LAKE PLACID, N.Y. - Saint Michael's College Alpine skiing sophomore Isabella Knutsen (Bergen, Vestland, Norway/Norges Toppidsrettgymnas Geilo) won the Saint Lawrence University Carnival giant slalom on Thursday at Whiteface Mountain. She is just the second Purple Knight woman to win a carnival race in the modern era of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA).
 
CARNIVAL FACTS

• Knutsen is the fifth different Purple Knight Alpine skier to win a race since 2023, with the quintet combining to capture seven events. She and Helene Kristoffersen '25 are the lone Saint Michael's women to win races since the EISA consolidated its two divisions into one for the 1993-94 season.
• The Saint Michael's women's Alpine squad scored fourth-place points (90) on Thursday, just short of Middlebury College (98), Dartmouth College (100) and the University of New Hampshire (101). It bested such teams as Colby College (83) and the University of Vermont (81). It was the Purple Knights' best showing since taking third in the UNH Carnival/EISA Championship GS on Feb. 26, 2022.
• Between the men's and women's Alpine teams, Saint Michael's totaled 140 points during the GS to place fifth, within range of fourth-place UVM (155).
• Nordic skiing already completed its two days of competition on Jan. 4 and 6. Between Alpine and Nordic, the College is sixth out of 14 schools with 356 points heading into Friday's final day.

WOMEN'S LEADERS

• Knutsen, 1st in giant slalom, 2:11.71 two-run combined time
  • 1st career podium
  • Trailed by only 0.10 seconds after first run before posting third-fastest second run to win by 0.43 seconds
  • Started in No. 19 bib
• First-year Louise Hagman (Stockholm, Sweden/Jämtlands Gymnasium Åre), 22nd, 2:15.11
  • 1st career placement
  • Started in No. 47 bib
• Sophomore Eulalie Giraud (Les Carroz, France/Lycée du Mont-Blanc René Dayve/Rocky Mountain), 26th, 2:15.80
• Sophomore Leah DeFilippo (Elmira, N.Y./Northwood School), 45th, 2:19.71

MEN'S LEADERS

• Junior Maxime Guillemaud (Carry-le-Rouet, Bouches-du-Rhône, France/International Bilingual School of Provence), 20th in giant slalom, 2:09.77 two-run combined time
  • 2nd career top-20 finish
• Sophomore Gilbert Aubert (Oslo, Norway/Persbråten VGS), 29th, 2:10.92
• Sophomore Albin Åhs (Stockholm, Sweden/Malung-Sälens gymnasieskola), 40th, 2:21.76

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S EVENT

• Friday at Saint Lawrence Carnival, 9 a.m.