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(05/09/13 3:31am)
After a convincing 5-1 victory over fifth-seeded Tufts on Friday, May 3, third-seeded Middlebury suffered a heartbreaking 4-5 loss against eventual champion Williams in an epic five-hour battle on Saturday, May 4 in the NESCAC semifinals.
The Panthers now sit at 18-4 on the season and are ranked 11th in the country in the latest poll. Despite the loss, the squad received an at-large bid to the NCAA championships.
In contrast to the regular season match when the Panthers squeezed out a tight 5-4 win, the Middlebury men did not give the Jumbos any breathers. The first and third double pairs cruised to quick victories while junior Brantner Jones ’14, first-year Jackson Frons ’16 and sophomore Courtney Mountifield ’15 carried the momentum and stormed to two-set wins.
The much-anticipated contest on Saturday between the two NESCAC powerhouses was arguably the best match that the Middlebury men have played thus far this season. The team showed themselves to be much improved from the 2-7 loss in the first meeting between the Panthers and the Ephs two weeks before.
With its upperclassmen-filled lineup, Williams has been tapped by many as one of the favorites in the NCAA field this year.
On Saturday morning at Amherst, the Panthers started out well in doubles play. The top pair of juniors Alex Johnston ’14 and Andrew Lebovitz surged to an early 3-0 lead by breaking their opponents’ serve from the get-go.
Meanwhile, on court three, the hard-serving duo of senior tri-captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 and first-year Palmer Campbell ’16 had a 2-0 upper hand.
On the next court, the number-two doubles pair of juniors Brantner Jones ’14 and James Burke ’14 fell into an early 2-5 hole. That combo fought hard but was defeated by the score of 4-8. Immediately following that, both the top and the third Middlebury doubles pairs held their service games to notch the win in the identical score of 8-5.
“One doubles keeps getting better and better as Alex gains volley and overhead skills, is serving smarter and [Lebovitz] is more and more consistent overall and is also competing better as he matures as a player,” said head coach Bob Hansen. “Third doubles also looked great.”
The Middlebury men headed into singles play with a confidence-boosting 2-1 lead, and were looking to expand upon that lead against their conference rival.
Just two weeks before, the Panthers fell at all three doubles spots against the Ephs. The reshuffling of the doubles lineup and the intense work in preparation for the NESCAC championships proved to be the key of this big jump.
In singles play, Campbell went down rather quickly in the score of 2-6, 0-6 in a faceoff against Williams junior Felix Sun.
The 2012 NESCAC Player of the Year. Sun’s crafty play and accurate passing shots proved to be effective against Campbell’s aggressive game, as Campbell had severe difficulties in trying to consistently finish points against the relentless Sun.
Playing next to Campbell at the number-two spot was Jones. Similar to his teammate, Jones encountered much resilience from Williams senior Matt Micheli. Micheli handled Jones’s penetrating groundstrokes with his counter-punching style by hitting shots with great depth. Jones tried staying on the court for as long as possible but eventually succumbed to a 3-6 2-6 decision.
With the Panthers trailing 2-3, all eyes turned to court six. Mountifield gave one of his best performances. Perhaps more impressively, this was Mountifield’s very first dual match against an opponent from a top-15 team. His steady groundstrokes and quick movement gave senior Eph Dylan Page trouble. Despite falling to a 0-3 setback in the second set, Mountifield remained calm and crawled back to pronounce a two-set 6-2 6-3 victory.
“I dealt with the pressure by taking it one point at a time and telling myself that my teammates will support me no matter what the outcome of the match is,” said Mountifield. “My teammates are my biggest source of motivation. I would play for 10 hours if it meant getting them a point on the board. It felt great to clinch the Tufts match, but it felt even better knowing I took out a [Williams] Eph.”
Set at three all, courts one, four and five all went into third sets. At the fourth spot, first-year Jackson Frons ’16 managed to find his groove late in the game. He came back to snatch the second set 6-4 after a 1-6 deficit in the opening set. Both Frons and his opponent gave everything they had on the court. The lengthy exchanges from both sides of the net propelled the final set to progress into a tiebreaker. Unfortunately, Frons was downed by Chow in the score of 6-7 (2-7).
At this point, the Panthers needed to win the remaining two matches in order to win overall.
Senior tri-captain Lunghino did not disappoint. By coming into the net and putting away volleys, he battled back from a tough tiebreaker loss in the first set to seize the remaining two sets 6-3 6-2.
With the contest frozen at 4-4, the task fell onto the shoulders of number-one player Johnston. Even though he was topped 2-6 early on, he displayed great fight in the second set to win in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-4). However, as the match came down to the wire, Eph senior Trey Meyer broke Johnston’s service game to take the set 6-3 and earn the necessary fifth point for the Purple Cows.
Coach Hansen saw a lot of positives from the play of his team against Williams.
“No question we are getting closer and closer to our best lineup,” he said. “Spencer had a great win at four where we got crushed a few weeks back, Jackson lost breaker in the third where we were beat 3,1 a few weeks back and Courtney came through at six where we were beat in straight sets [in the last match].”
After the loss to Williams, the Panthers have now lost three of their last six matches to end the regular season, including a loss to third-ranked Amherst and a pair of losses to the sixth-ranked Ephs.
With less than two weeks left for the 2013 squad, Hansen decided to make one final change to his team’s starting lineup.
“We will continue to work on our doubles this week in particular at [second doubles] where we will have a new team with Teddy Fitzgibbons [’14] joining Brantner.”
The Middlebury men will host a regional for the NCAA tournament, where they will open up tournament play on Saturday, May 11. The Panthers will take on the winner of a match between Drew and Farmingdale, who play in the opening match of the regional on Friday, May 10.
“I am getting more and more clear about what each individual needs to work on so practices are getting more focused and productive,” said Hansen.
The Panthers enter the tournament as the nation’s 11th-ranked team. Neither of their possible regional opponents is ranked in the top 30 nationally.
(05/01/13 7:45pm)
The Middlebury men’s tennis team concluded its regular season when they succumbed to Amherst 2-7 last Saturday, April 27. The Panthers dropped to 17-3 in the season and 5-2 in NESCAC.
Ranked 17th in the latest national poll, reigning NESCAC champion Amherst is regarded as one of the strongest teams in the country this year. They also beat Williams 5-4 earlier this season, a team that defeated the Panthers a week ago.
Playing on the Lord Jeffs’ home court, the Middlebury squad fought hard but could not prevent themselves from going down 1-2 after doubles play.
The number-one pair of juniors Alex Johnston ’14 and Andrew Lebovitz ’14 came out strong as they took down their opponents 8-6.
Fellow classmate Brantner Jones ’14 and first-year Palmer Campbell ’16 were able to break serve early on in their match. However, leading 7-4, the duo had difficulty closing out and unfortunately fell in the tiebreaker. Senior tri-captains Spencer Lunghino ’13 and Will Oberrender ’13 were topped by their Amherst opponents with a score of 4-8.
In singles play, matches went back and forth throughout as the Panthers hung tight with the Lord Jeffs. Most of the sets were determined by the margin of just one service break.
Nevertheless, out of the six contests, Lunghino was the only Panther to earn a win. With his strong serves and powerful ground strokes, the senior battled to a 6-3, 7-6 win over his opponent, a nationally ranked player.
At the top spot, Johnston suffered a heartbreaking loss to a talented opponent. The number-one Panther attempted to make a comeback after dropping the first set 5-7. He crawled back in the second set to within two at a score of 7-5 but eventually lost in the super-tiebreaker 4-10.
Playing on court five, first-year Jackson Frons ’16 fell just short of notching a victory. He had a seesaw match against a player who has been undefeated against Division III opponents this season. Frons won a close 6-4 in the first set and lost 2-6 in the second. In the deciding set, the rookie had a match point but unfortunately fell 6-7 (7-9).
Playing next to Frons was junior Teddy Fitzgibbons ’14. Even though he fell behind 3-6 in the opening set, the mentally tough Fitzgibbons counterpunched his way back. He was eventually defeated 5-7 in the second set. At the number two and three spots, Jones and Campbell had lengthy exchanges with the Amherst foes but went down in the identical scores of 3-6, 3-6.
The match marked the end of the Panthers’ regular season, but the Middlebury men are expecting three more weeks of competition as they aim for a national championship run.
Head coach Bob Hansen commented on Saturday’s match.
