Ski team finishes fourth at UVM, individuals stand out

The ski team hit the slopes once again this past weekend for the University of Vermont Carnival in Stowe.  Middlebury came in a respectable fourth place and had many skiers turn in top notch performances over the course of the carnival.  Most notably, the men’s Nordic team won both the 10K classic and the 15K free races outright.

Outstanding individuals included first-year Dylan Grald ’13, who placed first among all skiers in the event with a time of 30:03.  Patrick Johnson ’10 was next for the Panthers, taking fifth with a time of 30:08.  Doug Debold ’12 and Chase Marston ’12 rounded out the placing, taking seventh and eighth, respectively.

The women’s Nordic team also experienced success in the 5K classic race this weekend paced by first-year Corrine Prevot ’13 who took 10th in the race.  Cate Brown  ’12 and first-year Hilary Rich ’13 also placed well, taking 19th and 20th respectively.

In the 10K free race, Lauren Fritz ’10 paced the Panthers, finishing 18th overall with a time of 34:19 while Keely Levins ’13 was not far behind, recording a time of 35:10.

First-year Brian Shpall ’13 continued to pace the men’s alpine team, turning in a wonderful performance once again this weekend.  Shpall took fifth in the GS with a time of 2:01.28.  Jake Lund  ’11 turned in a solid performance in the GS as well, taking eighth place with a time of 2:02.27. Andrew McNealus ’13 rounded out the top 10 recording a stellar time of 2:02.39.  Shpall also managed to record a top-10 time in the slalom, taking ninth with a time of 1:40 to make him the top scorer for the men’s alpine team.

The women’s alpine team also turned in an impressive showing at Stowe, led by Leah McLaughry ’10 who placed 13th in the GS with a time of 2:08.11 and 20th in the slalom with a time of 1:49.73.  Captain Nicole Dvorak ’11 finished eighth overall in the GS, posting a time of 2:07.44 to lead the Panthers in that event.

The leading lady in the slalom event was Christine Schozer ’13 who placed 19th with a time of 1:48.82.  Lindsay Kraft ’11 also turned in notable performances in both the GS and the slalom events, placing 20th in the GS and 22nd in the slalom showcasing the depth the ski team possesses this year.  “Nicole Dvorak had a solid day in GS getting 8th,” said captain Bobby Poehling ’11. “Christine, Leah, and Lindsey all managed their way through a near impossible lower section of the slalom, that took out over half of the top 15, scoring valuable points for the team.

As for the men, “Brian once again showed his speed, throwing down a fifth place, while Jake put down another great GS finish in eighth. The men had a rough day in slalom, however, Brian once again showed how essential he is to the team, placing ninth.”

Overall, it was a successful carnival for the Panthers. Both the men’s and women’s teams will look to build on that success at the upcoming Dartmouth carnival, which will be held at the Dartmouth Skiway in New Hampshire.

“The team is more psyched than ever to reach its full potential and improve on its past results to reclaim a spot on the podium as a team,” finished Poehling.