Williams Giant Slalom 

Amidst what often felt like gale-force winds, the Williams Giant Slalom went off at Jiminy Peak in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. Two technical sets kept the field on their toes in what was almost the inverse of the previous weekend’s race at Dartmouth. 

A full field slip was required in the morning as wind-blown snow lay on some areas of the track. However, the snow underneath was excellent and would set the stage for a fantastic day of racing. Martin Wilson from Saint Michael’s took to the set first, putting down a tight 24-meter set that would test the technical skiing of the best. 

Wilson’s set was what his team was looking for as Helene Kristoffersen set the fastest time on the first run, cruising through the tighter distance with tight arcs. Second on the run was Williams’s own Jane Gutchess, looking to give Williams a historic result at their home carnival. Gutchess’s teammate, Chloe Aust, sat in fourth after the first run, with Tilde Kandell (UNH) in third and Isabelle Washburn (Dartmouth) in fifth. 

Also benefiting from his coach’s set was reigning EISA Skier of the Week Simen Strand, who maintained his elevation well through the upper part of the challenge before bringing strong depth to the turns before the flatter sections. He was rewarded on the first run with the fastest time, narrowly ahead of Bradshaw Underhill (Middlebury) and Hunter Brayton (UNH). With the quickest time being only 48 seconds, times were close, with the top 15 being separated by under a second. 

Since winning the opening GS and SL races at the Colby Carnival, it has been a disappointing stretch for Allie Resnick (Dartmouth). That all changed on her second run as she moved up from thirteenth place to win the second run by over half a second. Her efforts would be enough for the win, as the top 5 struggled on the second run. Second place went to Resnick’s teammate, Washburn, who moved from bib 22 to get her first collegiate podium. Mika-Anne Reha (Middlebury) grabbed her second podium of the season, finishing in third place. 

Declan McCormack (UVM), the wearer of the red bib signifying his lead in the points classification, sat a disappointing ninth after the first run. He sought to change that, hunting for his third win of the season, he skied a clean run. He saw off challenges from the eight skiers that raced ahead of him to grab his third GS win of the season. Underhill held second place to grab his second podium of the season. Diego Holscher moved up three spots on the day to land in third. The podium was not complete yet, as a tie for third place saw First-year Harrison Digangi grab the first podium of his collegiate career. Digangi’s result gave the Mules its first podium on the men’s side since Vincent Lebrun-Fortin in 2010.

Williams Slalom 

An epic battle between Dartmouth and the University of Vermont underlined the final day of the Williams Carnival. The nail-biting contest would be decided by just 3.5 points, less than the difference between first and third. 

Williams set the men’s first run, putting down a challenging course that would test the best of the East. Only 40 of the race’s 80 starters would complete the run successfully, making openings for move-ups and the victory. Declan McCormack (UVM), racing from outside the top 15 seed, bested the field in the first run, surprising most. After Maximilian Haussmann’s (Plymouth State) fast run, Haussmann looked poised to give McCormack the lead. Matt Ryan (Harvard) came across in third and was a bit off the pace of the top 2, but could grab a commendable result. 

Eager to avenge a disappointing GS, by their standards, the UVM women’s team started the day off hot. Justine Clement mastered a high-tempo set to finish the run in third. Just ahead of Clement was a duo of Middlebury racers, Mika-Anne Reha and Kaitlyn Fynn. Both Middlebury skiers were seeking their first Slalom podiums of the season after posting multiple top 5s. 

As the wind from the previous day began to pick up again, the men’s second run began. Simen Strand (Saint Michael’s), a disappointing 21st after run one, wanted to find another gear. His run was fast, and he stayed in the proverbial hot seat for 13 racers before finally being beaten. His run would land him in seventh place on the day. 

A big mistake on the second run for Haussman meant he would not factor on the day and left the race thoroughly in the hands of McCormack. McCormack would not falter and built on his first run advantage to take his first Slalom win to match his three in GS. Oscar Zimmer (Dartmouth) moved up to take second place, and Magnus Berge Styren (UVM) rounded out the podium. 

Clement was hungry for another win after her victorious Harvard GS event three weeks ago. However, Reha had an advantageous lead that Clement could not overcome, and she would have to settle for second on the day. Reha took her first win of the season to match her two podiums in GS. Rookie Zoe Zimmerman (Dartmouth) rounded out the women’s podium. 

For Reha, it was the culmination of a hot stretch of skiing, “It feels good to finally be on the first step of the podium. I’ve been working really hard in the past months with the team to fine-tune my skiing, and it is awesome to see that the efforts lead to great results.” The EISA is highly competitive and requires full gas, so the athletes cannot hold back. “I knew I had to take risks and push the line, so I did, and it paid off,” said Reha.

On the backs of their Alpine team performance, the University of Vermont captured its third carnival victory of the season ahead of Dartmouth and the University of New Hampshire. Middlebury and Colby rounded out the top 5, with the Panthers grabbing three podium finishes over the two days of racing. 

University of Vermont Slalom 

The University of Vermont Carnival was initially scheduled for the second week of January; however, due to insufficient snowfall and subsequent unfavorable weather conditions, it was rescheduled to the later part of the carnival schedule. While it could no longer take place at Stowe, its typical venue, a pleasant surprise was in store for racers and coaches. 

Catamount Mountain, which straddles the New York-Massachusetts border, is among Berkshire’s top skiing destinations. Its racing hill has plenty of character, with a dog leg just out of the start, a top pitch followed by a long flat section, and a more moderate pitch to the finish. The snow was fantastic, potentially the best of the carnival season.

 A moderate size crowd gathered at the bottom, filled with young Catamount racers and parents eager to get a peak at the top athletes. One coach commented on the love felt by the resort, “What a treat to feel truly welcomed at a ski area and even admired by some young skiers from Catamount.” 

It didn’t take long from the start of the race to see the best of the best. Simen Strand from Saint Michael’s, wearing bib-1, set down a blistering first run to lead by .74. Dan Gilis (Dartmouth) was in second place, and Declan McCormack (UVM) sat in third. 

A few women’s skiers will miss the closing Middlebury Carnival for the upcoming Nor-Am races at Mont Ste-Marie. Allie Resnick (Dartmouth) will be amongst them, and she was eager to improve her starting position for the NCAA Championships. On run one, she was the fastest, ahead of Cydnie Timmerman (UVM) and her teammate Zoe Zimmerman. 

The sun came out for the second run, warmly bathing the course. Isac Hedstroem (UNH) had a big mistake coming onto the flats on the first run, which set him 2.37 seconds back.

However, he skied a lights-out run two that saw him see off challenge after challenge. Finally, there was only one skier left in Strand. He showed no signs of trepidation even with his large advantage and skied aggressively onto the flats. He even expanded on his lead to win the race by over a second. 

Strand tried to keep his focus despite the outside factors, “I tried not to make it too complicated and just stay focused on technical queues, solid skiing. There have been a lot of tight races this season, and I have been pretty close a couple of times, so it felt very good to finally nail it and get that W.” 

The women battled a straight second-run set that left the podium from one run completely intact. Two other UVM skiers rounded out the top 5: Moa Clementson and Justine Clement. 

In the NCAA Qualifying picture, Elsie Halvorsen (Harvard) and Carissa Cassidy (Colby) grabbed top 10 results, and Charlie Lange (Middlebury) helped his chances with a fourth place. 

The regular season will conclude on Friday and Saturday with the epic Middlebury Carnival. A raucous crowd is expected for the Saturday GS as some will make their last collegiate starts.