Complete Results
LAKE PLACID, NY -- The Williams ski team got the
season underway with a seventh place finish for the first day of
the St. Lawrence carnival in Lake Placid, New York. The nordic team
raced on the olympic 5km loop, while the alpine team skied olympic
trails at Whiteface mountain. The weather was a mix of snow and
rain, which made for difficult waxing for the nordic team and poor
visibility for the alpiners.
The men's nordic team, skiing without three of its usual top six, had a strong showing in the 10 km classic, placing 6th. Of the five who skied today, four finished with personal bests. Junior Keith Kantack was the top Williams finisher, placing a career best 10th. Close behind was Evan Dethier, also a junior, who placed 14th, his best ever in a distance race. Caleb Lucy and Robby Cuthbert, both juniors, finished 24th and 25th, respectively. These were both personal best finishes- Cuthbert's previous best finish was 55th. Alex Taylor, who has been feeling ill this week, was clearly off his form, coming home in 47th. Dartmouth's Nils Koons won the race in 27:32.7.
The women's nordic team had a solid day, placing two in the top twenty of the 5 km classic for an 8th place. Senior Alice Nelson led the way in 16th place, while junior Kirsten Johnson was right behind in 17th. Rounding out the scoring was junior Sarah Tory, who finished 35th, which is her best classic race to date. Dartmouth's Ida Sargent won the race in 15:10.2.
The women's alpine team had a good day on the hill, finishing in 4th in the slalom. Senior Kelsey Levine finished 10th, followed by first years Geordie Lonza in 16th and Annie Leiter in 22nd. Both first years used their second runs to improve their positions. Senior Emily Porter was in eighth after the first run, but was forced to hike in her 2nd, dropping her to 29th. University of Vermont skier Lyndee Janowiak won the race in 2:03.79.
Men's alpine struggled in today's slalom race, unable to place anyone inside the top 20. The team finished 7th. Sean Cummiskey was the first Eph, placing 24th. Rounding out the scoring were freshman Jeff Bak, in 29th and junior Alex Reeves, in 30th. Reeves was in good standing after the first run, but blew out of the course on his second run. Senior Alex Dyroff, a podium contender in most races, fell in the first run, essentially ending his day early. David Donaldson (UVM) won both runs today, with a combined time of 1:59.75.
The team returns tomorrow for the second and final day of the carnival. For the alpine team, it will be giant slalom, while the nordic teams races a men's 20 km and women's 15 km freestyle mass start.
