alpine skiing

Mar. 12: After finishing the 2009 carnival season with 11 top-10 finishes, St. Lawrence University first-year student Lindsay Cone broke through in the collegiate ranks for the first time on Thursday, as the Killington, VT native won the national championship in the Women's Giant Slalom at the 2009 NCAA Alpine Ski Championships at Sunday River in Bethel, ME.

Both the national championship and race wins are firsts for the St. Lawrence University women's alpine program.
Cone, the lone contestant from St. Lawrence in the women's event, entered the race as a contender in the Giant Slalom, but several skiers from across the country including Dartmouth's Courtney Hammond had already earned several victories this season. Cone (left) finished the opening run in second place with a time of 1:17.17, but trailed Estelle Percherand-Charmet of the University of New Mexico by 1.17 seconds after a fast run of 1:16:00.

Though 1.17 seconds can be tough to make up and several prolific collegiate skiers were challenging for the national title, it was Cone who rose to the occasion and won the second run with an outstanding time of 1:18.53. With Percherand-Charmet's second run time of 1:20.30, Cone was able to celebrate a victory in the event with a combined time of 2:35.70, .60 seconds ahead of the first-run leader.

Mar. 1: After being forced to wait a day to compete in the Giant Slalom due to unsafe skiing conditions, the St. Lawrence University men's and women's Alpine teams took to the slopes again on Sunday to complete competition at the 2009 EISA Championships hosted by Colby. Leading the Saints in the GS were junior James Andersen and first-year student Lindsay Cone, who each picked up a top-6 finish.

Andersen, who will join Cone at the 2009 NCAA Championships in two weeks at Sunday River, was the team's top finisher on Sunday. The Putnam Valley, NY native placed fifth overall with a time of 1:48.64, only .37 seconds off of a podium finish.

Joining Andersen in the scoring in the men's race were first-year student Scott Houser and sophomore Holland Davis, who brought the team's total to 75.0 points, landing the Scarlet and Brown in sixth position as a team. Houser earned his best collegiate finish in 21st place with a combined time of 1:52.29 while Davis completed the scoring in 30th place (1:55.32).

Senior captain Doug Brown, competing in his final collegiate race, took 32nd place with a time of 1:55.52 while junior Graham Flinn rounded out the team's roster in the Men's Giant Slalom in 34th position (1:56.42).

On the women's side, Cone continued to perform at a high level with a sixth place overall finish in the Women's GS. The Killington, VT native raced in a time of 1:53.72, only .37 off of a podium finish. It was Cone's ninth consecutive top-8 finish.

Feb. 27: The St. Lawrence University men's and women's Alpine ski teams opened competition at the 2009 EISA Championships hosted by Colby in Sugarloaf, ME on Friday in a weather-shortened Slalom. Due to conditions, skiers only competed in one run in the event at Sugarloaf, which saw first-year student Lindsay Cone earn fifth place overall in the women's race and senior captain Doug Brown paced the men's squad with a 21st place showing.

Cone, who has been a fantastic addition to the Saints' roster this season, picked up her tenth top-10 finish of the year with her fifth place showing out of 53 competitors. The Killington, VT native raced in a time of 44.57 in her one run and was joined in the scoring for St. Lawrence by classmate Elena Rogers (25th, 49.26) and sophomore Kelly Skinner (26th, 49.27). The trio combined for 76.0 points which landed the Scarlet and Brown in sixth place overall.

Sophomore Heidi Robbins finished in 29th position thanks to a time of 49.78 while first-year student Mackenzie Irwin (30th, 50.48) and senior Danielle LaCavalla (36th, 55.40) rounded out the team's line-up in the women's slalom.

Feb. 21: St. Lawrence University junior James Andersen posted a career-best finish on Saturday at the 2009 Middlebury Carnival, as the Putnam Valley, NY native earned fourth place overall in the Men's Giant Slalom. First-year student Lindsay Cone also picked up a top-10 finish on the women's side at the event held at the Middlebury Snow Bowl in Middlebury, VT.

Andersen picked up his fourth top-10 finish of the year with a time of 2:02.74 in the GS, only .14 seconds out of third place. He was credited 41.0 points and again boosts his chances at a bid into the 2009 NCAA Championships.

First-year student Matthew Dodge was the second scorer for the men's team, coming in 22nd position with a time of 2:05.55. Senior Doug Brown capped the squad's scoring in 29th place with a time of 2:06.67, bringing the team's total to 75.0 points to land the Saints in sixth position overall, only three points out of fifth.

