Dartmouth hosts some races over Winter Carnival weekend, but poor snow conditions both this year and last year have forced the cross country races to be moved to the snowier venue of Craftsbury, VT. Despite losing the home course advantage on those races, the Big Green Nordic team has high hopes for the weekend.
"There is no reason we shouldn't win Carnival this week," women's Nordic team member Elsa Sargent '08 said.
With the return of varsity members Mike Sinnott '07, Glenn Randall '09 and Alison Crocker '06, who were all competing in the World Junior and World Under-23 Championships in Slovenia, the Dartmouth ski team will be hard to beat. Sinnott was the top American skier in the one kilometer skate sprint and placed 13th in the world. Randall also finished as the top American in the 20-kilometer pursuit and finished as the 37th junior in the world.
"We're ready to be back at Dartmouth and help our teams to victory," Crocker said.
Crocker also showed her strength in the 15-kilometer pursuit race, where she finished as the top American woman.
"Even without our top skiers, we have had great results in the first three carnivals," men's Nordic coach Ruff Patterson said.
Last weekend at the University of Vermont's carnival -- one of the six that make up the carnival circuit -- both the men's and women's Nordic teams won their events.
The Big Green women's Nordic team placed all six skiers in the top 14, with Susan Dunklee '08 finishing first and Kristina Trygstad-Saari '07 and Sargent taking third and fourth. This weekend, the team hopes to match the results from last year's Dartmouth carnival -- held at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vt. -- and finish all six in the top ten.
"We did it last year at Dartmouth Carnival, and I don't think there is any reason we couldn't do it again," Sara Studebaker '07 said.
The men's Nordic team looks just as strong. While stars Sinnott and Randall were gone, seniors Sam Naney '06 and Zach Hall '06 stepped up to win a number of top ten results. The victory of Ben True '08 in the ten kilometer classic last week, combined with strong results from Naney, Hall and Linden Mallory '07, have boosted the Big Green men's team confidence as they face their biggest rival, Vermont.
"We're ready to have a stellar weekend -- be ready," Naney said.
Dartmouth's alpine team has similar hopes for the carnival weekend.
The Dartmouth men's alpine team is the favorite in the slalom this weekend. Seniors Karl and Erik Johnson '06 finished fifth and seventh in the slalom last weekend, and hoping to win at the Dartmouth Skiway this weekend.
"Slalom has always been our strong event," Karl said.
With consistent top ten showings from Nelson Riley '08 this season, along with good results from Dave Chodounsky '08 who finished second at the Dartmouth Carnival last year, any of the Dartmouth men could win the slalom this weekend.
Dartmouth women's alpine team has had a rough start to the year. All six skiers have the potential to be in the top ten at any given race, but in a sport where the slightest error can cause huge penalties, consistent results are difficult to achieve. The young team which, includes Alexandra Fucigna '07, Lindsay Mann '07, Sealy Livermore '08, Michelanne Shields '08 and Hannah Tsai '08, is looking for revenge this weekend.
The Dartmouth Carnival race holds an important place in the history of alpine skiing in America. At the Dartmouth Carnival in 1925, the Big Green hosted the first alpine slalom race held in America. The course consisted of nine gates set up on Balch Hill, just east of campus. The collegiate race sparked public interest and was part of the national interest in skiing that began to develop during that time.
