SAINTS HAVE FOUR TOP-25 FINISHES IN CLASSIC

EVENTS AT DARTMOUTH CARNIVAL

Feb. 9: The St. Lawrence University men’s and women’s Nordic ski teams combined for three top-25 finishes on Saturday, as the squads competed in the classic events at the 2008 Dartmouth Carnival. Junior Kristen Bednar was the women's team's top-finisher with an 18th place finish in the women’s 15K classic, while her fellow classmate Ben Knowles paced the men’s team with a 17th place showing in the men’s 20K classic.

 

Bednar led the Saints for the second consecutive day at Dartmouth, racing in a time of 56:32.6 for 23.0 points towards the carnival. Her showing helped the Saints finish in 6th place overall in the event with 62.0 points.

 

The women’s team’s scoring was rounded out by senior Kalie Dunn and sophomore Johannah Ludington, who also finished in the top-25. . Dunn earned 23rd place overall with a time of 57:17.2 in the 15K Classic, while Ludington came in 24th position with a time of 57:20.1.

 

Senior Robin Brooks (29th, 58:18.0), first year student Elizabeth Hayden (45th, 59:56.3) and junior Marissa Marleau (51st, 1:01:28.6) also competed for St. Lawrence on Saturday.

 

Knowles, meanwhile, continued his resurgence this season, again leading St. Lawrence in scoring. The Cumberland, ME native, who came into the carnival in contention for an NCAA Championship bid, finished in 17th place overall in the Men’s 20K Classic thanks to a time of 1:03:33.8. His 22.0 points joined those of sophomore Eric Wolcott (29th, 1:05:00.5) and senior Isaac Noyes (32nd, 1:05:26.5) to bring the Saints’ team total to 55.0, good enough for 7th in the event.

 

Also competing for the men’s team in the 20K Classic on Saturday were senior Hunter Karnedy (39th, 1:06:55.4), sophomore Bryan Pepper (43rd, 1:07:22.5) and junior Matt McClelland (56th, 1:14:51.3).

 

Dartmouth's Ida Sargent was victorious in the Women’s 15K Classic on Saturday with a time of 51:13.1, while the University of Vermont’s Juergen Uhl won the Men’s 20K Classic in 1:00:38.4. The host school also prevailed in both events, with Dartmouth winning the women’s classic with 104.0 points and the men’s with 93.0.

 

The Big Green also won their home carnival with 725.0 total points, while St. Lawrence finished in 8th place overall with 375.0 points.

 

The Saints will be in action again next Friday and Saturday, February 15 and 16, in Jiminy Peak, MA at the 2008 Williams Carnival.

 

 

BEDNAR AND DUNN LAND IN TOP-20 AT OPENING

DAY OF DARTMOUTH CARNIVAL

Feb. 8: Junior Kristen Bednar and senior Kalie Dunn turned in top-20 performances in the Women’s 5K Free to open competition at the 2008 Dartmouth Carnival, leading the Saints’ women’s Nordic ski team to a 6th place overall finish in the event.

 

Bednar’s time of 14:56.8 landed the Essex Junction, VT native in 12th place overall, her highest finish of the 2008 carnival season. She earned 27.0 points for her team and 22 points towards an NCAA Championship berth. Dunn was also impressive on Friday, as she chipped in 21.0 points with a 20th place finish behind a time of 15:13.6.

 

The women’s team’s score was rounded out by senior Robin Brooks, who picked up a 31st place finish and 15.0 points. The Seattle, WA native raced in a time of 16:05.1.

 

Also competing in the Women’s 5K Freestyle for St. Lawrence were sophomore Johannah Ludington (37th, 16:21.3), first year student Elizabeth Hayden (48th, 16:54.9) and junior Marissa Marleau (52nd, 17:10.4).

 

Meanwhile, the Saints’ men’s Nordic ski team struggled in the 10K Freestyle on Saturday, finishing in 10th place overall. Junior Ben Knowles was the team’s top finisher in 42nd place with a time of 27:42.4, four seconds ahead of senior Hunter Karnedy in 44th position (27:46.4). Junior Matt McClelland rounded out his team’s scoring with a 51st place finish (28:14.9).

 

Other St. Lawrence competitors on the men’s side included senior Isaac Noyes (53rd, 28:38.2) and sophomores Eric Wolcott (54th, 28:52.7) and Bryan Pepper (56th, 29:14.7).

 

The Women’s 5K Free was won by the host school, Dartmouth College, with 102.0 points, though Middlebury’s Alexa Turzian won the individual title with a time of 13:54.5. The Big Green were also victorious in the Men’s 10K Free with a total of 96.0 points, only three ahead of Colby, while Middlebury’s Simeon Hamilton won the individual crown (24:37.7).

 

Both the Saints’ men’s and women’s Nordic ski teams will be in action again tomorrow, Saturday, February 9 in the final day of competition at the Dartmouth Carnival.