Panther skiers rock the Rockies at nationals

Author: Geoff Homer & Brooke Farquhar

Last week the Middlebury alpine ski team headed out to Ski Town USA - Steamboat, Colo. - to compete against the nation's top Division I collegiate ski programs.

After an impressive season on the eastern circuit which saw multiple top 10 finishes and some podium placements here and there, the team was determined to end the season on a high note.

The Panthers finished seventh overall, with the alpine team placing fourth out of 24 teams, behind champion and host University of Colorado, which won with 654 points despite only having 11 of the maximum 12 competitors. Finishing second was the University of New Mexico with 556 points. Dartmouth College placed third with 537.5 points, while the University of Denver and UVM rounded out the top five.

The Nordic ski team completed their season over the weekend with a seventh place finish at the NCAA Championships at the University of Colorado. In the Classic Nordic races on Thursday, Cassidy Edwards '09 finished 15th in her first NCAA Championship.

In the same race Evelyn Dong '07 placed 23rd, and Jenny Hamilton '07 finished 37th. In the men's 10K Classic, which was also held on Thursday, seniors Garrot Kuzzy and Jake Whitcomb finished 30th and 39th, respectively. Tim Reynolds '09 placed 36th in his first Classic race at the NCAA Championships.

The men's and women's Nordic teams also competed well in the free technique races on Saturday. Dong had an impressive third place finish in the women's 15K, while Edwards '09 placed 19th and Hamilton 36th. In the men's 20K, Kuzzy finished 15th, Whitcomb came in 36th and Reynolds followed right behind in 37th.

The championships began on a snowy day, which resulted in poor visibility and a rough course for the racers. The previous night's snowstorm had deposited more than half a foot of snow on the racecourse, providing less than optimal racing conditions, especially for the eastern skiers who used to skiing on bulletproof ice. Adapting to the altitude also presented a challenge to the Panthers and other eastern teams, as the elevation made it difficult for the racers to keep their stamina throughout the run, since they were expending much more than their usual energy to finish their races.

The women were the first to run, and about half of the field encountered difficulty because of the conditions. Megan Hughes '08, the Panthers' top skier, was second after the first run, only .05 seconds behind first run winner and eventual champion Abbi Lathrop of Colby College. Going for the win, Hughes laid it all out on the second run. Unfortunately, she became a victim to the conditions and crashed into a panel only four gates from the finish, earning disqualification. The top skier was Mattie Ford '09 in an impressive 14th place, with Krissy Poehling '08 right behind in 18th.

The men, on the other hand were forced to wait around until 3 p.m. to start their second run, during which they encountered heavy snowfall. It would be an understatement to say that everyone had difficulties during their second run. The Panthers were led by first-year Andrew Wagner, who finished 13th, a great result for the undersclassman. Right behind him was Andrew Everett '07 in 17th, with Clayton Reed '08 rounding out the team in 29th.

A new format introduced this year was the slalom race, which was to be run under the lights at nearby Howelsen Hill (the GS was run on Steamboat's main mountain). The night start presented an interesting challenge for all the competitors, since they had to sit around all day waiting for the race to start, as opposed to being on the hill at 8 a.m.

On the men's side, Dartmouth's Karl Johnson took the victory, giving Dartmouth its fifth straight NCAA slalom title. The Panthers were led by Reed, who finished a mere two seconds behind Johnson in 11th place, just missing All-American honors. Everett was the next finisher in 19th, while Wagner was 29th after encountering difficulties in his first run.

The women were led by defending NCAA champion Hughes, who finished on the podium in third, less than half a second behind Lucie Zikova of Colorado, earning her All-American recognition for the second straight year. Mattie Ford continued her impressive first year on the team with a 9th place finish, also receiving All-American status for her efforts. Behind Ford was Poehling, who finished 17th.

In 2007, the Panthers look to be even stronger, as they only graduate one carnival skier on the men's side and none on the women's. Next year's NCAA Championships will be hosted by the University of New Hampshire and will take place at Attitash. With the core of the team returning, the Panthers look to improve on their seventh place finish. The 2006 season is not over, as several Panthers will be competing in the U.S. National Alpine Championships at Sugarloaf, Maine next week.