CARRABASSETT VALLEY, ME – The alpine team, on the strength of two top ten results by Eric Mann ’09 and Laurel Carter ’12, moved the ski team into sixth place in the final day of racing at the EISA Championships hosted by Colby College. After icy conditions forced the postponement of the giant slalom on Saturday, the Ephs capitalized on their extra day of rest, with the men placing third and the women placing fifth, moving the ski team into sixth place, 23 points behind fifth place Colby College.
Freshman Laurel Carter finished the season on a high note, capturing her first top-ten result of her college career with a tenth place finish in the GS. Carter was backed up by junior duo Emily Porter and Kelsey Levine placing 18th and 19th, respectively, to put three Williams skiers in the top twenty. Not to be outdone, Annie Hanson ’11 placed 22nd overall, a season-best result for the sophomore, with freshman Amy McLaughlin in 30th place. Kelly Kirpatrick ’09, despite a strong first run, did not finish her second run. Dartmouth’s Courtney Hammond won the race.
Eric Mann ’09 placed fourth in the giant slalom, marking the sixth time in as many carnivals that Mann has placed in the top ten in a giant slalom race. Alex Dyroff ’10 showed the consistency that has shaped his season with a 12th place finish and senior Jim Whitledge ended his college career with an impressive 23rd place finish to ensure the men’s team a third place result as a group. Those results would be all Wililams would need, as Sean Cummiskey ’12 and Eirik Buraas ’09 did not finish their first run, and Jake Koshland ’09 had to hike on his first run, forcing his result towards the back of the field. UVM’s Dave Donaldson captured the GS title.
The alpine ski team will send three athletes—Mann, Dyroff, and Porter—to the NCAA Championships, where they will join their nordic teammate, Dimitri Luthi ’12, in pursuit of strong results in a competitive field. For Mann, already a two-time All American, it will be his fourth trip to the NCAA Championships, while Dyroff and Porter each make their second trip. The NCAA Championships will be held March 11-14 at Sunday River and Black Mountain in Maine, hosted by Bates College.
