Skiing teams kick off season with 10th-place finish at St. Michael’s Winter Carnival

In its first competition of the 2005 season, the Harvard Nordic and alpine ski teams took 10th of 13 teams at the St. Michael’s Winter Carnival in Huntington, Vt., this weekend with a score of 344.0.

The season opener showcased the talent of a young but skilled squad. Sophomore Nordic women’s captain Jenna Harlow, the only returning veteran for the cross-country women’s team, took a surprising 24th in the 5K Classic with a time of 18:28.0, the top-30 finish good for NCAA points. Harlow also took 36th in the 5K Pursuit with a time of 35:43.6.

Junior Susannah Dickerson led Harvard skiers in the giant slalom with a time of 2:04.70, followed by sophomore Kathleen Connors and captain Molly Simmons. Connors led the Crimson with a 40th place finish in the slalom with a time of 2:06.81.

Sophomore co-captain Daniel Tsai took 38th in the men’s giant slalom with a time of 1:51.55, while freshman Matt Basilico marked his collegiate debut with a 37th place run in the slalom with a time of 2:02.92.

A large crowd of fresh faces join the men’s Nordic team, led by veteran sophomore captain Russ Leino.