“I definitely saw signs of us getting better against Amherst,” said Hansen. “We were up 7-4, one break at two doubles and lost in the breaker. That was a potential game changer. Alex lost a breaker for the third at one but is definitely in that one. Jackson had a match point at five before losing 9-7 in the breaker to a guy who has not lost all year. Jackson looked good and we will stick with him going forward.”
This Friday, May 3, the Panthers travel to Amherst for the NESCAC championships. They will take on Tufts in the opening round of the six-team draw.
Just a week ago, the Panthers rallied to a nail-biting 5-4 win over the Jumbos.
Undoubtedly, this weekend’s match will be crucial in determining NCAA-tournament selection. If the Middlebury squad advances, the men will face second-seed Williams.
Hansen spoke about the team’s outlook going forward.
“We are still trying to find our way in doubles but have improved there as well especially at one where Alex and Andrew won again,” said Hansen. “I feel we are getting closer and closer to a top-quality win and will continue to do the things that will make us stronger in singles and doubles. We may still roll out a slightly different lineup but that will be determined tomorrow.”
(04/25/13 12:56am)
The ninth-ranked Middlebury men’s tennis team went 2-1 during a three-match homestand Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21. On Saturday, the men scored a 6-2 win over Stevens Tech., but suffered a 2-7 loss to fifth-ranked Williams later that afternoon. On Sunday, they squeezed out a nerve-wracking 5-4 victory over Tufts. Junior Alex Johnston ’14 — the 20th-ranked singles player — spearheaded the squad by pulling out the clinching singles matches at the top spot in a third-set tie breaker.
The team began the weekend with a solid victory over Stevens Tech. at the Nelson indoor courts. The Panthers managed to win two out of three doubles matches. The lefty-righty pair of Johnston and fellow classmate Andrew Lebovitz ’14 topped its opponents 8-4 while senior tri-captains Will Oberrender ’13 and Spencer Lunghino ’13 earned a win by the same score. On the second court, first-year Palmer Campbell ’16 and junior Brantner Jones ’14 fell in a lengthy 8-6 battle.
Sophomore Courtney Mountifield ’15 stormed to a 6-0, 6-0 decision at the fifth singles spot, giving Middlebury a 3-1 lead. First-year Jackson Frons ’16 dispatched his opponent in two sets as well. He won 6-0, 6-4 with relative ease.
The men faced unforeseen resilience in the other matches, however. Senior tri-captain Alec Parower ’13 and Allen Jackson ’16 were both taken into third sets in their respective singles matches. Parower dropped a tight first set 6-7 (4) before coming from behind to win the second and third sets 6-2, 6-3 to seal the win. Jackson won the opening set but had trouble holding serves in the second set. He eventually pronounced a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 verdict. Finally, on the first court, tied at 4-4 in the final set, Lunghino was forced to forfeit because — as a doubles starter — he had to prepare for the Williams match that was scheduled to start at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
The clash between the Ephs and the Panthers was set to play outdoors. Gaining an early advantage in doubles play was particularly important since Williams has long been known to be strong in that field. Unfortunately, despite their valiant efforts, the Middlebury men could not avoid going down on all three courts. Johnston and Lebovitz were defeated by a two-game margin, 8-6. The duo of Campbell and Jones was downed 8-5. Jones and Campbell were unable to capitalize on an early 4-1 lead before the momentum quickly shifted to the other end of the court. In the third singles match, the Oberender-Lunghino pair had their moments during the pro-set but eventually succumbed to an 8-4 loss.
In the singles matches, Williams proved to be dominant in the lower flight matches, sweeping the third through sixth spots. Campbell suffered a narrow 4-6, 4-6 defeat. Fellow first-year Ari Smolyar ’16, meanwhile, fell 3-6, 1-6. Juniors Teddy Fitzgibbons ’14 and Zach Bruchmiller ’14 similarly went down 2-6, 0-6 and 3-6, 3-6, respectively.
Relying on his aggressive play, Jones dispatched a skillful opponent in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. On the other hand, Johnston fought back from a 2-6 first set loss, concluding the match with a 10-7 victory in the third set super-tiebreaker.
“From an individual perspective I’m very happy with my performances this weekend,” said Johnston. “I had some tough tests and was able to come through in the crucial moments which is a huge positive for me.”
Unfortunately for the Panthers, however, Jones and Johnston accounted for the team’s only two points in the match.
On Sunday, the unranked Tufts Jumbos managed to push Middlebury in a drama-filled contest. The Panthers earned a 2-1 lead after doubles, as the pairs of Johnston and Lebovitz and Oberrender and Lunghino won on their courts to give Middlebury the lead. In singles play, Jones and Campbell went down early, but Fitzgibbons and Smolyar helped Middlebury bounce back with straight-set victories. With Middlebury leading 4-3, the match came down to the first and sixth courts. After a lot of lengthy exchanges, Bruchmiller was defeated 5-7 in the third and decisive set. In the meantime, Johnston’s match went into a third set tiebreaker. With his big serve, Johnston finally emerged victorious with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (5) decision.
The team traveled to Skidmore Tuesday, April 23 to compete against the 27th ranked Thoroughbreds. The Panthers came away with a 6-3 win. After doubles play, the team sat at 1-2 after losing both the no. 2 and no. 3 doubles mathes. Despite this, the Panthers were able to clinch five out of the six singles matches. Johnston lead the pack in the no. 1 singles position with a tough three set win. Both Jones and Campbell earned wins in only two sets while Frons and Smolyar fought through three sets for the win.
The team will return to action this weekend as they travel to Amherst on Saturday, April 27. The 17th-ranked Lord Jeffs, who recently topped Williams 5-4, will provide another final, challenging regular season test for Bob Hansen’s team. Middlebury will return to Amherst a week later for the NESCAC championships.
“As a team we have a lot to work on,” said Johnston. “If we are going to beat the top teams we have to find a way of putting up more points in doubles. Our singles is good, but not good enough to go 0-3 after doubles against top-10 opponents.”
(04/17/13 11:20pm)
With its great bench strength, the Middlebury men’s tennis team continued its journey to a national championship as they scored an 8-1 win over Colby College on Sunday, April 14 during a road trip to Maine. The Panthers improved to 14-1 in the season and 4-0 in NESCAC play, and currently sit in ninth place in the most recent national poll.
Due to the cancellation of a much-anticipated clash with the sixth-ranked Bowdoin Polar Bears, head coach Bob Hansen decided to bring only the first-year and sophomore players to take on the Mules, giving the upperclassmen an opportunity to practice over the weekend.
Hansen commented on his team’s weekend and the cancellation of the Bowdoin match.
“We are disappointed about the match with Bowdoin being cancelled as we were really pointing towards that match,” said Hansen.
The contest with Colby proved to be challenging for the young Panthers, as they faced much resilience across the board. In addition, the rain forced the match to be played at the courts in the indoor track field house. The surface was exceptionally slow, which served as a huge home court advantage for the Mules.
The dynamic duo of sophomore Courtney Moutifield ’15 and first-year Allen Jackson ’16 gave Middlebury its first point at the third doubles spot. The pair rolled past their opponents, dropping merely three games in the pro-set. Sophomores Chris Frost ’15 and Peter Heidrich ’15, however, fell to Colby’s number one pair 8-4. The battle came down to the wire when the number two doubles match went into a tiebreaker.
First-years Ari Smolyar ’16 and Palmer Campbell ’16 hung tight and pulled out a crucial victory. The final score in the tiebreaker was 12-10.
Leading 2-1 after doubles play, the Panthers continued to press on. With his consistent groundstrokes, Jackson rallied to a 6-4, 6-2 win at number four singles, giving the Panthers a much-needed two-point advantage. Meanwhile, Frons had a see-saw second set. Relying on his aggressive game, Frons eventually came through with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win at the third spot.
Smolyar had lengthy exchanges and split sets on the second court before his opponent was forced to retire due to a leg cramp. The match was halted at 6-4, 4-6, 3-2, allowing Middlebury to secure the match-clinching fifth point. Mountifield, a steady baseliner, used all four corners of the court and put the match to end with a 6-2 7-5 decision, giving Middlebury its sixth point of the match.
In first and sixth singles matches, Campbell and Heidrich both fell in their first sets but managed to come from behind to win. Campbell adjusted his game to the court surface by hitting a lot of slices. He won 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 and Heidrich snatched the win from his competition with the score of 4-6, 6-2, (10-2).
