Ski Team Qualifies for Nationals, Won't Go Due to Lack of Money

The Crimson skiers qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship meet by placing fifth at the Eastern championships last weekend. Lack of funds will keep the team out of the competition, however.

As the weather was warm, the two alpine events were both held on Saturday while the snow lasted.

In the downhill, the Crimson placed a disappointing eighth, while scoring a high ninety-one points. Ex-Olympian Gordy Eaton of Middlebury won the event in 78.8 seconds; Harvard's top scorer was Steve Blodgett who placed fourteenth with a time of 84.5 seconds. Middlebury won the event.

In the slalom, Harvard placed fifth with 84.5 points. Blodgett was fourth with a time of 117 seconds for two runs. Peter Gagarin placed eighth with a time of 122.6 seconds as Eaton won again in 105.8 seconds.

In the jump, traditionally Harvard's weakest cevnt, the Crimson sky-raiders put in their best showing of the season, placing eighth, with a decent score of 72 points. Last weekend tife Crimson plummeted from third to seventh place because of their poor jumping. Harvard's top leaper was Bob Livermore, who placed twenty-sixth. The improved jumping score is attributable to an increase in the skill of the jumpers as well as to the fact that the hill this weekend was smaller and more manageable than the big Middlebury hill.

Coming into the last event, crosscountry, the squad was mired in seventh place, but the Harvard runner's best performance of the season brought the team up to fifth overall. John Chaffee, who placed second in the last two carnivals, dropped to third with a time of 37 minutes on a course that was shorter and did not require as much endurance as courses earlier in the season.

Jim Sise and Fred Noyes, improved on past performances, placing fifteenth and sixteenth, respectively. This gave Harvard fourth place in the cross-country, with a high point score of 91.7. The course was not long, but the snow was wet, and the running was slow. Dartmouth won the event.

This is the fourth straight year that the Harvard ski-team has qualified for the Nationals. Although the sport has strong alumni support, skiing is not recognized as a major sport at Harvard, and the team has been unable to attend the national meets in years like this one when they have eben held out West. Alumni funds suffice to buy equipment for the Nordic events, but individual members are still foting the bill for boots, and Alpine skis. Team members and coaches supply the transportation on the long four-day weekends north to the carnivals. Coach Charles Gibson has his expenses paid by the University, but receives no salary.

Next year, the team ought to be better than ever as only one senior, Ned Cabot, is graduating.