The Massachusetts skiing team seems poised to have successful 2008 season thanks to the performance of some of last year's standout skiers. Senior Eliza Hawkins is coming off an excellent junior campaign, including scoring a third place finish in the giant slalom at the USCSA Nationals.
Her dominance of the event looks to continue. In the season opening carnival at Colby-Sawyer College, Hawkins captured first place in the giant slalom event at the Colby-Sawyer Carnival, and at the UConn Carnival she managed to come in fifth place in the giant slalom and 17th in the regular slalom, despite an injured calf muscle. UMass coach Skip Fox certainly hopes that her performance will set the tone for the season.
"I know she can do better than that, but considering she was injured and didn't practice at all last week, that's a very good performance," said Fox.
Hawkins is being counted on to help lead the Minutewomen to a successful season. She is the only senior on the roster and has consistently been the team's best performer. She was offered the position of captain of the team and declined, but Fox feels she is a leader regardless of title.
Youth Movement
The Minutemen skiers are one of the youngest squads among any sports on campus. The team has three seniors - one on the women's team, Eliza Hawkins, and two on the men's team, Jason Small and James Green.
Fox understands many of his players still need more seasoning, but he feels that they have an abundance of talent despite the youth of the team.
"We have a strong crew featuring a bunch of juniors and sophomores, and I expect to do very well," Fox said.
Fox admits that the lack of seniors certainly has disadvantages, but he was quick to point out there are a few upsides, especially the fact that he will only lose three players next year.
Injury woes
Often in sports the teams with the most success are also the teams with the best health. The Minutewomen hope to prove this statement wrong this season, as they have been hit hard with a series of unfortunate injuries, very early in the season.
Alison Hubbard and Stacy Meader are out with fractured tibias, Amy Gifford tore her ACL and sprained her PCL in a fall while competing in the giant slalom. All three are out for the year. This is in addition to Hawkins' bruised calf muscle that she fought through at UConn.
The Minutemen aren't untouched by injuries; Travis Hopkins is out with a sprained MCL.
Sibling skiers
Teams that spend a lot of time together can become so close to each other they begin to resemble a family. The UMass ski teams, though, are ahead of the curve when it comes to having that kind of chemistry. Two sibling sets are competing for the team: Jason and Matthew Smalls are brothers, and Andrew and Ashley Hawes are twins.
This is actually a decline in the number of skiers who had a family member on the team. Eliza Hawkins' older brother Rush was a standout skier for the team the past four years.
Scott Feldman can be reached at sfeldman@student.umass.edu.
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