Strong Finishes from Youngsters Yield Alpine Team Similar Results

Author: Andrew Zimmermann

At essentially the midway point in its season, the Middlebury alpine ski team finds itself in its usual position: looking up at the University of Vermont (UVM) and Dartmouth College and looking down at all its New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) brethren. Over February break the team competed at the UVM and Dartmouth carnivals finishing fourth and third respectively. As has been the trend in recent years, young, underclassman talent has been on the fast track leading Middlebury towards the NCAA championships in March.
The first weekend of February break saw one of the lone seniors on the team making a splash, however. Eric Rygg '03, an experienced racer, particularly in giant slalom (GS), sped to a third-place finish in the GS on Stowe's Mount Mansfield. The Middlebury men also placed John Rusten '05, David Coriell '06 and Josh Transue '06 in the top 10.
It was Transue, a vaunted first-year talent, that led the men in the slalom with an eighth-place finish to rally the squad. Laura Scripture '04 led the women in the same race to the tune of a lightening quick 1:38.36, good enough for fifth.
In the GS Jessica Smith '05 led the women, finishing a respectable 13th. She was followed by Nina Porcelli '04 who was just .24 seconds behind, ending up in 15th.
This past weekend the team traveled to Dartmouth Skiway to compete in a race that is known to be dominated by flat terrain, putting a premium on riding a flat ski. Smith showed her ability to ski the flats well, again leading the women in the GS with a 10th place result. Molly Russell '05 came in 18th to help the Panther cause.
Both the men and the women took a chance to survey the hill as it will serve as the host of the alpine portion of the 2003 NCAA Championship. Rygg, quite familiar with Dartmouth, cruised to a 10th place finish just behind teammate David Coriell. But the headlines belonged to Peter Phillips '05, who jumped into the fray with an impressive fourth. Phillips is one of the handful of new names that have been grabbing good results on the Panther men's side.
Unfortunately one of those names that escaped last year to UVM was Jimmy Cochran of the famous Cochran skiing family. The UVM sophomore showed promise here at Middlebury last year but not to the extent he has been showing this year, currently the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) leader in the GS and slalom standings. He added to his lead at the Dartmouth carnival by winning the slalom handily. Consistent finisher Rusten came in seventh with youngster Transue in ninth. Scripture on the women's side worked her way through the gates to a seventh-place finish to once again lead the Panther women in the slalom.
As the season progresses Middlebury can look towards the NCAAs. The team will travel to Western Massachusetts to the Williams carnival this weekend before returning home for Winter Carnival. The remaining challenge lies in preparing for the championships and trying to unseat the powers at the top, Dartmouth and UVM.