“Our team chemistry is growing stronger and stronger as we learn more clearly that being a championship team is more about finding ways to give and contribute as opposed to looking for what we can get,” said Hansen. “We are still trying to find our strongest lineup and to take full advantage of our great depth.”
The men will look to be tested next week as they host a trio of home matches against strong competition.
On Saturday, April 20, the team faces Stevens Tech. in the morning and then NESCAC-rival and third-ranked Williams in the afternoon. On Sunday, April 21 they will face off with the Jumbos of Tufts. In particular, the match against the Ephs will be a good benchmark to show where the Panthers stand not only in the conference but also in Division III.
Thir next challenge will then come from Amherst, who the Panthers will play in their last regular season game.
The Lord Jeffs won their second consecutive NESCAC championship last year before making a trip to the quarterfinals of the National tournament , where they were defeated by Washington University.
In 2011, Amherst’s conference championship carried over to NCAAs, and they were able to clinch the national championship.
Because both squads have a history of consistently finishing well at NCAAs, this match will have far-reaching implications not only in the NESCAC, but on the national stage, and the winner will be an early favorite at this spring’s nationals.
(04/10/13 9:45pm)
The Middlebury men’s tennis team is the ninth-ranked team in the country after starting 13-1 on the season thus far. This past weekend, April 6 and 7, the Panthers scored a pair of victories over Wesleyan and Trinity. In addition, the team concluded its week-long spring recess trip to Southern California by winning eight of the 10 contests, losing only to top-ranked Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) and to Ventura College in an unrecorded match.
On Saturday, despite a 7-2 verdict, the men saw unanticipated resistance from Wesleyan. The Cardinals managed to pull out victories in the no. 1 and no. 2 doubles matches. However, they were no match to the Panthers in singles, as Middlebury snatched wins on all six courts in singles, including a three-set conquest by junior Brantner Jones ’14 at the second singles match.
After some reshuffling in the doubles lineup, the team had a decisive 8-1 sweep over 28th-ranked Trinity on Sunday. The doubles duos of Alex Johnston ’14 and Andrew Lebovitz ’14 and James Burke ’14 and Jones handled their opponents with relative ease in the first and second doubles matches, respectively. Senior tri-captain Will Oberrender ’13 and Chris Frost ’15, meanwhile rallied to a tight 9-7 victory in the third doubles slot.
The team then won five of its six singles matches. First-year Ari Smolyar ’16 proved his ability and competitiveness, dropping just two games in the fourth singles match. Classmate Allen Jackson ’16 went through a see-saw battle before falling 4-6, 4-6 at the no. 5 spot. Relying on his lengthy strokes, fellow first-year Jackson Frons ’16 seized a victory in a 10-point super-tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets.
The Panthers’ run in California was highlighted by their four clashes against top-25 teams, including 10th-ranked UC Santa Cruz, 12th-ranked Redlands, number 24 Pomona-Pitzer, and CMS, which tops the national polls.
The team’s encounter with UC Santa Cruz on March 24 was an emotional one for head coach Bob Hansen, who was the head coach of the Banana Slugs tennis program for 30 years before making his way to Middlebury two years ago.
In contrast to the final score of 8-1, each of the matches came down to the wire. After taking two of the tree doubles matches, juniors Zach Bruchmiller ’14 and Jones both recorded quick two-set victories. Yet the Panthers faced much resilience from the spirited Banana Slugs as all four remaining singles matches went into third sets. Eventually, the combined determination and fight of Johnston, first-year Palmer Campbell ’16, tri-captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 and Teddy Fitzgibbons ’14 propelled the team to victory.
Two days later, the squad faced Redlands in a tricky environment on the Bulldogs’ home turf. In doubles play, Fitzgibbons and Lebovitz were the only Middlebury pair to come out on top, with an 8-4 win. And despite Jones’s dominant performance in the no. 2 singles match, both Johnston and Lunghino succumbed to two gusty opponents.
At this point, the Middlebury men knew they would need to take the three remaining singles matches in order to win. With his consistent groundstrokes and exceptional willpower, Fitzgibbons counterpunched to a 6-4, 6-3 victory, leaving the job of completing the comeback with Campbell and Bruchmiller. Both Panthers exhibited remarkable mental toughness as they rode the momentum of one another’s matches and pulled off the tremendous comeback. Soon after Campbell’s 6-4 win in the third set, Bruchmiller gave Middlebury the fifth point in a thrilling 7-4 tiebreaker in the deciding set. The squad had its first 5-4 triumph of the season.
The Panthers then faced the Sagehens of Pomona, a traditional West Coast tennis powerhouse. At Pomona’s Pauley Tennis Complex, doubles contests were close throughout. The big-serving pair of Johnston and Lunghino as well as the combination of Fitzgibbons and Lebovitz were winners in a pair of tiebreakers as Middlebury swept the three matches.
There were a lot of tight sets in singles play, as well. Campbell pulled out a 6-4 7-6 (4) decision, while Jones went down against an in-form regionally ranked player. At the top spot, however, Johnston did not give his opponent any breathing space as he pounced on a 6-3 6-0 verdict, cementing the Panthers’ 8-1 victory.
In the final match of the trip, CMS backed up its number one ranking by taking all three doubles points and five of the six singles matches. The Middlebury men fought hard, but were unable to turn the table as they suffered a 8-1 loss, their first this season to a Division III foe. Campbell was the lone bright spot that night. After trading blows for more than an hour-and-a-half, he squeezed out a three-set victory. Johnston and Fitzgibbons, meanwhile, suffered heartbreaking losses. Johnston went down in the third-set super tiebreaker while Fitzgibbons was defeated by a two-point margin in the tiebreaker of the final set.
“We are happy with some of our good performances in California and are looking forward to the upcoming conference matches,” said Lunghino.
Due to the cancelation of a much-anticipated clash with NESCAC rivals, and sixth-ranked Bowdoin, the Panthers will return to action when they travel to Waterville, Maine to play Colby on Sunday, April 14.
(03/14/13 12:43am)
The Middlebury ski team concluded an impressive season at the 2013 NCAA championships at home by garnering the men’s team slalom title and five individual All-American honors, with two of them from junior Ben Lustgarten ’14 on the cross-country course.
Senior David Donaldson ’13 ended his exceptional and acclaimed collegiate career, skiing to a second-place finish in the slalom event. Junior Hig Roberts ’14 proved his ability once again by coming in sixth in the same event. Together with senior Andrew McNealus ’13, the combined effort of the threesome allowed Middlebury to take home the men’s slalom championship for the second year in a row.
Sophomore Mary Sackbauer ’15 snatched ninth place in the giant slalom in her first NCAAs.
The giant slalom races at the Snow Bowl on Wednesday marked the commencement of this year’s long-awaited NCAAs. Although Sackbauer is a first-time participant, her outstanding opening performance did not disappoint the home crowd. She surged to a spectacular ninth-place finish after an improved second run.
Sackbauer commented on this new height in her skiing career.
“I am extremely happy with my performance at NCAA,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to be an All American, but I didn’t want to psych myself out so I went into the competition with no expectations. I think that helped me keep my focus and achieve my goals.”
On the men’s side, the Panthers had rough runs. Coming in as a favorite in the giant slalom, Panther favorite Donaldson did not have a smooth race. He was eighth after the first run, but fell behind in the rankings at 27th in the second run, eventually settling for 21st place.
Downhill anchors Roberts and senior McNealus had hiccups as well. Roberts came in 19th at the end with a good top-10 finish in his second run and McNealus was 28th overall.
The action moved to the Rikert Nordic Center for Thursday’s nordic competitions. Lustgarten gave everything he had in the 10K classic. His determination and perseverance propelled him to a rewarding fourth-place finish in 26:32.6.
“I am extremely happy about my performance at NCAAs, it was better than I thought I would do,” said Lustgarten. “The training and tapering I did worked perfectly for the races.”
Co-captain Austin Cobb ’14 also finished 28th.
In the women’s 5K classic, sophomore Annie Pokorny ’15 encountered a speed bump. Panther fans at the site noted that Pokorny had a great start and was in the lead until she had a hard fall and hit a tree. Despite the setback, Pokorny kept a stiff upper lip all the way and was the 18th skier to cross the finishing line.
Fellow World Championships qualifier sophomore Heather Mooney ’15 completed the course at 26th place and promising first-year Kelsey Phinney rounded off at 34th place.
