HANCOCK, Vt. and RIPTON, Vt. – Senior Luke Kearing came in fifth place in men's slalom a day after sophomore Duncan Armstrong placed second in the men's giant slalom as the Crimson totaled 16 top-30 finishes across alpine and nordic as Harvard University skiing wrapped up the Middlebury Carnival for the NCAA Regional Championships with day two on Saturday.
 
Across the two-day event, the Crimson tallied 16 top-30 showings, including nine on the nordic side and seven on the alpine side with the top-five finishes from Armstrong and Kearing highlighting the effort.
 
In alpine action at the Middlebury Snowbowl, Kearing came in a career-bet fifth in the men's slalom on day two following up his 14^th-place finish in men's giant slalom on day one while Armstrong came in a career-best second in men's giant slalom on day one before a 20^th-place finish in men's slalom on day two. On the women's side, sophomore Skylar Sheppard came in 18^th in women's slalom and 29^th in women's giant slalom.
 
Both Armstrong and Kearing sit in NCAA qualifying positions within the EISA with the NCAA set to announce official selections for the championship on Wednesday, Mar. 4 at noon.
 
In nordic competition at the Rikert Outdoor Center, the Crimson compiled five top-30 efforts on day one in the 7.5k classic and four more top-30 showings on day two in the 20k freestyle. On day one, sophomore Hanna Wilsey (16^th), junior Clara Lake (19^th), junior Meredith Schwartz (23^rd), sophomore Bennett Hutchison (28^th), and first-year Braden Bellizzi (30^th) all came in the top 30. On day two, Lake (18^th), Schwartz (20^th), senior Hayde McJunkin (23^rd), and Hutchison (23^rd) posted top-30 showings.
 
As a team, Harvard finished in seventh place in the 14-school EISA with 456 points, marking its best finish as a team this season after coming in eighth in the team standings at each of the previous five EISA carnivals this winter.
 
In a relocated event due to snow conditions, Harvard will 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.

Harvard Highlights: Alpine Day 2

• Senior Luke Kearing placed a career-best fifth place in the men's slalom, posting his sixth top-30, fifth top-20, and first top-10 effort of the season. He came in with a 1:40.28 (52.13 run one, 48.15 run two) for 39 EISA points and 45 NCAA points.
• Sophomore Skylar Sheppard came in 18^th in the women's slalom, marking her eighth top-30 and sixth top-20 effort of the year. Sheppard clocked a 1:40.78 (50.1 run one, 50.68 run two) for 25 EISA points and 13 NCAA points.
• Sophomore Duncan Armstrong finished in 20^th place in the men's slalom, registering his 10^th top-30 and ninth top-20 showing of the season. He finished in 1:41.16 (52.84 run one, 48.32 run two) for 23 EISA points and 11 NCAA points.
• As a team, men's alpine came in sixth place as a team in the slalom with 72 points behind top-20 finishes from Kearing (fifth) and Armstrong (20^th).

Harvard Highlights: Nordic Day 2

• Junior Clara Lake finished in 18^th place in the women's 20k freestyle for her fifth top-30 and fifth top-20 finish of the season. She clocked a 56:40.3 for 26 EISA points and 13 NCAA points.
• Junior Meredith Schwartx followed her in 20^th place in the women's 20k freestyle with a 20^th-place effort, posting her seventh top-30 and third top-20 finish of the campaign. She came in at 56:47.6 for 25 EISA points and 11 NCAA points.
• Senior Hayden McJunkin rounded out the women's team's top-30 finishers with a 23^rd-place showing for her seventh top-30 finish of the year. She came in with a time of 57:01.0 for 23 EISA points and eight NCAA points.
• Sophomore Bennett Hutchison led the men's side with a 23^rd-place finish in the men's 20k freestyle for his seventh top-30 effort of the season. He posted a time of 52:46.2 for 22 EISA points and eight NCAA points.
• As a team, the women's side came in sixth place on day two of the carnival with 74 points.

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

Saturday: Women's Slalom

18.) Skylar Sheppard (Bib 22): 1:40.78 (50.1 run one, 50.68 run two), 25 EISA Points, 13 NCAA Points
52.) Emma Speiser (Bib 58)L: 1:46.16 (52.76 run one, 53.4 run two), 5 EISA Points
DNQ – Run 2) Maya Eisner (Bib 67)
DNQ – Run 2) Caroline Collins (Bib 72) 

Saturday: Men's Slalom

5.) Luke Kearing (Bib 24): 1:40.28 (52.13 run one, 48.15 run two), 39 EISA points, 45 NCAA Points
20.) Duncan Armstrong (Bib 25): 1:41.16 (52.84 run one, 48.32 run two), 23 EISA Points, 11 NCAA Points
42.) Josh Rosenberg (Bib 73): 1:47.39 (56.13 run one, 51.26 run two), 10 EISA Points
DNF – Run 1) Tristan Leightell (Bib 67)
DNF – Run 1) Lucas Brumm (Bib 86) 

Saturday: Women's 20k Freestyle

18.) Clara Lake (Bib 126): 56:40.3, 26 EISA Points, 13 NCAA Points
20.) Meredith Schwartz (Bib 132): 56:47.6, 25 EISA Points, 11 NCAA Points
23.) Hayden McJunkin (Bib 131): 57:01.0, 23 EISA Points, 8 NCAA Points
33.) Hanna Wilsey (Bib 137): 59:02.5 

Saturday: Men's 20k Freestyle

23.) Bennett Hutchison (Bib 30): 52:46.2, 22 EISA Points, 8 NCAA Points
33.) Braden Bellizzi (Bib 39): 54:26.7, 15 EISA Points
48.) Cyrus Hamlin (Bib 64): 56:40.5, 11 EISA Points
50.) Elias Soulé (Bib 48): 57:10.1
56.) Edwin Ryerson (Bib 66): 58:20.0
58.) Logan Cuddy (Bib 61): 59:00.1 

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

1.) Dartmouth: 982.5
2.) Middlebury: 808.5
3.) Vermont: 776
4.) New Hampshire: 677.5
5.) Colby: 519.5
6.) St. Michael's: 461
7.) Harvard: 456
8.) St. Lawrence: 341
9.) Williams: 335.5
10.) Bowdoin: 313
11.) Bates: 311.5
12.) Boston College: 222
13.) Plymouth State: 215
14.) Colby Sawyer: 20 

Next Up

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.