Nordic skiers blaze trail

Author: Brooke Farquahr

Middlebury's nordic ski team began its season with a strong statement, finishing second overall at the Colby Carnival this past weekend in Sugarloaf, Maine. Overall, the Panthers alpine and nordic teams combined to finish second at the meet, falling behind only the University of Vermont. The team's success stemmed from a combination of outstanding individual performances and overall team talent.

The women's nordic team finished third in the sprint and second in the 15k competitions, and the men's nordic team finished first in both the sprint and 20k. The men's first place finishes were especially impressive with the absence of skier Matt Johnson '08, who is currently in Europe preparing to compete in the World Junior Championship.

Coach Terry Aldrich commented that based on the weak snow conditions, the skiers were "lucky to have raced at all" and attributes the Panthers' success to a "combination of talented skiers and hard work." Two first-year skiers proved their talent over the weekend. Cassidy Edwards '09 placed fifth in the women's sprint and Tom Reynolds '09 finished second in the Men's Sprint in what was said to be a "phenomenal first race," according to Aldrich.

Perhaps the most impressive contribution to the team's strong finish, however, was that of Beau Baldock '07. Baldock, having dislocated his shoulder two weeks ago, is awaiting surgery. He somehow ignored his injury, competed over the weekend and astoundingly won the qualifying round of the Sprint and finished third overall.

The accomplishments of the team over the weekend are numerous as Aldrich also commented that Senior Co-Captain Jake Whitcomb '06 had "one of the best races of his college career." The Panthers are hoping the snow conditions will improve as they prepare to compete this weekend at the St. Lawrence Carnival.

Senior co-captain Donovan Dums '06 noted that despite amazing individual performances, the Panthers' overall success spoke to the strength of the team. "Cross country skiing is an individual sport, but being able to come together as a team and push each other is something that I believe we have done very well this year," he said. "It was the perfect beginning to the season."

The Panthers will have the chance to build off of their performance in Maine at the St. Lawrence Carnival on Jan. 27-28. The nordic team will look to help the Panthers knock off the Catamounts from the top of the standings and stay ahead of rival Dartmouth. The team has already improved on last year's performance when it took third at all six of its carnivals. This year, only one spot stands in the way of taking home the trophy.