Friday marked the dramatic return of the Middlebury alpine team. Sackbauer started the day with a 19th-place finish in the slalom event, capping off her encouraging campaign this year. Donaldson put all he had at stake for his final collegiate race. After a perfect first run and a slight slip in the second run, he was forced to settle for second place, 0.28 seconds behind the winner. Roberts delivered a consistent performance with a pleasing 10th-place finish in the first run and 12th in the second run, making him the sixth fastest skier in the slalom across the country.
McNealus also had an incredible start, following close behind Donaldson in the first run at the second position. He eventually came in 21st, raising the trio to the highest team score out of all the schools in the nation.
“I am pretty happy with the way the nationals went,” said Donaldson. “It was a little bittersweet. Second in the slalom wasn’t what I wanted, but still pretty incredible. Defending the men’s slalom title from last year was certainly a big make-up for how disastrously we skied on Wednesday in the giant slalom. [I am] hoping that the team will be able to defend the slalom title again next season.”
This is the second consecutive year that the men’s slalom team was crowned champion at the NCAAs, and a repeat for Roberts and McNealus, as both of them were part of the 2012 squad.
“I am very proud of our performance, especially in the men’s Slalom where we took the national title,” said Roberts. “It is pretty amazing to think that Middlebury can hold strong with anyone in the country including powerhouses like Colorado and [UVM]. It was so rewarding to see all our hardwork pay off, and to do it in front of a massive, loud home crowd was something I will remember for the rest of my life.”
The final day of the championships was highlighted by Lustgarten’s tenacity at Rikert. First up was the women’s 15K freestyle event. Phinney and Mooney finished back-to-back at the 34th and 35th positions. Due to her injury from Thursday, Pokorny had to drop out of the race after completing only one third.
In the men’s 20K freestyle, Lustgarten was neck-to-neck with other skiers in the leading pack but was edged out by a small margin at the very end. He finished in eighth place as the sole Panther to gather two All-American honors at this year’s NCAAs. Cobb finished 31st.
After four days of intense competition, the Middlebury team finished 10th with a total of 357 points. Colorado snatched the team trophy while Utah and Vermont came second and third.
“The week was a culmination of years of work and planning by the folks at Midd skiing, Rikert and the Bowl alike,” said Pokorny. “It was so cool to see everything come together and watch what happens when an entire community supports an event.”
For the young nordic men’s team, they will look to return all their skiers with Lustgarten and Cobb continuing to lead the group. On the women’s side, the team hopes to build on the hard-earned experience and confidence heading into next year.
“We’ll certainly undergo big changes, as our head nordic coach, Andrew Gardner, is stepping down, but I think that if anything that provides us with a great opportunity to create a new team culture that builds on everything the skiers before us have brought to the table,” said Pokorny. “I’m sorry to see this season pass, but I’m excited to see what this group will have to offer the circuit next year.”
As for the alpine women’s team, despite the graduation of captain Christine Schozer ’13, Sackbauer and her teammates are committed to hold onto their work ethic and train their way back next season.
Donaldson, McNealus and captain Bryan Shpall ’13 will be bidding farewell to the men’s alpine circuit. They will surely be remembered as examples of true Panther team spirit and their selfless contribution to making the program one of the very best in the country.
“Middlebury skiing is most certainly on everybody’s radar and our men’s team has shown that we are serious contenders on any day, any event and against any national team,” said Pokorny. “It is all very exciting and humbling to be a part of.”
(03/14/13 12:04am)
The Middlebury men’s tennis team opened its season by fending off three teams at home this past weekend, including NESCAC foe and no. 12 Bates College. The depth of the Panther squad came into play once again, as it remained dominant in the lower part of the singles and doubles lineups. This crucial win over the Bobcats might prove to be useful at the end of the season in NCAA selection, as it did last year.
On Saturday, Middlebury’s bench strength was on full display. The men scored a complete 9-0 sweep against SUNY Oneonta. All the players won their matches in a convincing manner.
Senior captain Will Oberrender ’13 and Chris Frost ’15 stormed to an 8-0 win at no. 1 doubles. First-years Allen Jackson ’16, Ari Smolyar ’16 and Jackson Frons ’16 came out on top with relative ease in their debut performances, combining to lose only seven out of 36 games. Sophomore Courtney Mountifield ’15 had a seesaw first set but capped a 6-4, 6-0 verdict at no. 3. Frost and junior James Burke ’14 did not encounter any problems at the fifth and sixth spots in singles play.
Later that day, the top half of the team went up against unranked Brandeis University.
The squad pulled out a 2-1 lead after the doubles contests. The duo of Brantner Jones ’14 and Palmer Campbell ’16 wasted little time and won their match 8-2 at no. 3 doubles. While the lefty-righty pair of Andrew Lebovitz ’14 and Teddy Fitzgibbons ’14 battled to a lengthy 8-6 victory at no. 2, the top pair of Alex Johnston ’14 and captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 fell by the same score in a close margin to the talented Judges.
In singles play, the Panthers only dropped one set and had straight-set victories across the board. The matches were closer than it seemed on paper, however, especially in the upper lineup. Johnston displayed his mental toughness and ability to handle pressure with his win in the third-set super-tiebreaker at the top spot. Jones, returning from abroad, relied on his fight and squeezed out a tight 6-4, 6-4 victory. With his aggressive baseline play, Campbell came away with the score of 6-1, 6-4 in his first dual match appearance.
Sunday’s clash with Bates College proved to be less tricky than previously anticipated, as their no. 1 player Rob Crampton was absent due to sickness. Crampton was last year’s NCAA singles semi-finalist.
The Middlebury men showed no mercy, proceeding to a 7-2 decision. The two losses came from Johnston/Lunghino in a competitive matchup and Campbell at no. 3 singles against Pierre Planch, an on-fire Bobcat. The scores of the two matches were 6-8 and 4-6, 4-6 respectively.
Later, both Johnston and Lunghino bounced back in singles play. Lunghino, with his powerful serve and forehand, took down his opponent in the no. 4 spot swiftly. Johnston faced Matt Bettles, the crafty lefty. Relying on his simple, yet effective tactic of attacking his opponent’s backhand, Johnston snatched the win with a tiebreaker in the second set.
At no. 2 singles, Jones rallied to a 7-5, 6-2 conquest by breaking down his rival’s confidence early on. In the bottom of the lineup, the “top-heavy” Bobcat squad was no comparison to the Panthers. The one-two punch of baseliners Fitzgibbons and classmate Zach Bruchmiller ’14 dropped only five out of a total of 24 games at the no. 5 and no. 6 spots.
Although senior captain Alec Parower ’13 was sidelined due to sickness, he was happy with how the weekend turned out.
“We competed really hard regardless of how well we were playing, which is a great starting point,” he said. “We have some work to do before our trip to California, but the opening weekend was a great start.”
The Middlebury men will return to action in less than two weeks’ time during a spring break to California.
The team will look to take up the physical and mental challenge of playing ten matches in the span of six days. High points of the trip will include matches against 11th place UC Santa Cruz, 17th place Redlands, 16th place Pomona-Pitzer, and fourth-place Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
Last year’s trip to California proved successful for the team with wins again Pomona and Concordia, losing only 6-3 at Claremont.
(03/07/13 1:04am)
The 2013 NCAA Skiing Championships is well underway at the Snow Bowl and the Rikert Nordic Center. Described by Athletic Director Erin Quinn as a “once-in-a-decade” Middlebury event, the Championships required comprehensive and meticulous preparation work. From submitting a bid back in 2009 to running all the races smoothly throughout the week, a great amount of resources, time and manpower have been dedicated to making the 60th NCAA Skiing Championship a success.
This marks the fifth time the College has hosted the nationwide ski races. The College has previously been selected to host the event in 1961, 1972, 1988 and 2001 — approximately once every 10 years — establishing its ski slopes as some of the most storied in Championship history.
Given that ski programs are not delineated by division, the NCAA Championships stand, across the country, as the most significant collegiate ski carnival of the year. Other sports events of comparable scale hosted by the College include the men’s and women’s ice hockey championships, most recently in the 2009.
“There are not too many other opportunities to host the actual championships,” said Quinn. “It is a great honor for Middlebury College Athletics and our ski programs. It is also an honor for the staff at the Snow Bowl and Rikert to showcase their facilities and professionalism.”
