To date, the Big Green has won all but one of the Carnivals it has entered so far, and will therefore be the favorites at home.
For the Big Green, the formula for the team's success has centered on the cohesiveness of the team, co-captain Elsa Sargent '08 said.
"Dartmouth's really good at being really supportive," Sargent said. "It's not everyone out for themselves -- we're really together as a team."
The Nordic teams have been the strength of the squad thus far, despite losing two of the best Nordic skiers in the nation. Sargent said she believes this team is as good as last year's championship squad.
"As far as the women's Nordic, we only lost one from the NCAA team," Sargent said. "On the alpine side we lost a few, but overall I think we look just as strong."
The men's side lost standouts Mike Sinnot '07, who graduated, and Ben True '08, who has taken a year off, but the duo of Glenn Randall '09 and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess '09 have performed admirably so far despite the big shoes they were asked to fill. Blackhorse-von Jess and Randall are second and third, respectively on the NCAA qualifying list for the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association.
The women's Nordic team boasts the most depth on the entire squad. They are led by the Sargent sisters, Elsa and her sister Ida '11.
"It's been great," Elsa Sargent said of skiing with her sister. "It's been a lot of fun to be back on the team with her after a few years apart. We've been training together since we were four or five."
The Sargents, combined with Susan Dunklee '08, Hannah Dreissigacker '09 and Rosie Brennan '11, have dominated the women's Nordic events in the EISA. Together, the five skiers occupy the first six spots in EISA rankings.
On the slopes, the Alpine team has struggled out of the gates this season. The team has a history of excellence, but has suffered from costly mistakes and disqualifications.
Leading the team is men's alpine captain Dave Chodounsky '08, who narrowly missed the NCAA Slalom crown by four-tenths of a second. Over the summer, Chodounsky trained with two of America's best skiers, Bode Miller and Ted Ligety, in the hopes of capturing the national title to cap off his senior campaign.
Chodounsky is followed on the squad by Francis Fortin-Houle '10, who has put together a string of impressive performances in the Giant Slalom, and newcomer Ace Tarberry '11.
On the women's side, the team welcomes five new freshmen into the mix. Of the first-year skiers, Courtney Hammond '11 has made the biggest impact on the squad, and is currently ranked first in the EISA in the Giant Slalom. Hammond is followed by co-captain Michelanne Shields '08 and Hayley Jones '10.
These skiers said they hope that they can use a victory at home as a springboard towards their ultimate goal following a disappointing third place finish at the University of Vermont during the first weekend of February.
"For the team, the goal is definitely to repeat as national champions," Sargent said. "We have a lot of work to do. This weekend didn't go as hoped, but we're going to go for the win at the Dartmouth Carnival, keep our spirits high and push through the end of the season."
The Nordic Freestyle and the Alpine Giant Slalom races will take place on Friday. On Saturday, the skiers will hit the slopes and trails again as the competition concludes with the Nordic Classic and Alpine Slalom races. Alpine events will be contested at the Dartmouth Skiway, while the Nordic events will be contested at Oak Hill ski area.
99 Rock and the Dartmouth Skiway will also host 99 cent ski day at the Skiway on Friday, where all day lift tickets will be sold for 99 cents.
