NCAA: XC boosts Dartmouth at Vermont carnival

Dartmouth's cross-country skiers dominated the field again Friday, putting the Big Green into first place with 338 points after day one at the University of Vermont Winter Carnival. Trailing by 10 points is host University of Vermont with 328 points and in third place is Middlebury College with 305 points.

DARTMOUTH'S cross-country skiers dominated the field again Friday, putting the Big Green into first place with 338 points after day one at the University of Vermont Winter Carnival. Trailing by 10 points is host University of Vermont with 328 points and in third place is Middlebury College with 305 points.
    At the Trapp Family Lodge Cross Country Center, Dartmouth won both the men's and women's events. On the men's side, all six Dartmouth racers placed in the top eleven, including the top four spots in the 20-kilometer classic technique. The winner was senior captain Mike Sinott of Sun Valley, Idaho, with a time of 58 minutes, 46.2 seconds. Following close behind in second place was junior Ben True in 58:49.5. Junior Ben Koons took third place in 59:57.3 and also placing top five was sophomore Glenn Randall in fourth place with a time of 1:01.29.2. Freshman Patrick O'Brien and senior Zachary Hall finished in ninth and 11th place respectively, rounding out the top spots for the Dartmouth team.
    At the women's 15-kilometer classical technique, the Big Green placed all six racers in the top 20, three of whom scored points in the top five. In first place was senior captain Sara Studebaker of Boise, Idaho, with a time of 52:14.0, narrowly edging second-place teammate Susan Dunklee by three-tenths of a second. In fourth was sophomore Hannah Dreissigacker  in 52:26.7. Sophomore Chelsea Little, freshman Katie Bono and sophomore Audrey Weber finished the day with seventh, 11th and 19th place respectively.
    At the Stowe Mountain Resort, NCAA All-American junior Michelanne Shields had the most impressive outing, taking second place in the women's alpine giant slalom with a combined time of 2 minutes, 22.74 seconds, just four-tenths of a second off of Veronique Archambault-
Leger from UNH. Also scoring points for the Big Green were senior co-captains Sasha Acher and Alex Fucigna in 13th and 18th place.
    For the men's alpine team, freshmen Francis Fortin-Houle finished third in the giant slalom with a combined time of 2:16.12. Junior Alex Felix placed 13th and sophomore Rusty Heise placed 14th to score points for the Big Green.
    Action continues Saturday with the cross-country 3×5 freestyle relays at Trapp Family Lodge and another day of the men's and women's giant slalom at the Stowe Mountain Resort.
    For complete race results, see the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association Web site.