HANCOCK, Mass. - Eliza Sullivan impressed at her home race, finishing fourth in Saturday's slalom at the Williams Carnival held this weekend at Jiminy Peak. The senior made the most of her final home race, crushing her second run to hold off a host of competitors to earn 41 important points for the Ephs.
The Carnival returned to Jiminy after a year off the calendar, and Williams put on a successful event with positive reviews from racers, coaches, families and fans. The weather on Friday was perfect for the giant slalom, with sunny skies and cold temperatures, and Saturday's slalom was slightly warmer and overcast with flurries, giving racers two different experiences between the two days.
Saturday's slalom also saw Chloe Lathrop finish 14th, earning 28 points, and Magnolia Conacher captured 18 points with her 25th place finish. It was the women's strongest team performance in the slalom this season, as the Ephs' 87 points were third among all competing teams, and Williams also saw solid finishes from Riley McHugh and Madeline Semet.
The Ephs' Alpine skiers earned a total of 209 points, and Nordic added 190 more, giving Williams (399) a comfortable cushion over eighth-placed Harvard (318) in the overall standings.
In the giant slalom on Friday, teammate Ashley Anderson led the way for the Ephs, finishing in a tie for 6th place, and again using a strong second run to cement her position. Her second run time was fifth-fastest of all competitors and within .35 of the top finisher. Lathrop and McHugh also earned key points for the Ephs in the GS, and Magnolia Conacher, Mackenzie Leach, Sullivan and Semet were among the seven Williams racers who all completed both runs.
On the men's side, Cooper Iacobelli had a strong performance in Friday's GS, finishing in a tie for 8th place and earning 32 points for the Ephs with his effort. Chas Benyik finished 28th to earn 16 points for the team. In Saturday's slalom, William Zurbay finished a tough course to earn seven points toward the Ephs' team total.
The Ephs will conclude the regular season with next weekend's Middlebury Carnival, after which the team will learn which racers have qualified for the NCAA Championships, held March 11-14.