In addition to Quinn, the Organizing Committee is comprised of Championship Director and former Middlebury ski coach Terry Aldrich, Operations and Events Manager Franklin Dean-Farrar of Athletic Facilities, Director of Athletics Communication Brad Nadeau, Snow Bowl Director Peter Mackey and Rikert Director Mike Hussey.
With regards to the role of the committee, Aldrich explained, “The Organizing Committee has been meeting for over a year. The committee has [the] responsibility to make sure all NCAA rules, regulations and guidelines are met.”
A long list of logistics is involved.
“We are hosting a banquet and an awards barbeque for over 200 skiers, coaches and administrators,” said Aldrich. “Equipment such as racing bibs, snow fencing, alpine gates, cross country course markers, all had to be ordered. Reservations at local hotels had to be made for members of the NCAA ski committee. Arrangements at the Middlebury Inn, our race headquarters, needed to be made for the nightly meetings. Organizing the huge number of volunteers necessary to administer races of this magnitude has been a major responsibility. Peter Mackey and Mike Hussey have been very busy making snow for the event and grooming to ensure that we can provide the safest and best-prepared courses. These are just a few of the responsibilities of the Organizing Committee.”
The week-long event is celebrated both on and off the ski slopes. Beginning on Sunday, March 3, 21 colleges and universities gathered in Middlebury for the 60th NCAA Ski Championships, including teams hailing from as far away as Montana, Alaska, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. The race venues were open on March 4 and 5 for all skiers to practice and be familiarized with the competition routes. From March 6 through March 9, the alpine portion of the event will be taking place at the Snow Bowl while the nordic races alight on the racecourses of the newly refashioned Carroll and Jane Rikert Nordic Center. In addition, a championship banquet, administrative meetings and other events are scheduled over the course of the week.
Boasting 17 state-of-the-art trails, the Snow Bowl is a popular destination for students, faculty and staff, as well as local residents. In order to maintain its preeminence, the Snow Bowl has been regularly refurbished in the lead-up to this year. In 2006, the Ross and Allen trails — where the slalom and giant slalom races of the championship are contested — were widened and had their contours groomed. In 2009, a chairlift worth $1.7 million was installed to replace the then-existing double-chair lift.
The new fixed-grip, triple-chair lift is located on Worth Mountain, the alpine competition site. Moreover, fiber-optic cable was added to improve communication services at the venue. This week, in addition to the live online webcast, the 15-foot wide video board located at the bottom of the hill near the base lodge will display all downhill races and allow spectators to have a clear view of the skiers’ high-level performance. In conjunction with this broadcast, two-time Olympian and Vermont native Doug Lewis will provide commentary to complement the visual performance.
Meanwhile, a mile-and-a-half west of the Snow Bowl, trails at the Rikert Nordic Center have been restored and redesigned in anticipation of the event. Under the leadership of Hussey, who was appointed as the director of Rikert in April 2011, Middlebury’s cross-country skiing headquarters have been upgraded in a myriad ways. A new groomer was purchased, a five-kilometer course was constructed in 2011 and an $850,000 snowmaking system — the most extensive of its kind in North America — was installed in early February this year. With inconsistent snowfall over the past month, the snowmaking machines have been put to good use, and staff at Rikert have been consistently making snow in the past weeks to prevent having to move the event to another venue.
“The 5K Tormondsen Family Race Trail is built to Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) specifications,” said Hussey in regards to the newly furnished competition trail. “With the certification of the FIS we are able to host championship races and other national and international events. It is a great spectators course, as the competitors will pass by the spectators in the stadium area a number of times in the 5K loop. It is a trail that takes both stamina and strategy to be able to win a race.”
With state-of-the-art skiing facilities and professional management at both venues, top skiers from all over the country, the College is well prepared to host this high-stakes championship event.
Quinn believes that the dedication and the exceptional work of the personnel involved is a vital ingredient to the major undertaking of the College.
“The staff at the Snow Bowl and Rikert have been outstanding, as have our ski coaches, Director of Sports Medicine Dave Matthews, Brad Nadeau and Franklin Dean-Farrar,” said Quinn. “In addition, lots of other people have had a hand in various aspects of the planning. We have had excellent partners in town at the Middlebury Inn and the Courtyard by Marriott as well. We were also fortunate that we were able to hire former ski coach and cross country coach, Terry Aldrich, to serve as the tournament director; we could not have done it without him.”
Nordic events are being held at Rikert today and Saturday, March 9, while the alpine competition began at the Snow Bowl yesterday and will conclude tomorrow. A number of Middlebury skiers, including a full alpine men’s team and nordic women’s team, qualified for the events.
(02/27/13 11:45pm)
Competition is getting increasingly intense each week for the ski teams as the National Championships is just around the corner. Last weekend, Panther skiers went neck-to-neck with University of New Hampshire (UNH) at the EISA Championships at Bates College in Maine.
Unfortunately, they missed the team podium by the narrowest of margins and were one point short in the overall score. Dave Donaldson ’13.5 worked his magic once again and posted his fifth giant slalom win at Sunday River out of the total of six races this season. Hig Roberts ’14, a consistent top-10 skier, proved himself a legitimate title contender by capturing first place in the slalom event. US National Team member Annie Pokorny ’15 skid to a nail-biting finish, snatching runner-up in the 5K classic, while nordic captain Ben Lustgarten ’14 seized a third-place finish in the 10K classic.
Post-season awards were announced on Sunday, and Donaldson was the outright Podiumwear Leader Bib winner and was named a first-team selection. Also in the All-East first team were alpine team anchors Andrew McNealus ’13, Pokorny and Lustgarten. Roberts, together with up-and-comer Mary Sackbauer ’15 were second-team selections. Alpine assistant coach Abby Copland, in her third year at Middlebury, was honored as the EISA Alpine Coach of the Year.
On day one, as per usual, the alpine squads were the first to go in the giant slalom events. Sophomore Sackbauer gave the Panthers a good start and continued to be in fine form by coming in seventh, which added to her four other top-eight finishes in the latest carnivals. Classmates Kara Shaw ’15 and Yina Moe-Lange ’15 placed 18th and 24th, respectively.
On the men’s side, Donaldson successfully fended off foes from University of Vermont (UVM) with his consistent performance and remarkable ability in handling pressure. He led the way in both runs and recaptured the top prize at relative ease with the time of 2:32.93. Roberts and McNealus followed in seventh and 10th, respectively. Senior captain Bryan Shpall ’13 rounded off at 19th place.
On the other hand, at the Black Mountain, the women’s 5K classic was a see-saw race between Pokorny and archrival Dartmouth’s Mary O’Connell. Pokorny was ahead early on but was caught by O’Connell at the end by merely 1.7 seconds. Heather Mooney ’15, and senior captains Keely Levins ’13 and Hilary Rich ’13 crossed the finished line back-to-back at the 15th to 17th positions. In the men’s 10K classic, Lustgarten paced the Panthers and picked up his seventh top-five finish this season. He sat on third place, 7.3 seconds behind the top Catamount skier. Fellow captain and classmate Austin Cobb ’14 came in 18th while sophomore Dylan McGarthwaite ’15 finished at 25th place.
On day two, Hig Roberts gave the Panthers another taste of victory by edging out first run leader, UVM’s Jonathan Nordbotten, to claim his first title in the men’s slalom.
Classmate Liam Mulhern ’14 had a 17th place finish, whereas both Donaldson and McNealus experienced rough runs.
On the women’s side, Sackbauer came in at a solid seventh position. Promising first-year Katelyn Barclay ’16 was 22nd, while sophomores Makenzie Brown ’15 and Shaw claimed 28th and 29th finishes.
Meanwhile, the nordic races were well underway. Pokorny carried the team once again at fourth place and Mooney followed by at 11th place. First-year Kelsey Phinney ’16 showed potential, completing the race at the 16th position. Classmate Issy Pelletier ’16 and Rich garnered 26th and 27th place finishes respectively. A good seventh place concluded Lustgarten’s venture at the regional championships.
Looking ahead, with about 10 more days until all eyes set on the Snow Bowl and the Rikert Nordic Center for the Big show, it is clear that heading into the final event of the season, the alpine and nordic squads are aiming to reclaim a team podium finish and to produce a few individual champions. Nine skiers will be representing Middlebury: they are Donaldson, McNealus, Roberts, Sackbauer, Lustgarten, Cobb, Pokorny, Mooney and Phinney.
