Winged Lion Pride

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Athletics News

Track your favorite team or athlete with school publications.

Fine Print is Rowland Hall's magazine—published online only—and includes at least two in-depth athletics feature stories per year.

The Finish Line is our school's athletics e-newsletter—read the latest issue or browse all past stories below. It's emailed to our community three times a year, at the end of each sports season, and includes coach-written wrap-ups detailing team and individual accomplishments.

Fine Print—Athletics Features

Rowmarker Mary Bocock verbally commits to ski for NCAA Division 1 Dartmouth College.

Rowmarker Mary Bocock to Ski for NCAA Division 1 Dartmouth College Beginning in Fall 2023

At only 18 years old, Rowmarker Mary Bocock has already had an impressive skiing career.

In addition to her achievements as a top Rowmark Ski Academy athlete, Mary had the chance to compete with the US Ski & Snowboard Team in Europe in January 2021, an opportunity that led to her first nomination to the US Alpine Ski Team later that year. Earlier this month, she was nominated to the US Ski Team for a second time. And prior to sustaining a knee injury in December, Mary was ranked first in super-G, third in giant slalom, and eighth in slalom in the United States for her age.

Mary will soon add another achievement to her resume—college athlete—when she joins the Dartmouth College women’s ski team next year. She plans to enroll as a first-year student in fall 2023, after taking a gap year to continue her healing and focus on her commitment to the US Ski Team before she dives back into a routine of balancing school, training, and racing.

“Joining the Dartmouth ski team has been one of my athletic goals since I started thinking about colleges,” said Mary, who long considered the Ivy League school not only because it offered a top ski program, but also because of its academic excellence.

“This is a great fit for Mary on all levels,” said Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy program director. “Dartmouth has a long history of developing world-class ski racers within their storied NCAA Division 1 ski team, in conjunction with their flexible academic structure and top-notch education.”

To celebrate Mary’s plan to attend Dartmouth, we asked her a few questions about her decision and her journey as a skier. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

When did you find out that you have a spot on Dartmouth's ski team? How did it feel to receive that news?

I started talking to the coach about a year and a half before I committed to skiing for him. I knew the coach was interested in me, but I knew that I shouldn’t get my hopes up because there could be other girls out there. So when he told me he wanted to offer me a spot in the fall of 2023, I felt relieved and excited that I didn’t have to worry about my college experience.

You'll be taking a gap year before heading to Dartmouth. Why did you make that choice?

I will be taking a gap year after I graduate in the spring so that I can focus on my commitment to the US Ski Team and take advantage of all the resources they provide. Throughout my whole racing career, I have always had to balance traveling and school, so I want to experience the sport without having to balance the stresses of high school alongside the pressure of performing well in races and traveling. The Dartmouth coach actually offered me a spot to start in the fall of 2022, but I decided that I want to take a year to mature as an athlete and really focus on racing to make the most of my opportunity with the US Ski Team.

You've been offered a spot on the Dartmouth team and you're on the US Ski Team—basically, you've achieved two of your dreams. While you can't know what lies ahead, how are you approaching these two amazing opportunities?

I feel very lucky to have these two incredible opportunities ahead of me. I am trying to stay present and not worry about how I will balance the two programs. I am just trying to take advantage of the places and lessons I am experiencing. I always try to not take anything for granted—especially after COVID—and make the most of my time traveling and exploring new mountains and countries.

Rowmarker and US Ski Team member Mary Bocock with Rowmark teammates. — Mary, left, with fellow Rowmarkers Carter Louchheim and Mary Clancy in January 2020.

Focusing on your time at Rowland Hall, what moment as a member of Rowmark are you most proud of?

I’ve had a lot of great experiences on Rowmark, so it’s hard for me to pick my favorite moment. But if I had to, I would say one of my favorite memories is when I won a GS [giant slalom] race in Breckenridge, Colorado, at the end of my junior year. It was that race that helped me lower my points enough to make criteria for the US Ski Team. When I came down and everyone was cheering for me, I was so excited that I couldn’t stop smiling. Then, a few minutes later, my coach came down and gave me a hug (which is rare because he’s not one for hugs), and I started to experience an overwhelming amount of emotions because it all felt real.

