Friday, January 10, 2014

UVM Holds Day-One Lead with Help from Ryley and Garand


Kate Ryley during the giant slalom at the UVM Carnival on January 10, 2014 in Stowe, VT. (Dustin Satloff)

STOWE, VT. - The EISA carnival season opened on Friday (January 10, 2104) with the start of the University of Vermont Carnival at Stowe.  The University of Vermont (234) jumped out to a 15 point lead over second-place Dartmouth College (219), thanks to victories by Kate Ryley and Dom Garand

Kate Ryley, of the University of Vermont, grabbed her first victory of the season in the giant slalom for the women.  Ryley, who led after the first run, held on and improved upon her lead after the second run.  Elise-Woien Tefre took sixth place for Vermont.

Dom Garand and Travis Dawson took first and third for UVM on the men’s side.  Garand, like Ryley, held the lead after the first run and posted the two best times of the day.

Vermont felt the pressure to step up and perform on their home hill. Dom Garand, when speaking to reporters about UVM’s start to the carnival, said, “this year we really wanted to bring the heat; bring our A-game.  So I think we just set the tone.”  The tone has indeed been set, and Vermont will look to continue this trend in Saturday’s slalom races.

Dom Garand after winning the giant slalom at the UVM Carnival on January 10, 2014 in Stowe, VT. (Dustin Satloff)
Dartmouth was able to move into second place after day one with help from Robert Overing’s second place finish in the men’s GS, and Lizzie Kistler’s third place finish in the women’s event.  Additionally, Dylan Brooks and Ben Morse placed in the top-10 for the Dartmouth men.

The University of New Hampshire, who found themselves in third place after Friday, remain within striking distance.  Laura Rozinowicz, Morgan Klein, and Jenna Kantor all finished in the top-20 for the women, and they will look to improve upon those results in Saturday’s slalom.  UNH had four top-20 finishers for the men, including Jay Ogle, who took fourth place. 

Middlebury, who sit in fourth place after the giant slalom, will look to move up to podium position.  An opportunity was likely lost when Hig Roberts did not finish his first run in Friday's giant slalom.  Saturday provides an opportunity for UVM to cement their position, or for the rest of the top five teams to challenge them.

Additionally, Rebecca Nadler, of Harvard University, took second place on the women’s side; Harvard is in 12th after the first day.

Emily Hayes and Avril Dunleavy of Bates both finished in the top-12 for the women. Bates’ women took fifth place, however they sit in 8th place overall.