Carpenter Earns Top-15 Finish in Freestyle Race in Lake Placid

by: 

Nancie Battgalia

Sophomore Caroline Carpenter earned a career-best finish in the 15K Free.

Jan. 16: St. Lawrence University sophomore Caroline Carpenter earned a career-best 13^th place finish on Saturday at the 2010 SLU Carnival in Lake Placid, NY.  The Shelburne, VT native raced the Women's 15K Freestyle race in a time of 50:45.7 to earn 28.0 points for her squad and pace the Saints' women's team to 7^th place in the event.

Carpenter, whose career-best finishes were a pair of 20^th place showings last season, also earned 20.0 points towards an NCAA Championship berth.  Senior Johannah Ludington and sophomore Leah Hart capped the Saints' scoring in the 15K Free at 61.0 points behind 26^th and 35^th place finishes, respectively.  Ludington clocked in at 52:02.3, while Hart followed in 53:15.2.

Also representing the host institution in the EISA's opening carnival of the season were first-year student Kelsey Nichols (36^th, 53:22.3), juniors Sophie Allen (55^th, 55:45.7), Hannah James (57:55.6) and Elizabeth Hayden (76^th, 59:55.2) and rookie Margaret Fellows (84^th, 1:04:34.2).

Meanwhile, the men's Nordic squad had a tough day in the 20K Free, as the senior trio of Ben Knowles, Eric Wolcott and Zach Wetherell combined for only 39.0 points to finish in 8^th place overall.  Knowles was the team's top finisher in 21^st place in 58:10.7 to earn 23.0 points.  Wolcott was next in 1:01:15.4 to finish 41^st while Wetherell capped the scoring with a 55^th place finish behind a time of 1:03:31.8.

Sophomore Adam Terko narrowly missed out on scoring for St. Lawrence, as the Shelburne, VT native was 58^th in 1:04:03.8, followed by classmate Teo Jackson in 62^nd place (1:04:44.8).  The Saints' line-up was completed in the 20K Free by juniors Kyle Marvinney (63^rd, 1:04:46.5) and Steven Vargo (64^th, 1:05:00.9), sophomore Ben Ogden (73^rd, 1:07:22.2), rookie Connor Hunt (76^th, 1:08:45.8) and junior Tyler Hendrickson (86^th, 1:14:29.1).

Dartmouth continued its dominant weekend, as the Big Green again won both the men's and women's freestyle events.  The women totaled 135.0 points while the men narrowly defeated UNH, 130.0 to 128.0.  Ida Sargent won the women's race for Dartmouth in a time of 47:45.5, while UNH's Dylan McGuffin captured the men's crown in 54:58.4.

Both the St. Lawrence men's and women's Alpine teams will compete next weekend, January 22 and 23, in the 2010 St. Michael's Carnival.