Jan. 12, 2006

Vermont Alpine Ski Team Has Strong Showing at Eastern Cup

BURLINGTON, Vt. – The University of Vermont alpine ski team recently 
tuned up for the 2006 season at the TD Banknorth Eastern Cup in 
Waterville Valley, N.H., (women’s team) and Stowe, Vt. (men’s team). 
The TD Banknorth Eastern Cup is the premier race series in the eastern 
United States.

On Sunday, Jan. 8, in Waterville Valley, N.H., the Catamounts took the 
top three spots in the slalom. Senior tri-captain Hilary McCloy 
(Bethel, Maine) won the race, while fellow senior Jaime Kingsbury 
(Waitsfield, Vt.), the defending women’s national champion in the GS, 
finished second and sophomore Jilyne McDonald (Bellevue, Wash.) was 
third. Senior Amy Cochran (Keene, N.H.) was also in the top-10 
finishing sixth.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, Vermont again took the top three spots at the 
Eastern Cup, this time in the giant slalom. McDonald finished first, 
while McCloy was second and Cochran third. Sophomore Ashley Spina 
(Guildhall, Vt.) picked up a ninth-place finish.

On the men’s side in Stowe, Vt., on Sunday, Jan. 8, four Catamounts had 
top-10 finishes in the slalom. Senior tri-captain Paul Epstein 
(Carlisle, Mass.) led the way with a fourth-place finish. Freshman 
Brede Halsnes (Sauda, Norway) finished in fifth-place, freshman Craig 
Leaman (Waterville Valley, N.H.) was seventh and sophomore Brian 
Baritot (Orchard Park, N.Y.) was ninth.

The following day in the giant slalom Epstein was the top Catamount 
with a fifth-place finish.

In the third and final day of competition, sophomore Greg Hardy 
(Stratton, Vt.), the defending men’s national champion in the giant 
slalom, picked up a second-place finish in the GS and Epstein finished 
fifth to earn his third top-five finish of the week.

The Vermont ski team starts its season next weekend at the Colby 
Carnival at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, Maine, on Friday, Jan 20. 
Last season the Catamounts won five of six regular season carnivals 
before winning the EISA Championships and finishing second at the NCAA 
Championships in Stowe, Vt.

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Chris Wojcik
Assistant Director of Athletic Communications
University of Vermont
Phone: 802-656-1110
Fax: 802-656-8328
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http://www.uvmathletics.com