UVM finishes on top at its Carnival

College Carnivals have become a global affair; the alpine side included 180 athletes from 14 countries across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. The Nordic events included over 220 racers from a similar set of nations.

The College Carnival series arguably includes the fastest racers anyone will see in North America, with some athletes splitting time among classes, World Cup competitions around the globe, and representing their colleges at the carnivals.

The UVM Carnival is the second stop on a six-event series that concludes with the Eastern Regional Championships at the Middlebury Snow Bowl Feb. 28-29. The top 17 men and 17 women from the Eastern Carnival series then qualify for NCAA Championships hosted by Montana State and Bridger Bowl in mid-March. Last year, Stowe Mountain Resort and Trapp Family Lodge hosted the NCAAs.

While most alpine skiers prefer fresh powder and just-below-freezing temperatures, that combination is considered evil for ski racers who prefer a solid, rock-hard surface and cold temperatures. Loose snow slows racers and hitting a clump of soft snow can be dangerous for skiers going 40-plus mph.

After the recent abundant snowfall and warmer temperatures, a hard ski surface was difficult to find. Nevertheless, the Mount Mansfield Ski Club and Academy race crew, led by Executive Director Igor Vanovac, worked around the clock to prepare a surface able to withstand 180 or more racers each day.

Thanks to a key victory by freshman Marina Vilanova in the women’s giant slalom and a silver-bronze punch by Mathias Tefre and Joachim Jagge Lindstoel in the men’s giant slalom, UVM was able to win both events as a team.

Men’s Nordic sprint and Nordic freestyle victories by Ben Ogden and Karl Schulz, respectively, pushed UVM to a total of 903 points, 28 points ahead of runner-up Middlebury and 70 points over Dartmouth. Other top five teams included UNH (643 points) and Colby College (480).

Middlebury athletes won both alpine events, with Justin Alkier taking the men’s slalom and Eric Arvidsson scoring gold in the giant slalom. Two current World Cup racers, Paula Moltzan (U.S. Ski Team and former UVM racer) and Ali Nullmeyer (Canadian Ski Team and current Middlebury freshman), battled it out in the women’s slalom to take first and second, respectively. The women’s Nordic sprint victory went to Katherine Ogden of Dartmouth, and Middlebury’s Sophia Laukli won the women’s freestyle.

The UVM Carnival also provided a showcase for Mount Mansfield Ski Club and Academy alumni who continue to race at the Division 1 college level.

Finn Malcolm, a sophomore at Plymouth State, foreran the men’s races and was joined by Rachel Smith (Plymouth State sophomore), Colby Jordan (St. Michael’s College senior), Sandra Schoepke (Colby College senior) and Trent Gutstein (Boston College sophomore).

Schoepke had strong performances in both disciplines (fifth in giant slalom and 11th in Slalom) while Trent Gutstein’s seventh-fastest second slalom run propelled him to 15th overall in slalom — his first top-15 finish. Colby Jordan continued his outstanding giant slalom results with a 15th-place finish.

The College Carnival series continues this week with the Colby College Carnival at Sugarloaf, Maine.