Juniors Michael Wallman (32nd, 2:07.23) and Graham Flinn (40th, 2:08.43) and sophomore Thatcher Jacques (DNF 2nd) rounded out the men's team's roster in the Giant Slalom on Saturday.

Feb. 20: First-year students Lindsay Cone and Matthew Dodge led the St. Lawrence University women's and men's Alpine ski teams on Friday in the Slalom at the 2009 Middlebury Carnival at the Middlebury Snow bowl. Cone recorded her fifth top-five finish of the year while Dodge was the top men's skier for the third time in his rookie campaign.

Cone, who is in the midst of the best alpine carnival season by a woman in St. Lawrence University history, continued to re-write the school's record books with a fifth place overall finish in the Women's Slalom. The Killington, VT native raced in a time of 1:39.00 to earn 39.0 points for the Scarlet and Brown.

Fellow rookies Mackenzie Irwin and Elena Rogers rounded out the women's team's scoring on Friday. Irwin finished in 29th position with a time of 1:43.20, while Rogers was three spots back in 32nd place after being clocked in at 1:44.83. The trio of first-years combined for 80.0 points to land the women's team in fifth place overall.

Sophomores Heidi Robbins (1:45.61) and Kelly Skinner (1:48.21) logged 36th and 38th place finishes, respectively, while junior Meg Howard competed in her first event of the season coming off of an injury. The Shelburne, VT, native finished in 43rd place thanks to a time of 1:49.97.

Feb. 14: St. Lawrence University first-year student Lindsay Cone extended her streak of top-10 finishes to five with a sixth place showing in the Women's Slalom race at the Dartmouth Carnival on Saturday. The Killington, VT native's finish helped the women's alpine ski team to a sixth place finish in the event.

Cone finished the race at the Dartmouth Ski Way in Lyme, NH with a combined time of 1:40.27 to land 37.0 points with the sixth place finish. For the second consecutive day, first-year student Elena Rogers and sophomore Heidi Robbins rounded out the women's teams scoring. Rogers earned 23rd place with a time of 1:45.03 to earn 21.0 points while Robbins brought the team's total to 76.0 points for sixth place overall with a 27th place finish (1:46.80).

Rounding out the women's team's line-up in the Slalom on Saturday was sophomore Kelly Skinner (33rd, 1:49.64), rookie Mackenzie Irwin (48th, 2:13.62) and senior Danielle LaCavalla (DNF 2nd).

Meanwhile, the men's alpine ski team struggled in the Slalom on Saturday, as the team finished in 10th place with a total of 39.0 points. Sophomore Thatcher Jacques led the squad with a 32nd place finish with a time of 1:41.78, while juniors James Andersen (38th, 1:49.20) and Michael Wallman (43rd, 1:56.27) rounded out the team's scoring.

Also representing the Scarlet and Brown in the Men's Slalom were first-year student Matthew Dodge (45th, 2:04.28), junior Graham Flinn (DNF) and senior Doug Brown (DNF 2nd).

Feb. 13: St. Lawrence University first-year student Lindsay Cone picked up her second runner-up finish of the season on Friday in the Women's Giant Slalom, while junior James Andersen logged his third top-10 in the men's race at the 2009 Dartmouth Carnival in Lyme, NH. The duo led the alpine ski teams to impressive finishes on the opening day of competition.

Cone, who is in the midst of the best alpine ski season in the women's program's history, has now finished in the top-3 in each of her last three races. The Killington, VT native finished only .26 seconds behind Dartmouth's Courtney Hammond with a time of 1:51.70 to earn 47.0 points for her team.

Rookie Elena Rogers joined her classmate in the scoring for the Scarlet and Brown in the Giant Slalom, finishing in 26th place with a time of 1:56.14. Sophomore Heidi Robbins completed St. Lawrence's scoring with a 28th place showing behind a time of 1:56.39, bringing the women's team's total to 88.0 points to land in fourth place as a squad.

Also competing in the women's GS on Friday for the Saints were sophomore Kelly Skinner (32nd, 1:57.54), first-year student Mackenzie Irwin (39th, 1:59.17) and senior Danielle LaCavalla (1:59.45).

