HANOVER, N.H. — The Middlebury College ski team finished a season-best third at the Dartmouth Carnival this past Friday and Saturday, scoring 675 points to trail only Vermont (900) and Dartmouth (864). New Hampshire (656) was fourth.
The Panthers return to action this weekend when they host their Middlebury Carnival on Friday and Saturday at Rikert Nordic Center and the Middlebury Snow Bowl.
Middlebury’s highlight came in Friday’s men’s giant slalom at the Dartmouth Skiway, won by Panther Rob Cone in a two-run time of  2:03.17. It was the sixth carnival win of his career.
Placing sixth was Colin Hayes in 2:04.71, and Riley Plant was 16th in 2:06.07.
Panther Caroline Bartlett took third for the Panther women in the GS in 2:08.74. Lexi Calcagni took 12th in 2:10.85, and Katie Utter was 16th in 2:11.41.
Nordic races were moved to the Craftsbury Nordic Center due to lack of snow at Dartmouth’s home course. In Friday’s 3×5-kilometer freestyle relay races, the Middlebury men’s team of Sam Wood, Adam Luban and Evan Weinman finished sixth in 37:35, and Lewis Nottonson, Jacob Volz and Gabe Mahoney placed 15th in 38:48.
On the women’s side, Cate Brams, Orli Schwartz and Katie Feldman took 12th in 45:04, and Kaitlin Fink, Luna Wasson and Claire Benton were 17th in 46:23
On Saturday, Luban led the men’s Nordic squad by taking ninth in the 10K classic. Wood was 20th, and Weinman finished 21st.
Brams led the women in the 5K in 12th in 16:05. Schwartz was 29th in 16:43, and Feldman was 30th (16:45).
Cone took second-place in Saturday’s slalom in 1:37.91 after leading after the first run. Colin Hayes captured sixth in 1:39.92, while Christopher McKenna was ninth in 1:40.12. Middlebury finished second in the event.
Jackie Atkins was the top Panther on the women’s side, taking 15th in 1:44.68. Bartlett was 19th (1:45.22), and Utter tied for 20th (1:45.24).