After taking eighth in last year's NCAA championships, Dartmouth skiers have picked up the pace in the 2005 ski season. By finishing second in the first two carnivals and winning in last weekend's University of Vermont event, the Dartmouth ski team finds itself in prime position for a repeat victory in the upcoming 95th annual Dartmouth Carnival.
Of all the Eastern Intercollegiate ski teams -- among them Middlebury, Williams, UNH, St. Lawrence, Bates, Colby, St. Michaels, Harvard and Bowdoin -- the University of Vermont and Dartmouth are the programs to beat this year. After leaving the Catamounts behind on their home trails in Stowe less than seven days ago, Dartmouth is on the hunt for another victory.
"The adrenaline from last weekend will definitely carry us through carnival week and leave us ready to dominate again in the Dartmouth Carnival," said Chrissy May '05.
For the past two years, the Big Green ski team has won the Dartmouth Carnival, breaking a streak of losses that dated back to 1984. Winning again this year could prove more difficult, however, with the unfortunate loss of the home field advantage. Because of the recent stretch of warm weather, the cross-country ski races have been moved from the Big Green's Oak Hill course to the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt.
"Although we wish we could ski at Oak Hill this weekend, skiing in Stowe again will be good for the team because we've already proven our strength on the courses at the UVM carnival," said Elsa Sargent '08.
On the nordic scene, both the men and women's teams have proved their mettle in recent carnivals. Names to watch include Alison Crocker '06, who -- in addition to racing in Olympic team qualifiers -- has won two carnivals and snagged a second at the U.S. Nationals in Utah earlier this season. Liz Harrington '05 took her first carnival win at St. Michaels and came away with a runner-up finish at the UVM carnival.
Though Elsa Sargent '08 had a rocky start to her season, she has come back strong at recent carnivals for second and third place finishes. May, a four year veteran of the Dartmouth team, has had solid races this season and remains a serious contender this weekend.
Surprise addition Susan Dunklee '08 has taken the skiing world by storm after a terrific season on the women's varsity cross-country running team. Dunklee has finished in the top 10 of every carnival.
On the men's team, the two freshman Bens from Maine have boasted great starts to their respective seasons. Ben Koons has finished second in two carnivals and Ben True, hot off cross-country running, has consistently broken the top 10.
The alpine half of the Dartmouth Carnival's races will still be held at the Dartmouth Skiway, and Carnival enthusiasts are encouraged to come out and cheer. The Big Green alpine men's team has won all but one event this year despite the loss of last year's NCAA slalom champion, Paul McDonald '06, to World Cup competition.
"Even with the team losing Paul, who was undoubtedly a leader on the team last year, I'd say we are even stronger this year. Look for lots of guys in green suits on the podium this weekend," said Evan Weiss '06.
Weiss's collection of wins in both the giant slalom and the slalom have led the men's team to all but one first place individual finish. Freshman sensation Dave Chodounsky from Colorado is also vying for a top spot after his slalom win at the St. Michaels Carnival.
"I really think we feed off of each other and build off of each others' successes," said Chodounsky, "It's great to be skiing with a group of guys this talented. Hopefully we'll keep the momentum going."
Peter Anderson '06 and Karl Johnson '06 have also had fantastic top 10 finishes this year and are contending for podium places.
The woman's alpine team, lead by Courtney Calise '07, who took second in the slalom at NCAAs last year, has added to Dartmouth's dominance. Calise finished second in three races this year and is hoping for a repeat of her win at last season's Dartmouth Carnival. Christin Lathrop '05 has also had a great season, showing significant improvement in addition to finding the podium last weekend with a third place finish in the giant slalom. The talent extends to Hannah Tsai '08, Sasha Acher '06 and Alex Fucigna '07 who could all step up for great results on any given day.
