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The Dartmouth
July 22, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Skiers look to win second straight Carnival on slopes

When you get only one home game a season, it isn't hard to get motivated. For the Dartmouth ski team, the annual Winter Carnival is the culmination of years of hard work and long weekends on the road, a chance for the athletes to finally showcase their talents in front of friendly fans on familiar race courses.

Intercollegiate ski racing at the Carnival, the nation's oldest collegiate winter weekend, kicks off Friday with cross country racing at the Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center at Oak Hill in Hanover and with alpine events at the Dartmouth Skiway. Cross country events begin both Friday at Saturday at 10 a.m., while alpine racing at the Skiway starts both days at 9:30 a.m.

Women's cross country captain Eileen Carey '04 spoke of the team's hopes for this weekend. "We have been stepping it up as a team lately. Each carnival, we have been more of a threat to Middlebury and UVM who have been the top teams this year. We are one of the strongest and deepest teams out there and I think our depth is beginning to pay off," Carey said. "We have been closer to the lead every week and I think we all want to defend our Dartmouth Carnival victory from last year." The cross-country women have been lifted in the first three weeks of the season by Chrissy May '05, who has had consistent top finishes from the beginning of the season. May's best finish was second at the St. Lawrence carnival, in the 15K. She was fifth in the 10K at Colby and seventh in 15K at UVM.

"We're fired up for this weekend," May said. "We won the carnival last year and are ready to have a repeat victory. We're ready to step it up and ski our best this weekend."

Men's cross country captain Andy Hunter '04 feels, like Carey, that the home advantage could help them defeat UVM and Middlebury who have come in ahead of Dartmouth in the last two carnivals.

"We've had a frustrating year so far," Hunter said, "finishing third to Middlebury and UVM every weekend so far, but we've been close. Everyone has to pull together a strong race in order to win a carnival. We proved that last year when we won Dartmouth Carnival, and there's no reason we can't repeat this year."

Hunter says that everyone on the men's cross country team has been improving steadily from week to week, and the return of Mike Sinnot '07 from the World Junior Championships gives the Big Green a shot at another top spot that the other teams weren't expecting to give up. Sinnott returned from Norway on Monday, finishing especially well in the relay event, where he placed seventh.

Also representing the United States at World Juniors was Alison Crocker '06. Crocker's best finish was 38th in the 15K classic cross-country race. Having missed last year's Carnival, Crocker is excited to be back in Hanover, hoping to "have some good races."

The cross-country course at Oak Hill is regarded as one of the toughest courses on the Eastern Racing circuit. Dartmouth has historically been able to capitalize on the home course advantage at this carnival race. Saturday's event features a mass start, so all the racers start together, making it an exciting spectator event with races coming down to sprint finishes.

The men's alpine team has shown considerable depth in the past three carnivals. Paul McDonald '06, was first in the slalom at the Colby carnival and second at the St. Lawrence carnival. McDonald has been skiing well in both slalom and giant slalom this year, but took some time to praise his teammate.

"With Erik Kankainen slowly closing in on the top spot with a fifth, third, and now second, I would definitely put my money on him to do some damage this weekend. Also in the giant slalom our team has been improving our results each week, and with a home hill advantage don't be surprised if we come out on top," McDonald said.