team is very deep this year. For this weekend we were missing one of our top women—as was Dartmouth and Middlebury—so we know each weekend there will be a fight among the teams. I am very proud of how the team performed, as I think this might one of the best finishes during my tenure."

Anja Gruber, the Vermont Catamount who regularly placed as the fourth team skier last season, finally got her day—albeit a cold one—in the spotlight. Both Gruber and teammate Scott Patterson, whose 2012 season was plagued by injury and illness, took home the Nordic wins for the Cats despite subzero morning temperatures.

"I think in the end the cold didn't matter that much because it was the same for everyone, and the conditions and the course were really great," said Gruber. "We've trained really well all year, so all you can do is warm up well and dress warm enough and ski your best."

Nordic powerhouse Dartmouth College rounded out the men's 20k freestyle podium with Silas Talbot and Scott Lacy placing second and third, respectively.

In alpine giant slalom action, Vermont swept the women's podium following the lead of Kate Ryley. Kristina Riis-Johannessen was second and Elli Terwiel, fresh off a 17th-place finish in the Flachau World Cup slalom, finished third. The first non-Cat in the points was the ever-familiar defending NCAA champion Rebecca Nadler of Harvard University.

David Donaldson of Middlebury College continued his giant slalom winning streak, besting Vermont's Jonathan Nordbotten, a regular on the World Cup circuit, by over a second. Donaldson's Panther teammate, Andrew McNealus finished third.

Team scores at the completion of Day 1 of the St. Lawrence Carnival:

1. UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT - 508.0

2. DARTMOUTH COLLEGE - 411.0

3. UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE - 364.0

4. MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE - 353.0

5. BATES COLLEGE - 269.0

6. COLBY COLLEGE - 228.5

7. ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY - 219.5

8. WILLIAMS COLLEGE - 200.0

9. HARVARD UNIVERSITY - 174.0

10. BOWDOIN COLLEGE - 123.0

11. UNIVERSITE' LAVAL - 93.0

12. ST MICHAELS COLLEGE - 92.0

13. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY - 82.0

14. BOSTON COLLEGE - 48.0

15. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE - 42.0

16. UNIVERSITY OF ME -PRESQUE ISLE - 39.0

Vermont Holds Lead in Home Carnival, New Hampshire Claws Closer

2013-01-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

Slalom winner Kristina Riis-Johannessen of the University of Vermont (photo: Cory Ransom)

STOWE, Vt. — The University of New Hampshire closed the gap in its hot pursuit of the University of Vermont in today’s slalom races. Despite the fact that the home team Catamounts claimed victory in both slalom races with Kristina Riis-Johannessen and Travis Dawson, solid team skiing from the Wildcats enabled them to claw within 28 points of the leaders.

Soft and inconsistent snow conditions as a result of warm overnight temperatures and rain proved challenging for all athletes. In the men’s first run, 30 racers failed to finish, so even skiers who hiked and were over 30 seconds out of contention for the win still qualified for a second run. Travis Dawson overcame this adversity with a clear plan.

“After seeing the weather last night, I kind of just looked at the course this morning,” said Dawson before adding, “I decided that the best way to get down was just to really ski it clean, make as minimal mistakes as possible, and know the places where to accelerate and where to maybe be cautious.”

But New Hampshire Wildcat Sam Coffey, who also placed second in yesterday’s giant slalom, was on Dawson’s tail. He finished almost a second off the winning pace but still held onto his podium and runner-up status. Fredrik Sandell of St. Michael’s College was third.

On the strength of Sandell's result along with top 20 performances by teammates Carl Bredengen and Brad Farrell, St. Michael's was able to place third in men's team scoring for the day, a major accomplishment for the Purple Knights program. Many athletes, including New Hampshire's Coffey, were pleased with atypical results for the day.

“I knew the conditions were going to be rough from inspection, it was super soft,” said Coffey. “I just tried to have two solid runs. That’s what did it today. A lot of people went out, so it worked for me to stay on my feet.”

UVM’s Kristina Riis-Johannssen and Kate Ryley swapped positions from the giant slalom results but still claimed the first two slots in the women’s race. Riis-Johannessen was victorious by nearly 1.5 seconds over her teammate. Dartmouth’s Sara Kikut finished third, as Vermont and Dartmouth shared women’s squad victories in team scoring both tallying 122 points.

