CRAFTSBURY, Vt. -- The Bates College men's Nordic ski team placed fourth out of 11 teams in the 10K Classic to notch the Bobcat ski teams' best effort at the Middlebury College Winter Carnival this weekend.

Overall, the Bates ski teams placed sixth out of 11 teams, ahead of St. Lawrence, Colby, Harvard, St. Michael's and Bowdoin.

First-year Sylvan Ellefson placed 10th out of 61 competitors in the 10K Classic, in 28:17.5, to lead the Bobcats in that event. Senior Seth Hubbard was 19th, while first-year Connor Cushman and senior Dan Johnson came in 34th and 35th, respectively.

Johnson was Bates' first finisher in the 20K Free Technique race, coming in 20th out of 59 finishers in 1:01:55. Ellefson was right behind in 21st, while sophomore Matt Dunlap came in 28th.

On the women's side, junior Kaitlyn McElroy led Bates in the 15K Free Technique race, coming in 16th place out of 51 competitors in 52:50.8.

McElroy was also 21st out of 54 competitors in the 5K Classical, race, behind first-year teammate Haleigh Armstrong, who was 18th.

Junior Lauren Jacobs was 35th in the 5K Classical and 41st in the 15K Freestyle, while junior Alissa Praggastis was 31st in the 15K Freestyle and 39th in the 5K Classical.