“I do have confidence that our team will rise up to the added pressure of NCAA championships, but what is exceptional about our team is our camaraderie,” said Cobb. “We thoroughly enjoy each other’s company and celebrate each other’s success. As such, we race for more than just ourselves, we race for each other and for Middlebury.”
The ski team captains simultaneously pointed out that being the host school could be the deciding factor in lifting the Panther skiers past other teams.
“Our team has the distinct advantage of knowing our hill and having trained on it so many times,” said alpine skier Christine Schozer ’13. “All four competitors have had [at least two] years of experience on Allen and Ross. The terrain at the Snow Bowl is the most challenging on the circuit in terms of adapting and making speed. Once you know the tricks, it becomes a whole lot easier.”
Tremendous belief is reflected in Schozer’s words, as she continued, “[Luckily] for us, our four athletes know what it takes and have proven it. David Donaldson is a previous NCAA Giant Slalom champion, Roberts and McNealus are both two-time NCAA All-Americans. This is Sackbauer’s first time qualifying for NCAAs, but she placed second at the Middlebury Carnival in Giant Slalom and has been dominating this last month race after race. If anyone has built up confidence, it’s Mary, and no one should ever underestimate the power of confidence. There will definitely be shining moments in the coming weeks.”
Keeley Levins ’13 from the nordic team echoed the significance of having a “home advantage”.
“Skiing on our home course brings out the best in this team,” she said. “Annie’s decisive victory at Middlebury Carnival proves how seriously this team takes racing at home. It’s a big advantage, and it’s putting a lot of fire into this team. They’re excited, they’re ready and everybody should come out and watch – it’s going to be a fun week.”
Beginning next Sunday, teams from all over the country will arrive and register. Then for two days in a row, all skiers will get the opportunity to practice at the venues. Tuesday night will be the Championship Banquet, to be held in Atwater. Wednesday will feature the men and women’s giant slalom.
Thursday highlights the women’s 5K and men’s 10K classics. The spotlight goes back to the alpine teams on Friday with the slalom events. After the women’s 15K freestyle and men’s 20K freestyle the Championships will draw to an end. Most races are either in the morning or around noontime. From the action-packed schedule, it is not hard to imagine that the town and the College will be filled with excitement and enthusiasm a week from now. Undoubtedly, the hard work of those event organizers and the Panther skiers will be translated into rewarding fruits of success.
(02/20/13 6:38pm)
The Panther ski teams successfully fortified their place on the podium by finishing third overall at the home carnival this past weekend. Nordic standout and U.S. National Team member Annie Pokorny ’15 earned her second win this season in the women’s 5K classic. Sophomore Mary Sackbauer ’15 once again proved herself to be instrumental to the alpine team as she came in second overall after finishing just 0.4 seconds behind the first place finisher in the women’s giant slalom.
The alpine races were held at the Snow Bowl while the nordic events took place at the Rikert Nordic Center. Since both of the venues will host the NCAA Ski Championships in a few weeks’ time, a lot of teams in the conference saw the Middlebury Carnival as an important trial run and a prelude to Nationals.
The changing and unpredictable weather played a role in the competition, particularly in the cross-country contests.
“Both days, I made a last minute ski choice based on the weather. On Friday, we were waffling between klister and zero (waxless) skis; luckily, I chose the right one on my way to the start,” Pokorny explained. “On Saturday, even though it was colder and snowing, the man-made snow called for a warmer, softer ski. Even though Heather Mooney ’15 and I raced on our colder skis, the wax and atmosphere was so good, we managed just fine!”
At the Snow Bowl downhill skiers enjoyed much better conditions.
“We have a lot more snow on the alpine hill than the nordic hill,” said Sackbauer. “The Snow Bowl crew worked really hard to make enough snow, so we could have perfect conditions for our race. The few warm days before the race actually helped our snow because it added moisture into it during the day and then it froze at night, which makes a rock hard surface just the way we like it.”
On day one of the 90th Middlebury College Winter Carnival, the Panthers came out in front with Pokorny’s victory in the women’s 5K classic. The outstanding skier dominated the course, finishing 20 seconds ahead of her opponent. Pokorny believed that a last-minute decision in changing her skis and her familiarity with the racing course were some of the most crucial factors to her success.
“I was lucky to have changed my skis on my way to the start pen. Being last on the start list allowed me the time to test skis as the weather changed. (This) definitely helped sway things in my favor,” said Pokorny. “Although it was my first time racing on our course, I had skied it enough to know that the last hill is the most difficult, and even though I was four seconds down on the second hill, my having trained on course so much gave me the confidence to really put the hammer down in the last two kilometers.”
Her teammates, Mooney, finished at 17th, and captain Hilary Rich ’13 followed, placing 25th. In the men’s 10K classic, Ben Lustgarten ’14 spearheaded the men’s nordic team with yet another solid performance. As one of the skiers in the leading pack throughout the two laps, he snatched a fifth place finish. Dylan McGarthwaite ’15 and Austin Cobb ’14 came in 15th and 24th place, respectively.
As for the alpine squad, Sackbauer paced the team at eighth place in the women’s slalom alongside classmates Katelyn Barclay ’15, who finished ninth, and Kerry Daigle ’15, who rounded off at 17th place.
“The girls have stepped up and I believe it is the result of the dedication of the [girls] team to fundamentals and being accountable for making positive change in technique,” said head coach Stever Bartlett in regards to the women’s recent upsurge in confidence. “They had the environment and training opportunity to learn and improve, and they demanded that of themselves. It is a good feeling to see them work hard at some very specific goals and have success in achieving them.”
The men had encouraging results as well. The one-two punch of anchors Andrew McNealus ’13 and Hig Roberts ’14 resulted in a promising third-fourth finish in the men’s slalom.
On day two in the women’s 15K freestyle race, Pokorny picked up a good eighth place finish. Mooney and Issy Pelletier ’16 completed the course one after another in the 19th and 20th positions. In the men’s 20K freestyle, Lustgarten was less than one second short from a podium finish, coming in fourth just behind Darmouth’s Scott Lacy. Classmate Austin Cobb ’14 was 13th and McGarthwaite placed 22nd.
Meanwhile, back at the Snow Bowl, the giant slalom races were well underway. On the men’s side, star skier Dave Donaldson ’14 fell just short of another win. His winning streak snapped with a third place finish, behind former teammates and alpine veterans Jonathan Nordbotten and Travis Dawson from the University of Vermont.
Following 0.01 seconds behind Donaldson was classmate Roberts, who has been a consistent top-10 finisher recent carnivals. McNealus and captain Bryan Shpall ’13 finished in the 10th and 12th position, while Liam Mulhern ’14 was the 18th skier to cross the finish line.
On the women’s end, Sackbauer showed her prowess.
“Mary Sackbauer is on fire,” said Bartlett.
The sophomore continued her hot streak and pulled off an exceptional performance finishing in second place. She thoroughly enjoyed the race and it showed in her results.
“It is one most exciting events I could ever be included in,” said Sackbauer. “As my captain [Christine Schozer ’13] mentioned in the meeting the night before the race, it may be the only time in our lives we have hundreds of people cheering for us. On the alpine giant slalom course, the spectators stand in the middle of the run, so even though you are completely focused you can hear them yelling at you. It is an incredible feeling and makes you want to go that much faster.”
In the same event, first-year Kara Shaw ’16 rounded off at 14th place.
Looking ahead, the Panthers will travel to Sunday River, Maine for the NCAA Regionals, also referred to as the EISA championships, hosted by Bates College on Feb. 22 and 23.
“We will be looking for the guys to win either the slalom or giant slalom team events as well as placing more men on the podium,” Bartlett said. “The girls will be skiing for NCAA qualification. Top fives and top 10’s will help in that cause. (Sackbauer) has been in the top 10 in all of the last four races. Don’t rule her out for a win.”
(02/13/13 10:34pm)
The Panther ski teams had a pivotal breakthrough as they landed on the podium in third place at the Dartmouth Winter Carnival, after two fourth-place finishes at University of Vermont (UVM) and Colby. Junior men’s alpine standout Dave Donaldson ’14 won two more races and is still undefeated thus far in the men’s giant slalom, winning four of four races in the circuit. Nordic skiers Ben Lustgarten ’14 and Annie Pokorny ’15 had exceptional performances and were victorious in the men’s 10K classic at Colby and women’s 5K freestyle at UVM, respectively.
