The Middlebury College ski teams continued their sensational seasons as they captured the University of Vermont Carnival. The win by the Panthers, which had not won an EISA carnival (combined men & women) until this season and has won all three carnivals in 2004, ends a 31-year winning streak for Vermont, which had won every UVM Winter Carnival since 1973. Middlebury finished with 708 points, while Vermont had 687 points. Dartmouth was third with 667 points.
Classic Race
In the women's 5K classic, Anna Mcloon of Harvard was the winner in a time of 18:59.9, followed by Kate Newick (Midd), Kate Underwood (UVM), and Kat eWhitcomb (Midd).
In the men's 10K Classic race, UVM was dominant, sweeping three of the top four spots. Junior captain Ethan Foster (Weston, Vt.) led the way with a win in the 10-kilometer classical event, posting a time of 33:21.7. Lowell Bailey (Lake Placid, N.Y.) was second in 33:57.1. Middlebury's Garrott Kuzzy broke up the UVM train in third, while UVM's Anders Osthus (Duluth, Minn.) was fourth (34:45.7).
Relays
The Middlebury women's relay team of Kate Newick, Kate Whitcomb and Claire Anderson won the 3×5 relay race with a combined time of 53:17. UNH was second, Dartmouth third.
The UVM men defeated all comers in their relay race, with Ethan Foster, Lowell Bailey and Anders Osthus cruising to victory, with Middlebury a close second behind Garrott Kuzzy's hard charging anchor leg. Dartmouth was third.
Vermont will look to close ground on Middlebury at the Dartmouth and Williams Winter Carnivals in the coming weeks, with the EISA Championship looming on Feb. 27 and 28 at Middlebury. Vermont’s 28 straight wins at the EISA Championship is the longest conference-championship winning streak of any sport in NCAA history.
The 2004 NCAA Ski Championship, the 51st annual national championship, will be held on March 10-13, 2004 at the Sugar Bowl Ski Area and the Auburn Ski Club in Truckee, California, and will be hosted by the University of Nevada.
Sources: UVM & Middlebury press releases, BART results