On the other side, some of the most memorable experiences from Rowmark have been off the snow. The conditioning/team bonding week is always a highlight of the year because the whole team comes together to compete with each other in a very cohesive way. Competition is one of my favorite aspects of ski racing, so I always have a lot of fun on the camping weekend when the whole trip is just filled with competition.

Tell us about the skills you built at Rowland Hall and on Rowmark that you'll be taking with you after graduation.

One of the most notable skills I’ve learned from being on Rowmark while attending a challenging high school is time management and communication. In order for me to keep up with my work while I’m gone, I have to be very diligent with letting my teachers know when I will be gone and updating them on my progress throughout my trips. My first few training camps with the US Ski Team have been very different compared to those with Rowmark because nobody else in my group is in school. I am the only one trying to keep up with classes while skiing at a high level. I have to find time to separate myself and sit down and do school work while my teammates do their other activities. However, I have actually started to really enjoy Zooming into my classes while I'm away on ski trips because it is an opportunity for me to take time off from thinking about skiing and still feel connected with my life at home.

Congratulations, Mary!

Athletics

Rowmark ski racer Elisabeth Bocock is one of the newest members of the US Ski Team.

Junior Elisabeth Bocock Nominated to US Ski Team

Congratulations to junior Elisabeth Bocock, who this week was nominated to the US Ski Team.

Rowmark and US Ski Team ski racer Elisabeth Bocock

Elisabeth is one of 42 athletes nominated to the US Alpine Ski Team and one of three athletes who will be joining the women’s Development Team (D-Team) for the first time for the 2022–2023 competition season. (Athletes qualify for the team in the spring based on selection criteria, and the official team is announced in the fall once nominees complete physical fitness testing and medical department clearance.) She is the youngest addition to the D-Team and the only new member from the state of Utah.

“It was unreal,” said Elisabeth of the moment she received the call from US Ski Team Coach Chip Knight congratulating her on her season and confirming her place on the team. “It was what I’ve been hoping for basically my whole life.”

She’s not kidding. Thanks to her family’s love of skiing, Elisabeth has been involved with the sport for as long as she can remember: she clipped into her first pair of skis at age two, and some of her earliest memories include traveling with her family to Colorado to watch the World Cup—an experience that inspired her first dreams of joining the US Ski Team. “Seeing people on the team there was super exciting,” she remembered. “It made me want to be a part of that.”

It was unreal. It was what I’ve been hoping for basically my whole life.—Elisabeth Bocock, class of 2023, on being nominated to the US Ski Team

It also didn’t hurt that Elisabeth has three older siblings—brothers Scottie ’18 and Jimmy, and sister Mary—who were early naturals on the slopes and whose ski racing journeys inspired her own competitive drive. Elisabeth began racing for the Snowbird Ski Team at age six, and she joined Rowmark Ski Academy at age 13—a move she credits for preparing her to excel in both racing and academics, and where she’s had an exceptional career. In the 2021–2022 season alone, Elisabeth had five podium finishes in elite-level FIS races and is currently ranked first for her age in the US in slalom, giant slalom, and super-G, and second in the world in giant slalom.

“What is so impressive about Elisabeth objectively earning a spot on the US Ski Team is that her season was filled with setbacks,” said Foreste Peterson, Rowmark Ski Academy’s head women's FIS coach. “Whether it was having to quarantine from COVID exposures, or the many hard crashes she took that left her concussed, bloody, bruised, and banged up, she was knocked down time and time again. Yet, she bounced back every time, better than before, and always with a smile on her face. It was truly a pleasure to work with Elisabeth this year, and I so look forward to seeing what her future holds.”

And while Elisabeth’s riding the high of simply making the US Ski Team, she’s also enjoying an additional perk not available to every athlete in her position: the knowledge that this new experience will include her older sister (and role model), Mary, who was nominated to the US Ski Team last spring. “I’m super excited to work together in a different atmosphere,” said Elisabeth. “Mary’s been a real inspiration to me and has shown me what it takes to get to where I need to go.”

We can’t wait to see where she goes next. Congratulations, Elisabeth—we’ll be cheering you on!

Rowmark

Rowland Hall senior Briggs Ballard '22 playing lacrosse for the prestigious IMG Academy.

