Wolcott Leads Saints to Second Place Finish in 15K Free at UVM

by: 

Nancie Battaglia

Senior Ben Knowles' 13th place finish helped the Saints tie for second in the 15K Free.

Feb. 7: St. Lawrence University senior Eric Wolcott matched his career-best finish on Sunday in the 15K Freestyle at the 2010 UVM Carnival.  The Concord, NH native helped the Saints' men's Nordic team tie for second place overall with Dartmouth College, the squad's best finish of the season.

Wolcott raced the 15K course in 27:19.9 to finish in fourth place out of 66 competitors, matching his finish in Saturday's Classic event.  Classmates Zach Wetherell and Ben Knowles also logged top-15 finishes to lift the Saints' trio to second place.  Wetherell was 10^th on Sunday in 27:52.5, while Knowles followed in 13^th position in 28:01.0.  The trio totaled 98.0 points, only eight shy of the event winner, Middlebury College.

Juniors Steven Vargo and Kyle Marvinney also competed for St. Lawrence's men's team in the 15K Freestyle, finishing 39^th and 41^st place, respectively.

Meanwhile, sophomore Leah Hart notched her second collegiate top-25 finish in the Women's 10K Free on Sunday at the UVM Carnival, pacing the Saints' women's squad to ninth place.  Hart earned 21.0 points for her 23^rd place showing in 34:40.5.

Joining Hart in the scoring for the Scarlet and Brown were senior Johannah Ludington (29^th) and sophomore Caroline Carpenter (34^th), as the trio earned 52.0 points overall.  Juniors Hannah James (55^th), Sophie Allen (57^th) and Elizabeth Hayden (66^th) also competed in Sunday's event for the Saints.

Patrick Johnson of Middlebury was victorious in the Men's 15K Free in 26:46.5, leading the Panthers to the team title.  Meanwhile, Dartmouth College earned the women's team victory in the 10K Free with 132.0 points, while Caitlin Patterson of UVM claimed the individual crown (30:49.1).

St. Lawrence's Nordic ski teams will be in action again next weekend, February 12 and 13, at the 2010 Dartmouth Carnival.