Fastest on Campus; Fastest in AmericaThe Nordic and Alpine Teams

Author: Amy Brais
Staff Writer

During last year's Winter Carnival Middlebury placed third overall, after the University of Vermont and Dartmouth College, for the EISA Championships.

-Middlebury hosted the 2001 National Collegiate Skiing Championships. Previously, Middlebury had hosted the 1961, 1973 and 1988 National Championships.

-Twelve Middlebury students participated, with three from each respective category of men's and women's alpine and nordic skiing. This year's alpine championships will be held on March 6-9 at Mt. Alyeska, in Alaska and the nordic championship will be held at Kincaid Park, near Anchorage, Alaska.

-Both teams have former members of the Junior National and National Teams.

Alpine Team

-This year's Thanksgiving camp was cancelled due to a lack of snow, but members of the alpine team went to Vail, Colo. for a Vail Holiday Camp over Winter Break.

-The team gets Mondays off and practices during the week from 1 p.m. to about 3:30 p.m. or 4 p.m., with races on the weekends.

-There are 11 members of the women's alpine team and 17 on the men's. Roughly 64 percent of the members of both teams attended a ski academy for their high school years, while others spent their winter season doing a ski-intensive winter tutorial program.

Nordic Team

-The nordic team trained unofficially all fall. Once the season started, practices are six days a week, with no practice on Mondays. The Carnival team races on Fridays and Saturdays, while the developmental team races on Saturdays and Sundays.

-During Winter Term, the team meets in the afternoon and drives out to Bread Loaf where they train for approximately two hours.

-There are 13 women and 13 men on the nordic teams. Roughly 23 percent went to a ski academy for high school, and others spent their winter season doing a ski-intensive winter tutorial program.