Senior Briggs Ballard to Play Lacrosse for Texas Christian University

Ever since Briggs Ballard learned he could play lacrosse while also studying finance and business development in college, he focused on turning that goal into a reality.

“From the day I realized I could play college lacrosse, it has been my biggest dream,” he said.

That dream came true on March 4, when Briggs committed to play for Texas Christian University (TCU), a Division 1 school with a lacrosse team that competes in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association. It’s an impressive step for the talented young athlete, who has been passionate about lacrosse since the age of three, when a Rowland Hall parent who moved to Utah from the East Coast created a mini lacrosse team for the community as a way to introduce students to the sport.

“I was a little too young to suit up,” Briggs said about the experience. “However, my brother [Boston Ballard ’20] played and I was always there watching and waiting for my turn. As I watched the older kids, I knew I wanted to play, and from that day on lacrosse was my sport. When I got my chance, I hit the ground running.”

And he’s excelled: by third grade, Briggs was playing competitive club lacrosse, and by sixth grade, club box lacrosse, and he was a member of youth teams at both Brighton High School and Corner Canyon High School, where his eighth-grade team won the state championship. In ninth grade, after a family move, Briggs began playing for Highland High School, where, as the only freshman on the varsity team, he led in goals, assists, and total points, earning him Freshman of the Year and Most Valuable Player accolades. When COVID-19 canceled his sophomore season, Briggs decided to use the time to think about how to take the skills he’d been building to the next level. “During quarantine, I decided I needed to push myself and play at the highest level of high school lacrosse,” he said. After making the team at IMG Academy, a prestigious sports training facility and boarding school in Florida, Briggs chose to spend his junior year there, where he practiced seven days a week and traveled the country playing top teams.

“It was a difficult decision to move away from my family and to leave Rowland Hall, but I decided to go for it and spent my junior year at IMG,” said Briggs. “The experience was one I will never forget; I learned so much about lacrosse and myself.”

He also learned just how much he appreciates his family and the Rowland Hall community: Briggs returned to Utah for his senior year, where he’s been enjoying time with friends, wrapping up his studies in the Upper School, playing lacrosse (of course!), and preparing for the next chapter of his story.

To celebrate Briggs’ decision to play lacrosse for TCU, we asked him to share more about his athletic journey. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You're a Rowland Hall student who has pursued the sport you love (but one that's not offered by the school) alongside your studies. How have you juggled both responsibilities?

Juggling the rigor of Rowland Hall and the intensity of my lacrosse schedule has been challenging. I've had to learn to manage my time and plan ahead. I've done a lot of homework and studied on planes while flying home from tournaments. Even though Rowland Hall does not have a lacrosse program, the school and teachers have been very supportive and have always worked with me. Along with the challenges, playing for other schools has also been a blessing in many ways. It has enabled me to meet and socialize with kids outside of Rowland Hall and it's really expanded my social circle.

Can you briefly describe how you connected with the TCU team and how you made your decision to join them?

The lacrosse recruiting experience has been both awesome and stressful. I've had to really consider what level of lacrosse I want to play and balance that with the kind of college experience I want. My options were all over the board, from D1 schools to some smaller D3 schools, and several club options. Ultimately, I was heavily recruited by TCU, which happens to be where my brother goes to school. My brother has several friends currently on the TCU lacrosse team and because he knew I would love TCU, he had them reach out to me and from there the coach reached out. I fell in love with everything TCU has to offer, including their D1 lacrosse program. In addition to the lacrosse program, TCU checks all of the academic boxes for me and I can't wait to be a Horned Frog!

Rowland Hall student Briggs Ballard to study at and play lacrosse for Texas Christian University (TCU).

How did you feel when you officially committed to play for TCU?

I felt proud of myself and like all of my hard work paid off. I felt like I had finally done it and was relieved to have made a decision. The feeling of finally committing is a feeling I will never experience again and I am so grateful for how everything worked out.

What are your top memories from your lacrosse career (so far)?

My top memories of my lacrosse career so far are traveling all over the country with my parents and my best friends/teammates. I have played with several of the same kids since we were in the first grade and they have truly become some of my best friends. The summer tournaments are always memories; staying together as a team and playing the sport we love are memories I will never forget. Finally, last year, my IMG team traveled to Indiana, where we played Culver Academy, one of the best teams in the country. While we did not come away with the win, playing in front of so many people, and in a nationally televised game, is a very cool experience and a major memory for me.

