The Alpine Team begins its season in late October/early November. Middlebury Skiing is part of the NESCAC conference and races the Eastern Carnival (EISA) circuit. The team fields six women and six men in both Giant Slalom and Slalom FIS University races attempting to qualify up to six participants in the NCAA championships held in early March. This group of elite level athletes aspire to reach the highest level of achievement possible through racing the carnival cicuit, as well as competing in Nor Am and FIS level races during the season. Below are stories, tales, race reports, photos, and a look at what goes on with this remarkable team. Please leave a comment or check in to show your support for Panther Skiing!
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Bagel-Buddy Mentor Day more pictures
by Abby,
December 31, 2009
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The boys and girls are getting a lower body lift in right now after another great day up at the Bowl. We had our first day of GS up on the Allen - great snow, great course, positive attitudes! It was awesome.
After our morning session we met in the lodge and had bagels with the Middlebury Ski Club J4s, J5s, and J6s. Each member of our team was paired up with one of the Ski Club's rippers!
While the team took free runs with the ski club guys, Stever and I set a duel down the Cameron.
"Blue course ready? Red course ready? Racers ready? Go!!"
Just pulled into Middlebury - crazy snow is falling, our camp starts tomorrow, and I just hung up the Lunar Phase Calendar I got for Christmas! Yessssssss.
Hope everyone had as wonderful a holiday break as I did. Very excited to get back at it early tomorrow morning though!
We'll be training SL for the next few days as this recent snow fall settles up at the Bowl. After that, a few glorious days of GS before J-term fires up. I'll be taking some athletes up to Nor-Ams in Quebec after the new year while Stever and the gang get some more serious training in.
I was just looking through results from the Eastern Cups in December - really impressed/psyched with how everyone skied and how focused everyone was in preparation for those races. With this camp leading into the Carnival season, I'm confident with the direction we're headed and anxious to get the collegiate circuit underway.
Again, hope everyone had a great holiday!
Come on up and visit us at the Bowl!
ps. There's a full moon on New Year's Eve - just checked my Calendar!!!!!!
Leah gets her time on the podium too in Sunday River
by ,
December 19, 2009
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Way to rip on day one of Eastern Cups Leah!
Congratulations to Leah McLaughry for an impressive result today in Eastern Cup FIS action at Sunday River. Leah won the first run and skied a solid second run which produced a fine early season 3rd place result. For her third day of slalom skiing for the year that is pretty decent. Do it again tomorrow!
Hunter and Lund claim some podium steps in slalom number two at Eastern Cups
by ,
December 18, 2009
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Hunter slaying run two.
Yesterday we suffered through a bitter cold day which ended with one completed slalom run and the other was postponed until today due to high winds and lift closures. So we ran the second run this morning followed by another two race runs to complete the second race. Props to the Sugarloaf crew for getting three runs in today in sub zero temperatures.
Race number one didn't go as well for our team with a few mistakes and early season bobbles. Jake posted a sixth place and David Dodge made a big move forward on the day finishing 26th.
The second race was more in line with the talent of our team. After solid first runs Jake and John battled it out for the second run win. Jake won the run just ahead of Jon, but he could not beat him in the overall and finished .01 of a second behind to earn third place.
Second and third is a nice start for the guys.
Bump Heldman from Bates won on his home hill. His two wins in two days add to quite a fall. Earlier this fall he bagged a massive bull moose during Maine's Moose hunting season.
Andrew McLovin McNealus skied well finishing 12th in the second slalom. More to come from this fresh rookie.
We race Saturday and Sunday and the girls start their series tomorrow as well in Sunday River. Go girls!
That little puff of snow that is spraying from Jakes inside ski is probably what allowed Jon to beat him by .01 for second place today.
Dodge knocked out a gate and it speeds ahead of him here.
Here Dodge is about to ski over it
It almost takes him out. But his cat-like reflexes kept him upright.
Blog Comments
Please tell me that there were some Radness Yells exchanged on the podium. Way to dominate, guys, keep truckin.
Bartlett enters his fifth season as the Head Coach of the Middlebury College Alpine Ski Team in the winter of '10-'11. In his four years as head coach, Bartlett has worked hard to continue the success of Middlebury Skiing. On the circuit this past season the team collected a handful of carnival podiums and numerous eastern cup wins. In 2008 Bartlett was awarded the EISA Coach of the Year award and led the team to a 5th place finish at the 2008 NCAA Championships. In 2010 The alpine men finished 3rd in the nation in slalom and 4th in the nation in GS at the Championships hosted by the University Colorado. In 2008 they were 2nd in the nation in slalom and 3rd in the nation in GS. Bartlett came to Middlebury after working with the U.S. Ski Team in Park City, Utah. He most recently worked as a World Cup assistant coach for the alpine women's team during the winter of 2005-2006. Bartlett has also served as the head Europa coach, a Development Team coach and as a strength and conditioning coach with the program. Bartlett was a staff member at the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics, where he worked as a coach for gold medalist Julia Mancuso. In 2002 Bartlett was awarded the VARA (Vermont Alpine Ski Racing Assoc.)"Coach of the Year" award while working as the head coach of the Killington Mountain School. Bartlett is a 1996 graduate of St. Lawrence University, where he was captain and member of the alpine team. He earned his degree in environmental biology, with a minor in sports science.
Copeland will be entering her second season as the alpine assistant coach. Copeland was an integral part of the teams success in 2009/2010 and brought much energy and dedication to the team. As well as a valuable on hill coach she also took on many of the strength and conditioning duties. Copeland comes to Middlebury from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, where she worked as the assistant men's and women's coach from 2007-2009.
Copeland graduated from St. Lawrence University in 2006, where she was a four-time member of the alpine ski team and field hockey team. She graduated with a degree in Fine Arts and received her masters degree in Education Administration in the Spring of 2009. Prior to her education at St. Lawrence, she attended the Mount Mansfield Winter Academy in Stowe, Vermont.
![Bagel-Buddy Mentor Day more pictures](javascript:newWindow("image_viewer.php?Pic=dsc_0263.jpg"))
![Lunar Phase](javascript:newWindow("image_viewer.php?Pic=full-moon.jpg"))
![Happy Holidays from The Middlebury College Ski Team](javascript:newWindow("image_viewer.php?Pic=2teamphoto09-10.jpg"))
![Leah gets her time on the podium too in Sunday River](javascript:newWindow("image_viewer.php?Pic=3.jpg"))
![Hunter and Lund claim some podium steps in slalom number two at Eastern Cups](javascript:newWindow("image_viewer.php?Pic=hunterloafsl.jpg"))