While the rest of the school was on break, the Panther skiers were competing on the road, beginning with the Colby Winter Carnival from Jan. 25 - 27. Then on Feb. 2 and 3, while the alpine teams took a breather, members of the men’s and women’s Nordic Team raced at the neighboring UVM. Finally, the nordic and alpine squads joined forces again this past weekend at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H.
Middlebury had solid showings at Colby and UVM, coming in fourth overall on both occasions. The Panthers were 77 points and 71 points behind UNH in each competition.
Highlights of the Colby meet include Donaldson’s unceasing reign and Hig Roberts ’14 finishing sixth in the men’s giant slalom, Donaldson’s second place and Roberts’ fifth place accomplishments in the men’s slalom, as well as Lustgarten’s career-high win in the men’s 10K classic, his third place finish in the men’s 20K freestyle and Kelsey Phinney ’16 finishing sixth in the women’s 5K classic.
Lustgarten commented on the mindset the team adopts in being the best and competing against the best.
“I have high expectations for myself,” said Lustgarten. “I want to put Middlebury on the map and break up the UVM/Dartmouth podium finishes at the carnival. It is hard to be in the shadow of last year’s Patrick Johnson [’12] but I am trying to ski my own races and do the best that I can.”
For Donaldson, belief in self is instrumental.
“Confidence is very important,” he said. “I think that confidence is won one drop at a time and lost in buckets. So its important to keep focused every day of training, and really take it ‘one day at a time’.”
In the nordic portion of the UVM Carnival, Pokorny was able to translate the experience gained from World Championships in Liberec, Czech Republic to the collegiate scene. She captured first place in the women’s 5K freestyle in a convincing manner. Following in the eighth position was Heather Mooney ’15, who also represented U.S.A. in Europe. In the women’s 10K freestyle, the one-two punch of Pokorny and Mooney crossed the finish line second and forth.
On the other hand, Lustgarten led his team once again, placing third in the 10K classic and sixth in the 10K freestyle. Back at the U-23 World Championships, Mooney — an experienced international skier — nailed a top-20 finish and placed 26th in another. Pokorny, despite catching the “Vermont Flu,” managed to reach the top 30 in two races.
“Making the jump to third was definitely a big move,” said Donaldson.
It was a combined effort – the outstanding performance of the women’s alpine team and the consistency brought by seasoned skiers – that allowed Middlebury to overtake UNH by 78 points so far.
The men’s and women’s slalom events were forced to be postponed to this coming Sunday due to blizzard Nemo’s incursion into New England during the week.
“As a team, Middlebury has historically taken fourth in almost every carnival (at least since I’ve been around),” said Pokorny. “To make the leap into the top three was a big deal for us. Our alpine team absolutely slew it – the women in particular stepped it up for the weekend and our placing is a result of strong finishes across the board.”
Donaldson achieved a stellar ‘4-peat’ in Hanover with the time of 1:59.66 and veteran Andrew McNealus ’13 followed closely in the third position in the men’s giant slalom. The women’s alpine team was also on a hot streak. Mary Sackbauer ’15 led the team with a career-first fifth-place finish, and Yina Moe-Lange ’15 and Kara Shaw ’15 rounded up by placing 10th and tenth in the women’s giant slalom.
For the nordic crew, Pokorny cemented her spot as a perpetual title contender, coming in second in the women’s 5K classic, and Lustgarten picked up a seventh-place finish in the men 10K classic. In addition, the relay team of Pokorny, first-year Kelsey Phinney ’16, and senior captain Hilary Rich ’13 came fourth in the women 3x5K freestyle event.
Looking ahead, the Panthers will return to the Snow Bowl this weekend at the long-awaited annual Middlebury Winter Carnival. Since the College will be hosting the NCAA Championships this year, the races this weekend will surely serve as a crucial learning opportunity for the ski teams.
“We’re racing the same distances on the same course as NCAAs, so this weekend is definitely a trial run for the big show,” said Pokorny. “We take pride in our course being especially difficult, a lot of work has gone into its building and maintenance to ensure that it challenges a field as deep as that at NCAAs.”
In addition, the Rikert Nordic Center recently installed an $850,000 snow making system.
Heading into the second-to-last carnival before Nationals, Lustgarten has a lot of belief on the Middlebury Ski Team.
“I know that our team has worked very hard all year long,” he said. “We have amazing talent and the skill to continue to have team podium finishes for the next two carnivals. We may not have the depth yet to crack the top two – UVM and Dartmouth – but third place is possible for us and hopefully we can do that again.”
“I think we can definitely make it into the top three next weekend,” said Pokorny. “You ski differently when you race at home. Finally making it onto our home course, which has been a challenge the last two years due to snow conditions, will make a difference as well – having fans on site changes the game.”
(01/24/13 12:45am)
Despite the absence of key members from the women’s nordic squad, the Middlebury ski teams delivered yet another strong showing this past weekend, Jan. 18 and 19, as they came fourth overall in the St. Lawrence University Winter Carnival at Whiteface Mountain and Mount Von Hovenberg in Lake Placid, N.Y. David Donaldson ’14 of the men’s alpine team eased through the weekend, continuing his command from the previous week by winning both slalom events.
As a team, Middlebury came second in the men’s giant slalom after strong finishes by a number of skiers. Donaldson led the way for the Panthers, finishing first in front of Jonathan Nordbotten of the University of Vermont by more than a second in the giant slalom event. Nordbotten is a talented Catamount who recently returned from competing in the World Cup. Donaldson had the upper hand, however, and crossed the finish line with a time of 1:58:14. Teammate Andrew McNealus ’13, a long-time anchor of the Middlebury team, followed closely behind in third place. Captain Bryan Shpall ’13 took 14th, while Hig Roberts ’14 finished 15th.
In the slalom event Middlebury took first. Donaldson fended off yet another skier from UVM in dominant fashion with the time of 1:21:98. This time, McNealus placed seventh, Roberts in eighth position and Shpall rounded off at 14th.
In the women’s giant slalom, the sophomore trio of Kara Shaw ’15, Yina Moe-Lange ’15 and Katelyn Barclay ’15 lifted the Panthers. They came in 13th, 18th and 22nd, respectively. In the women’s slalom, second-year Kerry Daigle ’15 paced the pack with a 20th-place finish. Shaw and Barclay completed the race back-to-back in the 26th and 27th positions.
On the nordic circuit, this marked the opening carnival on the season. When asked about their performance in the past weekend, junior Ben Lustgarten ’14 echoed his team’s desire for improvement.
In the men’s 20K freestyle, Lustgarten skied into seventh-place, while classmate Austin Cobb ’14 finished 17th. Sophomore Dylan McGarthwaite ’15 rounded out the Panthers in the race in 27th position.
“We are mostly satisfied with the racing, but we are not going to settle there at all,” said Lustgarten. “We are hungry for more and know as the season progresses we will all be competing at a higher level. The hard work is paying off and in order to prepare ourselves for the season our training will be more intensive on interval days so that we all push each other to go harder and faster and so that we can work together.”
In the men’s 3K prologue freestyle, McGarthwaite had a seventh-place finish. Lustgarten came in 15th and Cobb in 24th.
On the women’s side, absent Annie Pokorny ’15 and Heather Mooney ’15, who are currently competing at the World U-23 Championships in Europe, first-years Kelsey Phinney ’16, Kaitlin Fink ’16 and Issy Pelletier ’16 stepped up to shoulder the responsibility. Phinney finished 14th in the women’s 15K freestyle. Fink and Pelletier came in 17th and 22nd.
The next day in the women’s 3K prologue freestyle, Pelletier paced the Panthers at 13th-place, followed by Phinney in 15th position. Senior captain Keely Levins ’13 finished in 20th, while Fink came in 25th. After having her first taste of collegiate skiing, Phinney is excited to reach the winter.
“We spend the summer and fall training and looking forward to this time of year,” said Phinney. “I know everyone is excited to be in race season again. This is my first year here so I’m looking forward to experiencing it all for the first time.”
Once again, the St. Lawrence Carnival proved to be a battle between the “Big Four” of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA): UVM, Dartmouth, University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Middlebury. Analogous to NESCAC being one of the strongest conferences in a lot of sports in Division III, the EISA has some of the most competitive ski programs in the country.