Tell us about the skills you built at Rowland Hall that you'll be taking with you to TCU.

I strongly believe Rowland Hall has set me up to succeed at TCU both academically and socially. Rowland Hall has taught me how to learn, how to be a critical thinker, and how to manage my time. Rowland Hall is a one-of-a-kind school and I cherish my time here and the education I’ve received. I know I will be a strong writer and contribute to the TCU community because of my Rowland Hall experience.

Is there anything else you want our community to know about your athletic and academic journey?

Just that I am beyond grateful for everyone who has supported me and helped me on my journey. My Rowland Hall friends have always been so supportive and encouraged me to keep on with lacrosse. From the teachers and staff to my friends, family, and coaches, I will forever be thankful for all of you.

Lastly, GO FROGS!

Athletics

Two-time Utah state wrestling champion Drew Lang competing against Westlake's Jacob Finlinson.

A Lifetime of Benefits: How Wrestling Has Prepared State Champion Drew Lang for Excellence, On and Off the Mat

When you realize that Rowland Hall senior Drew Lang grew up in a family filled with passionate and successful wrestlers—including two adored older brothers—it’s not surprising that he became intrigued by the sport at an early age.

When asked when Drew first showed an interest in wrestling, his mom, Jill Lang, shared an especially sweet memory: at a wrestling tournament for the family’s two oldest boys, Will and Jack, then in elementary school, where she discovered the then-toddler Drew attempting to change out of his training pants and into a wrestling singlet.

“I said, ‘Oh no, honey, it’s a little too soon,’” she said, chuckling at the memory.

Luckily for that determined toddler, the wait didn’t last much longer: Drew stepped on the mat for the first time at age three. And he hasn’t stopped wrestling since.

Though Drew’s initial interest in wrestling can be traced to simply wanting to do what his big brothers were doing, a deep personal connection to the sport has kept him going for more than 15 years. It’s clear when talking to Drew that wrestling—a sport that, though organized by teams, is very individual—speaks to his innate drive for excellence. He said he remembers enjoying the repetition of early training sessions, which allowed him to slowly hone his skills, as well as benefiting from exposure to a variety of styles shared by the array of families that made up the first wrestling club the Lang family joined after moving to Utah, Team Legacy. He believes these early experiences set a foundation for success.

Wrestling is very much a sport where what you put in, you get out. The feeling of putting in so much time and effort and sacrifice, and then at the end of the day receiving the results you want, it’s very satisfying and worth it for me.—Drew Lang, class of 2022

“A lot of wrestling is knowing what to do in certain positions, and the only way you can really know that is by wrestling in all sorts of positions,” explained Drew. “You pick up on different things when you learn to wrestle against different types of kids.”

And even though Drew was one of the youngest kids in Team Legacy when he got started, his mom said he wasn’t scared to challenge himself. “From a very early age, he has never, ever been afraid of anything,” said Jill. “It wasn’t that he always thought he was going to win, necessarily, but he always was confident in his ability and he was always willing to try things.” It was an approach that worked: around age five, Drew began to place in, and even win, national tournaments, and that taste of victory marked a turning point.

“The feeling of winning is really what sparked my passion for this sport,” Drew remembered. “Wrestling is very much a sport where what you put in, you get out. The feeling of putting in so much time and effort and sacrifice, and then at the end of the day receiving the results you want, it’s very satisfying and worth it for me.”

Since those first wins, Drew has continued to amass an impressive list of achievements, both in national competitions as a now-member of the Sanderson Wrestling Academy and on the West High School wrestling team (although Drew attends Rowland Hall, he is one of its students who plays a sport not offered by the school at another local high school). In January alone, the two-time 6A state wrestling champion finished in eighth place at the Doc Buchanan Invitational in California (”arguably the toughest high school tournament in the country attracting the nation’s top high school wrestlers,” said Jill), first place at the Utah All-Star Duals, and first place at the Rockwell Rumble. On January 19, he was ranked the number-one Utah wrestler, pound for pound, by the Beehive Top 25. And to top it all off, he’s inching his way toward becoming the winningest wrestler in West High School history, a title currently held by his brother Jack Lang ’19 (who, by the way, won it from the oldest Lang brother, Will, in 2019); Drew should take the title by the time the 2022 state tournament wraps later this month. As Drew heads into the final phase of his high school wrestling career, his chances of additional victories, including a third state championship, are promising indeed—especially when you factor in the impressive mental fitness, refined alongside his physical strength, that the young athlete will tap into as he faces his last high school opponents. It’s a kind of fitness that, at such an elite level of wrestling, can truly mean the difference between victory and defeat.

