Skiers Take Eighth in Weekend Races

Despite Captain Ben Steele's fourth place finish in the giant slalom, Harvard's ski team finished eighth in a field of ten in last weekend's Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) Dartmouth Carnival.

Steele, a second team All-EISA selection last year, also placed 18th in the slalom and 19th in the jumping competition. He was ninth in the combined Alpine standings.

As expected, perennial EISA powers University of Vermont, Dartmouth and Middlebury captured the top three places in the team standings.

A controversial disqualification cost the Crimson a possible third place standing in the two run slalom competition. Gordon Adler was disqualified by one of the officials on the second run.

"It was an incorrect disqualification that we should have protested, but we acted too late," Coach Peter Carter said yesterday.

Carter said that he expects the team to continue improving each week throughout the season and hopes that they will peak at the NCAA qualifying meet at Middlebury February 22-24.

The top four teams and the top five individuals in each event at Middlebury qualify for the NCAA championships at Middlebury on March 8-10.

Although he does not expect the team to qualify for the championships, Carter said that barring disaster, several of the individual team members should qualify.

Tom Cavin and Scott Johnson placed 31st and 32nd in the combined Alpine standings for the weekend by placing in both the slalom and the giant slalom.

Other high places in individual Alpine races were taken by Dick Raines (17th in slalom), Gordon Adler (19th in giant slalom), and Bob Beusman (21st in giant slalom).

Jon Rikert was the highest Crimson finisher in the Cross Country race. He placed 18th, while Paul Finnegan, Peter Dillon, and Andy Bauman took the 26th, 40th and 42nd spots.

Scott Johnson, Brot Coburn, Mike Herter and Tom Cavin finished low in the standings behind Steele in the jumping competition.

Tomorrow and Thursday, Carter, who is eligible to race for Harvard in all but intercollegiate competition, Raines, Steele, Adler and Beusman will race in the Atlantic Regional Championships at Stowe, Vt.

On Saturday the Crimson team will again race in EISA competition at the Williams Carnival.