Reigning NCAA slalom champion Paul McDonald '06 just received the chance of a lifetime. McDonald was recently invited by the US Ski Team to compete in the World Cup Slalom races at Wengen, Switzerland, and Kitzbuhel and Schladming, Austria.
McDonald withdrew from winter term classes and will ski with the US team for the rest of the season. Though ineligible to compete for Dartmouth in the carnival circuit, McDonald will make an appearance as an independent at Dartmouth's Winter Carnival Feb. 11 and 12. McDonald's absence from the Dartmouth team will be a sore loss, but men's Alpine Coach Peter Dodge is enthusiastic about his athlete's opportunity.
"While we will miss Paul, we are 100 percent behind his decision to move on and compete with the best," Dodge said. "It is always our goal to help our athletes reach their potential and to train them to move beyond Dartmouth. Paul's on his way!"
On Thursday, racing in Adelboden, Paul placed an impressive 12th among World Cup skiers and was the second American behind U.S. team member Erik Schlopy.
Pat Biggs, originally of the '06 class, has also been shining in world-class events. Biggs skied for Dartmouth during the 2002-2003 season and placed fourth in slalom at NCAAs. After joining the Canadian National Development Team, Biggs has left Dartmouth and the Eastern Intercollegiate Skiing Association to ski World Cup races.
"This season, he has been on a tear, winning two Europa Cup slaloms before Christmas and winning a giant slalom and a slalom at a NorAm in Sunday River just after New Years," said brother and Dartmouth Development Team Coach Andrew Biggs '04.
On Jan. 10, Biggs raced his first World Cup in Chamonix, France, where he placed 30th in his first run of the slalom. He then came back for a remarkable first place time in his second run, finishing 10th overall with Italy's Manfred Moelgg.
Libby Ludlow '06 is also skiing in the World Cup this season. Her impressive first- and third- place finishes in the U.S. National Championships, as well as many top-20 finishes in the 2004 World Cup, should set her up for a great year.
Joining the undergraduates on the 2005 World Cup circuit are recent Dartmouth graduates -- Brad Wall '02, Scott Macartney '01, and Bryon Friedman '02. Newly accepted Kaylin Richardson '09 will also join the prestigious group. Current US Ski Team member and Dartmouth junior Kevin Francis '06 is racing on the NorAm and Europa Cup Circuits and competed in World Cup races last season.
Next week, Dodge will be coaching the US team for the World Winter University Games in Innsbruck, Austria where Dartmouth captain Erik Kankainen '05 and Pete Anderson '06 will be competing.
Along with their outstanding alpine compatriots, two nordic skiers, Mike Sinnott '07 and Ben True '08, will also have a chance to shine against the best in the world, traveling to Rovaniemi, Finland on March 21-27 to compete in the World Juniors Championships. Sinnott and True were both named to the US Junior team after solid finishes at Senior Nationals held last week in Soldier Hollow, Utah.
"I was pumped at the finish line because I knew that those were the points I had needed to solidify my position on the team," said Sinnott. "I was even more ecstatic for True because I knew he had the potential, and I was pumped that he jumped into skiing so well."
The two Nordic skiers hope to carry their moment through the rest of the season, which kicks off next weekend when the EISA carnival circuit heads to Maine for the Bates College carnival Jan. 21-22. Alpine events will be held at Sunday River Ski Area, and cross country races will be held at Black Mountain in Rumford.