“I’ve been feeling good in training lately,” said Riis-Johannessen. “I didn’t really know how fast I was, but I guess I am fast. Today I was, and it just felt really good.”

The remainder of the UVM Carnival will be determined by Nordic races held on Feb. 2-3 at the Trapp Family Lodge.

UVM Carnival team scores at the conclusion of Day 2 (alpine only):
1.   UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT - 422.0
2.   UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE - 394.0
3.   DARTMOUTH COLLEGE - 357.0
4.   MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE - 292.0
5.   COLBY COLLEGE - 279.5
6.   ST LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY - 270.0
7.   WILLIAMS COLLEGE - 250.0
8.   BATES COLLEGE - 232.0
9.   ST MICHAELS COLLEGE - 192.5
10. BOSTON COLLEGE - 172.0
11. HARVARD UNIVERSITY - 150.0
12. PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY - 117.0
13. COLBY SAWYER COLLEGE - 75.0

Finish area interview with race winner Travis Dawson:

UVM Takes Early Lead at Home Carnival as New Hampshire Gives Chase

2013-01-11T15:35:00.005-08:00

Middlebury's David Donaldson wins the opening EISA giant slalom race at Stowe (photo: Cory Ransom)

STOWE, Vt. — Despite injury and national team commitments preventing some of the University of Vermont’s top alpine skiers from competing in their home Carnival, the Catamounts took an early lead in the team standings after the first day of giant slalom racing at Stowe Mountain Resort. Kate Ryley and Kristina Riis-Johannessen took top podium honors for the Cats, and newcomer Morgan Megarry finished in third for the men. Although Vermont’s women’s team was able to win as a whole, New Hampshire dominated men’s team scoring and the Wildcats currently sit 50 points behind Vermont in second place.

“It’s hard to say when you start out,” said Vermont’s director of skiing Bill Reichelt. “I know Middlebury has a really strong men’s team, so they were in it to win it today, but they had some problems in the second run. It’s a good feeling to have a decent day in GS, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

David Donaldson, the former UVM skier who is completing his final year of NCAA eligibility as a Middlebury Panther, claimed victory in the men’s race followed by Wildcat Sam Coffey who made his second career trip to an EISA podium result.

“I was really stoked after first run because we had three guys in the top 5, and we were looking to make a good move,” remarked Donaldson. “The fact that those guys are right there with me in training, they know they can be fast. After that first run, we all knew we could be fast. It bodes well for the rest of the season, and all roads lead to NCAAs.”

The Panthers will have to jockey hard for the top spot with New Hampshire who also has a specific goal in mind.

“I know a goal for our men’s team, we’ve been talking, and we want to sweep a podium,” noted Coffey. “UVM has done it, and we think we can. We have a bunch of fast guys, and if three of us have a really good day, we think we can do it.”

Coffey was supported by teammates Taylor Vest-Burton in fifth and Kris Hopkins in sixth. Vermont gave close chase with Sean Higgins in fourth and Travis Dawson, the winner of the second run, ultimately finishing seventh.

“It was a little choppy for the men, and they just had to use the tactics that we talked about. They executed very well, and they did a lot better second run,” acknowledged Reichelt.

The surprise of the day was St. Lawrence University’s Allison Visconti, an athlete who had shown past potential in EISA slalom races but had never finished inside the top 15. She climbed from 13^th in the first run to finish third, her career first NCAA podium.

UVM Carnival racing continues tomorrow (Jan. 12) when the alpine teams contest the slalom event at Stowe Mountain Resort.

Team Scores (after Day 1, alpine only):

1. Vermont – 250

2. New Hampshire - 200

3. Middlebury - 193

4. Dartmouth - 189

5. St. Lawrence - 157

6. Colby - 126

7. Williams – 119

8. Bates – 98

9. Saint Michael’s – 70

10. Boston College – 61

11. Plymouth State – 61

12. Harvard – 53

13. Colby-Sawyer – 39

Finish line interview with Vermont's race winner Kate Ryley and runner-up Kristina Riis-Johannessen: