The skiing team finished its regular season this week with a flawless record. The squad rounded out league competition by winning all regular season races, a feat never previously achieved by a women's team in the MacConnell division. The team also set a division record twice — first by winning the Brown Carnival by 17 seconds and then widening the margin to 20 seconds at the Clarkson Carnival.
This success comes after skiing was slated to get cut this past spring, along with the wrestling and fencing programs. Last October, after the teams launched fundraising campaigns to save the squads, President Ruth Simmons recommended against eliminating the teams.
After avoiding the axe, six of eight Bears placed in the top 15 skiers in the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference MacConnell Division, and captain Kia Mosenthal '12 won the individual division title.
Mosenthal credited off-the-hill bonding as the key to the team's overall success. "The team has come together in a way that I have not seen before," she said. "I think our positive interactions outside of skiing have enabled us to perform so well in races."
Unlike previous years, the ski team benefitted from a more well-rounded squad, Mosenthal added. "For the first time in my four years, we have depth — any of us can win on any given day," she said. "Everyone has worked really hard this season to stay positive and encourage one another."
As a result of strong performances during the regular season, the team will be competing at the ECSC Regionals in Sugarloaf, Maine, Feb. 25-26.
"Pretty good stuff after almost losing the program," wrote head coach Michael LeBlanc in an email to The Herald.
