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By: Francesca Kitch
The Saint Lawrence University Carnival was held this past weekend at Mt. Vanhoevenberg in Lake Placid, NY. Coupled with the Eastern Cup on day two of the carnival, the start list was among the largest in North America this year. Not only was it a large field, but it was also one of the hardest courses on the east, with 191 meters of elevation on the 5km loop.

“I like the challenge that it poses and it’s a super legit course that really prepares you for anything…it’s a good one to get out of the way early in the season, so you kind of know you can do anything after Lake Placid,” said Luke Allan (Dartmouth), winner of Friday’s 20km skate mass start and Saturday’s 7.5km classic. Allan won the 20km by 38 seconds over Logan Moore (Middlebury) after skiing the last two laps ahead of the field. “[EISA mass starts] are always super fun to race in because you just know all the guys on the start coral and can really play some fun tactics out there.”

Allan also expressed how fired up he was about his team’s overall success this weekend. Dartmouth ended the carnival with a full team win (combined men and women), 5 individual podium finishes, and 3 wins. In the 20 km mass start, Ava Thurston crossed the line in second place, and in the 7.5km classic, Jasmine Drolet topped the podium with Thurston joining her in third. In the classic race, the Dartmouth women put 6 in the top 10, a remarkable feat showcasing the team’s depth.

After dealing with a few weeks of sickness, Drolet says she is finally feeling better. “It feels good to be back and racing at EISA and seeing everyone.” She added that the course “definitely played to my strengths, especially in classic with the striding,” feeling that her classic is typically stronger than her skate performance.

It was also a weekend for the history books for the Bowdoin team. Junior Emma Crum had an outstanding skate mass start on Friday, clinching the Polar Bears their first ever EISA win. “I think that was what I was thinking about more than the individual win which is a little silly but was a big thing for Bowdoin,” she said. When Crum crossed the line two seconds ahead of Thurston, she was in disbelief. “It felt very satisfying because it was a fight all the way to the end–it was never a guarantee, which made it feel very good.” Crum also acknowledged that the course played to her strengths, and used her strong V1 on the large hills to catch back up with Thurston and race to the end.

Full EISA Schedule & Results
Bates Carnival
Rumford, ME
Friday, January 10, 2025: Freestyle Sprint: Men’s Results – Women’s Results
Saturday, January 11, 2025: 15km Freestyle – Individual Start: Men’s Results – Women’s Results
St. Lawrence University Carnival
Mt. Van Hoevenberg, Lake Placid, NY
Friday, January 17, 2025: 20K Freestyle – Mass Start: Men’s Results – Women’s Results
Saturday, January 18, 2025: 7.5K Classic – Individual Start: Men’s Results – Women’s Results
St. Michael’s College Carnival
Sleepy Hollow, Huntington, Vermont
Friday, January 31, 2025: 10K Freestyle – Individual Start
Saturday, February 1, 2025: 3x5k Classic – Relay
Dartmouth College Carnival
Oak Hill Outdoor Center, Hanover, New Hampshire
Friday, February 7 , 2025: Freestyle Sprint
Saturday, February 8, 2025: 15k Classic – Mass Start
Middlebury College Carnival
Rikert Outdoor Center, Ripton, Vermont
Friday, February 14, 2025: Freestyle Sprint
Saturday, February 15, 2025: 15k Classic – Mass Start
University of New Hampshire Carnival
Jackson Nordic Center, Jackson, New Hampshire
Friday, February 21, 2025: 7.5k Classic – Individual Start
Saturday, February 22, 2025: 15k Freestyle – Mass Start
NCAA Championship
Oak Hill Outdoor Center, Hanover, New Hampshire
March 5-8, 2025
