Snowmen Need Practice at Williams To Get Ready for Middlebury Meet

The ski team has left snowless Cambridge to ski in the eight-member class. A meet at the Williams Winter Carnival.

The snowmen expect to move up to a strong fifth place finish and to get the practice they need before competing in the qualifying round of the nationals next week-end at Middlebury.

At the Dartmouth Carnival last weekend, coach Charley Gibson's snowmen, plagued by numerous falls, finished a disappointing but excusable sixth. The Crimson lost 14 crucial points when 4 of the 5 entrees in the slalom fell.

While the other teams in the league attend daily practice sessions during January, our snowmen trudge through slush on their way to final exams. Consequently, the team gets its practice during the early meets and is always the most improved team during the season.

Fortunately, the league standings are computed solely on the basis of the results of the final meet at Middlebury.

Gibson's coaching is gradually molding some strong units from the good material on the team. The decisive question in the team's future is when the individual skiers will hit their stride.

Practice at Soldiers Field on either one inch of snow or straw should enable the cross-country team to place close to the top of the league. Nordic team captain Jon Chaffee, a senior, resumes his battle with David Rikert of Williams for first in the cross country event.

Chaffee is the best cross-country skier who has ever attended Harvard and with sufficient practice could become Olympic material. If Jim Sise improves his technique and Bear Barnes matures, this unit will be one of the strongest in the league.

Since jumping demands consistent practice, Harvard usually relies on jumpers that have developed during prep school. The only exception in Harvard's history is the current lead-off man Bob Liver-more who has developed into a smooth and confident jumper while at Harvard.

In the Alpine events, the slalom rewards natural ability and the downhill rewards practice. Naturally, Harvard is better in the slalom. If all the Alpine members can keep their yellow bottoms in contact with the snow this week-end, they could capture a third in the slalom. The Crimson's only USEASA A-rated skier, Steve Blodgett, should place high in the top ten.

Gibson has told his snowmen that they can move past the University of Vermont and possibly his alma mater, Williams, this week-end. They believe him.