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Williams Women Sixth at Middlebury Carnival
08:56AM / Monday, February 29, 2016
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MIDDLEBURY, Vt. — The 2016 EISA carnival season came to a close on Sunday with the last Nordic races. The day, which included a 15-kilometer mass start classic race for the women and a 20-kilometer version for the men at the RIkert Nordic Center, was a dramatic one for the Williams College Ephs.

In the men's race, junior Eli Hoenig continued to make history by tying his own best result from earlier this season of second place in a carnival. Jack Hegman of Vermont, in a photo finish, ended up lunging his foot across the line about two inches in front of Hoenig.

 

Sophomore Jack Schrupp and freshman Braden Becker rounded out the scoring team in 11th and 12th while junior Jordan Fields and freshman Nick Gardner finished in 14th and 17th respectively.

 

As for the women's race, junior Hannah Benson had the top Williams finish, placing 15th. Classmates Tsaina Mahlen and Hannah Cole followed in 21st and 22nd respectively. Sophomore Sarah Becker was not far behind in 25th.

 

Williams Coach Jason Lemieux, who was just awarded the 2016 EISA Coach of the Year, remarked that, of the carnival team which includes six men and six women, "more than half of the team ended their season with a career best finish for a classic race." Furthermore, both the men and women posted their best team scores of the year, with the men in second and the women in fifth. "Any day that happens is a great day as a coach." Lemieux said.

 

The previous day, an icy 5-kilometer individual start skate race for the women, 10-kilometers for the men, was led for the Ephs by Hannah Cole on the women's side. Cole came in 16th while Hannah Benson was 28th and Sarah Becker ensured Williams once again had at least three in the top thirty, coming in 30th place.

 

Jordan Fields led the men in 11th while Hoenig came in 13th. Braden Becker and Jack Schrupp, much like the classic race, placed consecutively, with Becker in 20th and Schrupp in 21st. Nick Gardner was also in the top thirty, placing 26th.

 

Meanwhile, the alpine events took place on Friday and Saturday at Snowbowl Mountain. In the giant slalom races of Friday, as usual, freshman Hannah Hunsaker was the top Williams finisher in 23rd.  Classmates Grace Merriman and Gibson Donnan also scored in 30th and 35th respectively.

 

Again following the trend of the year, freshman Bryan Bailey was the top finisher in GS for Williams men, coming in 26th. Classmate Andrew West and junior Riley Peek rounded out the scoring team in 37th and 38th respectively.

 

On Saturday, in slalom, the Eph's preferred event, Hannah Hunsaker earned yet another top 10, coming in 9th overall. Gibson Donnan in 28th and Grace Merriman in Proving his prowess in slalom, Bryan Bailey came in 11th. Sophomore Marc Talbot broke into the top 30 as well, finished in 26th.

 

Overall, alpine and Nordic combined, the Ephs were 6th behind UVM, Dartmouth, UNH, Middlebury, and Colby. The season is not quite over yet, however, the NCAA championships will take place next week in Steamboat Colorado. Representing Williams will be Eli Hoenig, Jack Schrupp, Hannah Hunsaker, and Bryan Bailey.

 

Head alpine coach Kelsey Levine is looking forward to her athletes getting a chance to prove themselves on a national stage, saying "Hannah and Bryan have really earned this and I'm excited to see what Steamboat and future years will bring for them"

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