Meanwhile, Andersen continued to post solid finishes with a sixth place overall showing in the men's GS at the Dartmouth Ski way. The Putnam Valley, NY native raced in a combined time of 1:49.08 to lead the Saints to sixth place overall as a team with 78.0 points.

Feb. 7: First-year student Lindsay Cone is showing no signs of slowing down, as the rookie out of Killington, VT continued to impress on the slopes at the UVM Carnival on Saturday. Cone finished in third place overall in the Women's Slalom, her fifth top-10 finish in six races to pace the St. Lawrence University women's alpine ski team to fourth place overall just ahead of host UVM.

Cone was the runner-up in the Giant Slalom event on Friday, and continued her great season with a third place overall behind a time of 1:57.48. It was the rookie's best Slalom race of the season, which earned her 44.0 points for St. Lawrence in the event.

"Lindsay continues to gain confidence with each week of carnival racing" stated Head Coach Jeff Pier. "Two podium finishes in one weekend is certainly worthy of celebrating, but knowing Lindsay, she is gunning for the top step on the awards platform."

She was joined in the team scoring by classmate Mackenzie Irwin and sophomore Kelly Skinner. Irwin was the second finisher for the Saints with a time of 2:05.66 in 20th position, while Skinner rounded out the team's scoring at 84.0 points with a 22nd place finish (2:06.06). The trio's total was only 10 points shy of the podium.

First-year student Elena Rogers missed scoring for the team by 1.01 second in 23rd place (2:07.07), while sophomore Heidi Robbins (35th, 2:39.04) and rookie Bond Longley (DNF) rounded out the team's line-up in the Slalom.

Feb. 6: First-year student Lindsay Cone continued to impress on Friday at the UVM Carnival, as the Killington, VT native logged her first runner-up finish in the Giant Slalom. Cone's spectacular race helped the women's alpine squad to a fifth place finish in the event at Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, VT.

Cone raced in a time of 2:00.13, only .48 seconds behind the individual champion of the women's Giant Slalom, Courtney Hammond of Dartmouth College (1:59.65). The finish was Cone's best in her collegiate career and was her fourth top-8 finish in only five races.

Joining Cone in the scoring on the women's side were sophomore Kelly Skinner (30th, 2:05.24) and rookie Elena Rogers (33rd, 2:07.23). The three Saints combined for 84.0 points, only 6.5 points out of fourth position.
Also representing St. Lawrence in the women's Giant Slalom were first-year students Bond Longley (34th, 2:07.36) and Mackenzie Irwin (2:08.56) and sophomore Heidi Robbins (DNF 2nd).

Meanwhile, the men's alpine squad struggled in the Giant Slalom event on Friday, taking ninth place with a total of 44.0 points. Junior Michael Wallman was the team's top finisher in 36th place with a time of 2:01.71, narrowly ahead of teammates Holland Davis (37th, 2:02.07) and Doug Brown (39th, 2:02.07).

Juniors Graham Flinn (40th, 2:02.51) and James Andersen (52nd, 2:29.78) and rookie Matt Dodge (DNF) also competed in the men's Giant Slalom for St. Lawrence.

Jan. 31: First-year student Lindsay Cone picked up her third career top-10 finish on Saturday in the Slalom at the 2009 UNH Carnival. The Killington, VT native finished in fourth place overall out of 55 competitors, earning her best collegiate finish and landing the Saints' women's alpine ski team in sixth place with 80.0 points.

Cone, who finished in the top-10 in each of her first two collegiate races at the Bates Carnival, struggled on Friday in the Giant Slalom at UNH. However, her time of 1:39.53 was good enough for fourth place, only .56 seconds behind UNH's Veronique Archambault-Leger.

First year student Mackenzie Irwin turned in a 28th place finish in the women's slalom with a time of 1:44.92, while sophomore Kelly Skinner completed the team's scoring in 31st position (1:46.65).

Sophomore Heidi Robbins (33rd, 1:47.08) and first year students Bond Longley (37th, 1:47.72) and Elena Rogers (51st, 2:12.34) rounded out the women's team's line-up.

The men's alpine ski team was unable to get much momentum on their side on Saturday, as their scoring trio of rookie Matt Dodge and juniors James Andersen and Graham Flinn totaled 47.0 points for ninth place overall. Dodge was the leading St. Lawrence representative in 24th position with a time of 1:33.30, while Andersen (27th, 1:33.45) and Flinn (30th, 1:34.27) followed to cap the scoring.