The Bowdoin Orient

March 9, 2001
Volume CXXXII, Number 19

Nordic skiing competes at Dartmouth Carnival

by MAIA-CHRISTINA BECKER LEE, STAFF WRITER

   The Dartmouth Winter Ski Carnival held at the Dartmouth Skyway was not just any winter carnival. It was a carnival of love. Nordic skiers from all schools participated in "carnival crush weekend," a tradition that involves each skier giving a valentine to that special cross-country someone. According to Cecily Upton '03, "Studs of the Bowdoin Ski Team racked up the valentines." But not to worry, Bowdoin skiers did well on the trails as well.
   Overall, the Polar Bears came in ninth place out of 12 teams. Katie Matthews '01 was the top female skier, achieving a 39th place finish in the 10K classical race and a 35th place finish in the 10K skate despite the bad weather conditions.
   Senior Wade Kavanaugh was the top skier for the men. His time of 34:03.8 in the 10K classical earned him a 42nd place finish. He did even better in the 10K freestyle with a 35th place finish and a time of 1:03.07.
   Eric Thompson '01 was not far behind, however, with a 46th place finish in the classical and a 40th place finish in the freestyle. Senior Tim Piehler finished 44th in that event.
   Although they have not achieved any first-place finishes, the Nordic Ski Team has a lot to be proud of this year. Most importantly, they are one of the smallest teams in the carnival circuit.
   This means that the team has had to work extra hard in its battle against larger teams such as Dartmouth, UVM, Middlebury, and UNH. "We're a small team, and this makes us a fragile team when it comes to people getting sick," said Coach Marty Hall. "Recruiting has to be a big focus, and improved results will help our visibility and start to attract more skiers to look at Bowdoin."
   The skiers already at Bowdoin have impressed their coach with countless individual accomplishments. "Katie Matthews' seventh-place finish at the St. Lawrence Carnival has been the definite high point of the season," said Hall. "A team high point occurred for the women's team there as well, as we had four of the ladies qualify in the top 32: Diann [Wood '03], Katie, Cecily, and Megan [Greenleaf '03] who had her all-time personal best in a college event with a 24th place finish!"
   The women's team has a lot to be exited about, especially since Greenleaf and Wood are now members of the U.S. Junior Team. They won the honor at the Williams Carnival held on February 16th and 17th. The Junior Olympics are being held in Michigan throughout this weekend.
   "That's where the best young skiers from all over the U.S. gather to fight it out for the National Junior Titles," said Hall who is very excited about the entire Nordic Ski Team. "The thing I like about this team is, even though we have improved, they are always looking for better results. They're real fighters, and that is all a coach can ask for. In NENSA competitions, which are divisional races, we have also made an impact with numerous placings in the top 15. That was not even a reality last year."
   Besides the excitement of the Junior Olympic trials, the Williams Carnival proved successful for many of Bowdoin's other nordic skiers as well. The highlight of the carnival was the women's 3x5 classical relay. Matthews had the anchor leg of the relay, finishing with a time of 18:07.8.
   The Nordic men also did well in the relays. The team of Kavanaugh, Thompson, and Donnely came in 14th in the 3x5 with a time of 49:11.8. Kavanaugh also took 39th in the 20K followed immediately by Piehler and Thompson.
   The theme of Nordic Skiing this season is definitely improvement. With their persistence and dedication to hard work, it is likely that the Polar Bears will continue to accomplish even more as the winter sport's season comes to a close.