Defending NCAA Champion University of Vermont compiled a total of 1013 points for first place. Meanwhile, the Panthers finished in fourth place with 695 points, 53 points behind UNH and 144 points ahead of Bates College.
“I think the men are really finding a good rhythm. We have been working really well together, and everyone is in the mix so our confidence is pretty high,” said Donaldson. “Our girls need to catch fire a little bit to remain competitive with UNH and Dartmouth in the overall team scores. They have the ability, but just haven’t had results to help give them the confidence required to win at this level. [We are] on the cusp though.”
In terms of preparation for the winter circuit’s four remaining carnivals at Colby, UVM, Dartmouth, Middlebury and Bates, not to mention NCAA championships, McGarthwaite says he wants his team to have a little fun.
“We are at the point in the season were we have already devoted eight long months of intense training and now it is really the time to have fun,” McGarthwaite said. “In order to prepare for nationals we need to translate the work we have already done into fast ski racing and plenty of rest in between.”
The Panthers will return to action this Friday, Jan. 25, at Colby College for a three-day meet.
(01/17/13 3:26am)
The Middlebury ski teams opened their season with laudable performances on both sides as they represented the College in Vermont and Utah. The alpine team scored a solid fourth place finish at the University of Vermont Winter Carnival over the weekend, while Annie Pokorny ’15 and Heather Mooney ’15 of the women’s nordic ski team qualified to represent Team USA in the 2013 World U-23 Championships with top finishes at the U.S. Cross Country Championship.
Traditional ski powerhouse and 2012 National Champion University of Vermont hosted the alpine half of their Winter Carnival in a two-day meet last Friday Jan. 11 and Saturday Jan. 12.
On the men’s side, junior standout David Donaldson ’14 won the men’s giant slalom with a time of 2:02.72 in his debut performance as a Panther. Donaldson, a transfer and Toronto native, could not compete last year due to NCAA rules.
As a first-year back in 2009, Donaldson won the NCAA Ski Championship Giant Slalom event and was named the ESIA Male Alpine Rookie of the Year.
When asked about the feeling of returning to his previous school for his first appearance on the Middlebury team, the former Catamount and 2009 Male Collegiate Skier of the Year said, “It was a lot of fun to get to race as a Panther finally. I have been waiting for the opportunity for what seems far too long, especially to get to start the season on my old home hill at Stowe Mountain against a lot of my old friends and teammates.”
Despite Donaldson’s victory, the giant slalom contest on Friday was a close race. After the first run, Donaldson, together with Andrew McNealus ’13 and Hig Roberts ’14, both returning members of last year’s Slalom National Championship Team, paced themselves in the top five. However, in the second run, McNealus and Roberts both had difficulties. McNealus missed a gate, while Roberts lost a ski. In the end, Liam Mulhern ’14 came 14th and senior captain Bryan Shpall ’13 placed 18th.
In the men’s slalom on Saturday, unstable weather and inconsistent snow conditions stood in the way of the Panther downhill skiers. Donaldson came away with a 10th place finish whilst his five other teammates were unable to complete the race.
“I have pretty high expectations for myself and the team,” said Donaldson. “I think it will only take one weekend of good results all around to start a real hot streak. And once we get rolling I think all roads lead to a good NCAA performance on our home hill.”
On the women’s side, sophomore Kara Shaw ’15 finished sixth in the women’s giant slalom with the time of 1:02.84 on Friday, Jan. 11. Katelyn Barclay ’15 finished 12th, followed by classmate Yina Moe-Lange ’15 in 16th place.
The second-year trio spearheaded the young Middlebury alpine women’s team again on Saturday Jan. 12, in the women’s slalom. Barclay crossed the finishing line in the ninth position. Shaw came behind in 21st place and Moe-Lange rounded off in 28th.
In Utah at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, Pokorny and Mooney both qualified to ski for the nation in Liberic, Czech Republic at the end of January in the 2013 World U-23 Championships. Pokorny had an outstanding showing on the Olympic courses at Soldier Hollow, as she finished fourth in the skate 10K race. Since she was the fastest female college skier in the event, she won the “Collegiate Cup.”
“This year was my fourth year racing at Nationals,” said Pokorny. “They were held at a venue that I raced on all through my junior career, so going into the races I was comfortable with the courses and altitude.”
Meanwhile, Mooney came in eighth place in the classic sprint race and earned herself a second trip to Europe after having qualified for the World U-23 Championship once before. Three other women and several men on the Nordic Ski Team also competed.
“When you’re in a race with a teammate, it helps you keep your head, it brings you back to training days and helps you ski fast and relaxed,” said Pokorny. “It’s so exciting to have two of us in Europe. The field at the World Championships is likely to be the most competitive I’ve ever faced. Many of the women I’ll be competing against are regulars on the world cup circuit. I intend to race my own race and absorb the experience.”
Both the alpine and nordic squads are looking to regroup and build on their current results in the coming weekend at the St. Lawrence Carnival in Whiteface. With great depth, leadership from NCAA veterans, and an outstanding showing of star skiers, the Middlebury ski teams are looking to pave the way for the NCAA Championships at our Snow Bowl in early March.
(10/10/12 11:43pm)
The Middlebury men’s tennis team heads into the last part of the fall season with tremendous confidence after the men split into two squads to pick up wins at both the Dartmouth Shootout in Hanover, N.H. as well as the Bates College Wallach Invitational in Lewiston, Maine, Oct. 5-7.
“[It was] nice to know our guys can successfully compete against Division I teams,” said Head Coach Bob Hansen of the group that played at Dartmouth. “[There were] tons of stars as everyone won matches.”
First-year Ari Smolyar ’16 won Flight no. 5 singles bracket. He won two straight-set victories over players from Stony Brook and Williams before defeating Eph Jose Raventtos 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a grueling final match.
Senior captain Spencer Lunghino ’13 advanced to the finals of the Flight no. 4 singles draw after defeating challengers from Dartmouth and Williams. Lunghino fell to Justin Chan of the Big Green 5-7, 6-7 in a ferocious final.
Courtney Mountifield ’15 came in third place in Flight no. 3, overpowering a Stony Brook opponent, 6-2, 6-3.
Rookies Palmer Campbell ’16 and junior Alex Johnston ’14 reached the semifinals in Flight no. 1b. Campbell was eliminated by Ghorbani of Dartmouth in a neck-to-neck 7-5, 6-4 decision, while Johnston had to withdraw from his semifinal match due to a tendinitis injury.
In the back draws, senior captains Alec Parower ’13, Will Oberrender ’13 and first-year Jackson Frons ’16 brought home the plates with an impressive showing in Flights no. 1a, no. 5 and no. 3 respectively.
In doubles action, the formidable duo of Johnston and Lunghino dominated the no. 1 bracket. They topped Dartmouth’s number one doubles pairing of Centenari and Ghorbani in the final, dropping just three games in the pro-set. Meanwhile, in the no. 3 round robin draw, winners Mountifield and Smolyar came away with three consecutive wins, including a 9-7 verdict on the Big Green pair of Todd and Isaza.
While eight Panthers competed at Dartmouth College among prominent Division I and III teams, four players travelled to Maine to match up against familiar NESCAC foes at Bates College.
“One of the strengths of our team is our depth, and that was on full display this weekend,” said Assistant Coach Adam Kent. “We only had four guys on the Bates trip, but we definitely competed well against some other full NESCAC teams.”
First-year Allen Jackson ’16 fought back from a set down to defeat Traff from Trinity in a super-tiebreaker in the opening round, but was one match short from booking a place in the “B” Flight singles final as he bowed down against Bowdoin’s Wolstencroft 5-7, 1-6.
The Panther no. 4 doubles tandem of sophomores Peter Heidrich ’15 and Chris Frost ’15 collected two wins over the no. 2 pairings of Bates and Bowdoin before losing to Seigel and Krems of Brandeis 8-9(2) in a seesaw match.
After a strong road performance this past weekend, the Panthers look to close out the fall at home the weekend of Oct. 26th through Oct. 28th. Then the team will reconvene in February after three months off.
“We plan on carrying this momentum into the off season as we train for the spring,” said Lunghino.
“Our goal for the off-season is pretty simple: work,” said Parower. “This is a very confident team, and I think a lot of our confidence stems from the fact that we know we are better prepared for every match than our opponents. We are all committed to our mission of winning a National Championship. When you have 16 guys that are willing to push themselves to the very maximum, you are dangerous.”