Dartmouth, which qualified the maximum of 12 skiers total for the competition's eight events, finished with a combined total of 643 points, behind first-place University of Colorado, which earned 831 points. The University of Utah placed second with 750.5 points, while three-time defending champion University of Denver came in fifth with 592 points.
The University of Vermont which won all but one regular season carnival that the Big Green competed in this year finished sixth with 575.5 points.
Despite strong individual performances leading up to the Championships, Hammond said the team approached the competition without high expectations.
The team also faced a number of obstacles at the Championships poor weather forced several races to be moved, and the Big Green faced academic conflicts as Dartmouth's final exam period coincided with the timing of the Championships.
Stowe's proximity to Dartmouth and the team's preparation helped it overcome the difficulties, according to women's alpine captain Courtney Hammond '11.
"It's always an advantage to be able to get on the slope beforehand," she said. "Also, being on the east coast and close to school and having teammates, friends and family supporting us is always a big help."
The Big Green benefited from several standout individual performances, including men's Nordic skier Sam Tarling '13, who won the 10-kilometer freestyle event and led the Big Green to a team victory in the race. Nils Koons '11 placed fourth in the 10-kilometer race and Eric Packer '12 placed fifth.
"I was just totally psyched. I couldn't believe it and it took a while for it all to sink it," Tarling said of his performance. "I had been sick the week before, so I had no idea how I would be able to perform but I ended up having my best race of the year."
Trevor Leafe '12 took fourth in the men's slalom event, earning First Team All-America honors. The Big Green used three top-15 finishes in the event to pass the University of New Mexico, which sat 20 points ahead of Dartmouth entering Saturday's final run. Evan Diamond '13 placed 13th and Peter Ankeny '12 placed 14th.
Leafe said he knew he needed a good performance to improve the team's overall positioning as he entered his final run. "I knew we were sitting in fourth but I was trying my best to block it out of my head," he said. "When I was getting ready for my second run, I heard that [Ankeny] and [Diamond] had gotten down clean, so I decided to go for it without worrying about team standings. But it was always in the back of my mind."
Women's Nordic skiers Rosie Brennan '11, Erika Flowers '12 and Sophie Caldwell '12 all earned All-America honors and placed in the top 10 in the five-kilometer freestyle event. Hammond achieved All-America status with a 10th-place finish in the giant slalom event.
"It's nice to go out with a great team performance," Hammond, who completed her collegiate career at the competition, said.
At the Championships, Dartmouth received a total of 11 All-American honors eight in Nordic events and three in alpine events.
The Championships marked the end of the Big Green's season for most Dartmouth skiers, although some continued to compete individually over spring break. A number of skiers will also race at the U.S. National Distance Championships in Sun Valley, Idaho, this week, and the U.S. National Alpine Championships in Winter Park, Colo., this weekend.
