Mules struggle at Dartmouth Skiway
Sam Pelletier
Issue date: 2/18/09 Section: Sports
The Alpine ski team did not get much love on Valentine's Day weekend as they competed in the fourth carnival races of the season at the Dartmouth Skiway. Friday's giant slalom proved to be a real heartbreaker, with poor results for the entire team caused by "inexplicable reasons," according to Dana Breakstone '10. On Dartmouth's flat hill, the Mules simply did not meet expectations. Josh Kernan '10, who has been having a great season in slalom, remarked that "there's slalom, giant slalom and then there's Dartmouth. Strange things always happen there-you come down thinking you had a great run and end up in 30th."
Indeed, when examining the results from Friday's race one would notice some unusual things. Some racers who typically excel were disappointed with slow runs, while other racers who usually bring up the rear found themselves with unprecedented success. These results are not so exceptional when considering the Dartmouth course-a short, flat trail that favors heavier skiers or those who specialize in the speed events of super-G and downhill. The Mules prefer the steeper, more technical terrain of mountains like Stowe or Sugarloaf.
The women struggled the most in Friday's giant slalom. Emily Colin '10J was the top Mule in 38th place out of 52 finishers. Not far behind were Dana Breakstone '10 and Julia Coffin '09 in 40th and 42nd, respectively. None of the six Lady Mules beat a single member of the University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, Dartmouth College or Middlebury College teams. The women's team result in the giant slalom was 8th out of 10 teams.
The men's team did not fare much better in the giant slalom. The men ended up ninth out of 10 teams, and only landed one skier in the top 20. Kernan finished in a respectable 19th and Vincent Lebrun-Fortin '11 finished in an uncharacteristic 27th. Corey Linton '10 was Colby's third finisher in 37th place.
The Mules were more pleased with their results in Sunday's slalom. Breakstone led the women in 20th followed by Lauren McGrath '11 in 34th and Coffin in 35th. Colin followed up her impressive 12th at UVM with a DNF. The women's team again placed 8th overall.
Indeed, when examining the results from Friday's race one would notice some unusual things. Some racers who typically excel were disappointed with slow runs, while other racers who usually bring up the rear found themselves with unprecedented success. These results are not so exceptional when considering the Dartmouth course-a short, flat trail that favors heavier skiers or those who specialize in the speed events of super-G and downhill. The Mules prefer the steeper, more technical terrain of mountains like Stowe or Sugarloaf.
The women struggled the most in Friday's giant slalom. Emily Colin '10J was the top Mule in 38th place out of 52 finishers. Not far behind were Dana Breakstone '10 and Julia Coffin '09 in 40th and 42nd, respectively. None of the six Lady Mules beat a single member of the University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont, Dartmouth College or Middlebury College teams. The women's team result in the giant slalom was 8th out of 10 teams.
The men's team did not fare much better in the giant slalom. The men ended up ninth out of 10 teams, and only landed one skier in the top 20. Kernan finished in a respectable 19th and Vincent Lebrun-Fortin '11 finished in an uncharacteristic 27th. Corey Linton '10 was Colby's third finisher in 37th place.
The Mules were more pleased with their results in Sunday's slalom. Breakstone led the women in 20th followed by Lauren McGrath '11 in 34th and Coffin in 35th. Colin followed up her impressive 12th at UVM with a DNF. The women's team again placed 8th overall.
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