HANCOCK, Vt. and RIPTON, Vt. – Sophomore Duncan Armstrong finished in a career-best second place in the men's giant slalom, and the Crimson tallied nine top-30 finishes across the alpine and nordic teams as Harvard University skiing opened competition on Friday on day of the Middlebury Carnival for the NCAA Regional Championships.
 
In alpine action at the Middlebury Snowbowl, Armstong led the Crimson with his collegiate-best second place finish in the men's giant slalom. Harvard's men's alpine team came in fourth place in the men's giant slalom as senior Luke Kearing (14^th) and first-year Tristan Leightell (28^th) joined Armstrong in the top-30. Sophomore Skylar Sheppard led the women's side with a 29^th-place finish in the women's giant slalom.
 
In nordic competition at the Rikert Outdoor Center, the Crimson totaled five top-30 finishes in the 7.5k classic events. In the women's 7.5k classic, sophomore Hanna Wilsey (16^th), junior Clara Lake (19^th), and junior Meredith Schwartz (23^rd) all came in the top 30 while in the men's 7.5k classic, sophomore Bennett Hutchison (28^th) and first-year Braden Bellizzi (30^th) both posted top-30 finishes.
 
As a team, Harvard stands in sixth place in the 14-school EISA with 232 points behind a fourth-place finish from men's alpine (88 points) and sixth-place finish from women's nordic (75 points) on day one.
 
Harvard will close competition at the Middlebury Carnival tomorrow – Saturday, Feb. 21 – with alpine competing in the slalom and nordic taking part in the 20k freestyle.
   

Harvard Highlights: Alpine Day 1

• Sophomore Duncan Armstrong finished in a career-best second place in the men's giant slalom behind a time of 1:56.79 (54.18 run one, 1:02.61 run two) for 47 EISA points and 80 NCAA points. He posted his ninth top-30 finish, eighth top 20 effort, fourth top-10 showing, and third top-five placement of the season.
• Competing in his final EISA carnival, senior Luke Kearing placed 14^th in the men's giant slalom, securing his fifth top-30 and fourth top-20 effort of the year. He clocked a time of 1:57.78 (55.14 run one, 1:02.64 run two) for 27 EISA points and 14 NCAA points.
• First-year Tristan Leightell registered a season-best 28^th-place finish in the men's giant slalom, marking his first top-30 finish of the year. He came in with a time of 1:59.37 (55.52 run one, 1:03.85 run two) for 14 EISA points and three NCAA points.
• Sophomore Skylar Sheppard led the women's team with a 29^th-place finish in the women's giant slalom for her seventh top-30 effort of the season. She posted a tie of 2:05.18 (57.69 run one, 1:07.49 run two) for 18 EISA points and two NCAA points.
• As a team, men's alpine took fourth place in the men's giant slalom standings behind top-30 finishes from Armstrong (second), Kearing (14^th), and Leightell (28^th).

Harvard Highlights: Nordic Day 1

• Sophomore Hanna Wilsey finished in a career-best 16^th place in the women's 7.5k classic, posting her third top-30 and first top-20 effort of the year. She clocked a time of 25:57.4 for 20 EISA points and 15 NCAA points.
• Junior Clara Lake placed 19^th in the women's 7.5k classic for her fourth top-30 – and fourth top-20 – effort of the season. She recorded a time of 26:04.5 for 25 EISA points and 12 NCAA points.
• Junior Meredith Schwartz rounded out the Crimson's top-30 finishers on the women's side, coming in 23^rd in the women's 7.5k classic for her sixth top-30 showing of 2026. She posted a time of 26:21.5 for 24 EISA points and eight NCAA points.
• Sophomore Bennett Hutchison paced the men's team with a 28^th-place finish in the men's 7.5k classic for his sixth top-30 effort of the year. He tallied a time of 22:43.2 for 18 EISA points and three NCAA points.
• First-year Braden Bellizzi came in 30^th in the men's 7.5k classic for his second top-30 finish of 2026. He clocked a 22:51.6 for 16 EISA points and one NCAA point.
• Coming in just outside the top 30, senior Hayden McJunkin came in 31^st in the women's 7.5k classic, and sophomore Elias Soulé placed 35^th in the men's 7.5k classic.
• As a team, women's nordic came in sixth place in the women's 7.5k classic with 75 points behind top-25 showings from Wilsey (16^th), Lake (19^th), and Schwartz (23^rd). 

Harvard Results 

Friday: Women's Giant Slalom

29.) Skylar Sheppard (Bib 24): 2:05.18 (57.69 run one, 1:07.49 run two), 18 EISA Points, 2 NCAA Points
52.) Caroline Collins (Bib 60): 2:09.81 (59.68 run one, 1:10.13 run two), 5 EISA Points
DNQ Run 2) Maya Eisner (Bib 70) 

Friday: Men's Giant Slalom

2.) Duncan Armstrong (Bib 9): 1:56.79 (54.18 run one, 1:02.61 run two), 47 EISA Points, 80 NCAA Points
14.) Luke Kearing (Bib 61): 1:57.78 (55.14 run one, 1:02.64 run two), 27 EISA Points, 18 NCAA Points
28.) Tristan Leightell (Bib 50): 1:59.37 (55.52 run one, 1:03.85 run two), 14 EISA Points, 3 NCAA Points
DNQ – Run 2) Josh Rosenberg (Bib 81)
DNQ – Run 2) Lucas Brumm (Bib 87) 

Friday: Women's 7.5k Classic

16.) Hanna Wilsey (Bib 112): 25:57.4, 26 EISA Points, 15 NCAA Points
19.) Clara Lake (Bib 136): 26:04.5, 25 EISA Points, 12 NCAA Points
23.) Meredith Schwartz (Bib 155): 26:21.5, 24 EISA Points, 8 NCAA Points
31.) Hayden McJunkin (Bib 130): 26:33.3 

Friday: Men's 7.5k Classic

28.) Bennett Hutchison (Bib 46): 22:43.2, 18 EISA Points, 3 NCAA Points
30.) Braden Bellizzi (Bib 56): 22:51.6, 16 EISA Points, 1 NCAA Point
35.) Elias Soulé (Bib 35): 23:06.0, 12 EISA Points
53.) Cyrus Hamlin (Bib 12): 24:12.9
57.) Logan Cuddy (Bib 31): 24:25.1
62.) Edwin Ryerson (Bib 4): 25:03.7 

Team Scores (Day 1)

1.) Dartmouth: 277.5
2.) Vermont: 432
3.) Middlebury: 419.5
4.) New Hampshire: 327.5
5.) Colby: 242.5
6.) Harvard: 232
7.) St. Michael's: 218
8.) Williams: 185.5
9.) St. Lawrence: 163
10.) Bowdoin: 140
11.) Bates: 134.5
12.) Plymouth State: 130
13.) Boston College: 114
14.) Colby Sawyer: 0 

Next Up

Harvard will close competition at the Middlebury Carnival tomorrow – Saturday, Feb. 21 – with alpine competing in the slalom and nordic taking part in the 20k freestyle.
 
Following the Middlebury Carnival, Harvard will look to send representatives to the NCAA Championships hosted by the University of Utah from March 11-14 with alpine events at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah and nordic events at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway, Utah. The championship's schedule of events will include giant slalom on March 11, the 7.5k classic on March 12, slalom on March 13, and the 20k freestyle on March 14. The NCAA will announce selections for the championship on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at noon.