Both the St. Lawrence University men's and women's Nordic ski teams raced the 10K Freestyle on Friday to open the 2011 Middlebury Carnival at the Rikert Ski Center.  Junior Leah Hart was 14th on the women's side while graduate student Zach Wetherell paced the men in 15th.

Hart's eighth straight top-15 finish on the carnival circuit this season led the Saints women's team to sixth place as a squad with 60.0 points.  The Meredith, NH native completed the 10K course in 30:44.4 and was awarded 29.0 points. 

Junior Caroline Carpenter and first-year student Amanda Moreland capped the team's scoring with 27th and 44th place finishes, respectively.  Senior Sophie Allen (47th), sophomore Kelsey Nichols (48th) and rookie Amy Cymerman (56th) rounded out the Saints' line-up.

Wetherell, who has propelled himself into contention for an NCAA Championship bid, picked up his 18th career top-20 showing on Friday in the men's 10K Free.  The Hinsdale, MA native raced in 26:38.8 to earn 27.0 points.  Junior Adam Terko's (23rd) and senior captain Steven Vargo (25th) capped the team's scoring, landing the Scarlet and Brown in fifth with 70.0 points.

Senior Kyle Marvinney had a collegiate-best 39th place finish, while sophomore Connor Hunt (43rd) and rookie Eric Lustgarten (52nd) also represented St. Lawrence in the 10K Free.

Dartmouth College swept the 10K Freestyle races, as the Big Green earn the women's title with 133.0 points and the men's with 136.0.  Erika Flowers won the women's event for Dartmouth, while Eric Packer made it a clean sweep by claiming the men's crown.

The St. Lawrence University Nordic teams will be in action again tomorrow, Saturday, February 19 when they compete in the 3x3x1 sprint relays on Day Two of the Middlebury Carnival.