“Once you get to a certain point,” Drew explained, “mindset is almost more important than the physical aspect, just because everyone is so good. But the people that are the best are mentally strong.”

6A Utah State Wrestling Champion Drew Lang, Rowland Hall senior.

Nowhere is this more evident for Drew than when he revisits opponents who have previously bested him on the mat: his 2021 6A state championship win, for instance, came against Westlake High School’s Jacob Finlinson, who wrestled the state title away from Drew in 2020, and this year’s win against Juab High School’s Channing Warner at the Utah All-Star Duals was revenge for Channing’s one-point victory over Drew at the same event in 2021.

“I think that’s what’s really helped propel him to do so well in this sport,” Jill said. “He’s never made excuses. He’s accepted what has happened, win or lose, and if he does lose then he immediately goes into the mindset, ‘OK, how do I need to train differently? What would I have done differently in this match if I had a rematch?’”

It’s a mindset that Drew has also applied in the classroom: while the young athlete said he doesn’t often view himself as the top student, his years of wrestling have taught him that he is one of the hardest working. “I think having that work ethic at such a young age really helped me,” he said.

It certainly made a difference in his college search. In middle school, Drew told his parents that he wanted to wrestle for an Ivy League school, and it became a goal that he dedicated himself to with the same energy that he brings to the mat—and with similar results. This fall, he’ll be heading to Princeton University, where he hopes to reach new wrestling heights (he’d like to be a starter by his sophomore year as well as an All-American) and make connections toward a fulfilling career. “The academic growth I’ll have there,” he said, “I think is going to set me up for the rest of my life.”

I think the skills from this sport—learning how to be a good winner, learning how to be a gracious loser, time management, accountability, not being afraid of taking risks—are so beneficial.—Jill Lang, parent

Because when it comes down to it, Drew explained, few people go on to wrestle professionally—but that doesn’t mean the sport doesn’t continue to shape them. “There’s a quote about wrestling: ‘Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy,’” he said. “I think there’s some truth behind that, just because wrestling is the same as everything else: you’re going to fail at times, you’re going to be successful at times.”

Jill agreed. “Drew’s not going to be a wrestler his entire life,” she said, “but I think the skills from this sport—learning how to be a good winner, learning how to be a gracious loser, time management, accountability, not being afraid of taking risks—are so beneficial, whatever he decides to do.”

The sport has also shown him, and those around him, the power of family and community, all of which came together to support Drew’s dreams. While much of this credit goes to Jill and her husband, Dave, as well as to Drew’s favorite role models, Jack and Will, and his coaches, Jill also took time to express gratitude to Rowland Hall for playing an important role in Drew’s journey.

“I’ve been so blown away by how accommodating the school has been; that’s helped Drew be where he is today,” she said. “Middle School Spanish teacher Bill Shann literally has watched more matches of Drew’s than I could ever tell you—away matches, home matches, matches online. He’s just been so supportive. The teachers have been so accommodating, as I’m sure they are with other kids that have interests they want to pursue. That’s been such a blessing for our family, to have such a supportive network.”

And no matter what happens on the mat this month, Drew will end his high school wrestling career surrounded by those who love him most.

“This is Drew’s moment, and I’m so grateful I get to share in it,” said Jill. “I just want him to go out there, and do his best, and enjoy that moment, and just know, whatever place he takes, we’re right up there watching him, as we always are.”

The Lang family; from left: Drew, Jill, Jack, Will, and Dave.

Update February 7, 2022: Drew won the 6A Boys Division Tournament, held February 4–5, and will be the #1 seed going into the 6A Boys State Tournament, which begins on February 18.

Update February 19, 2022: Drew has ended his high school wrestling career with a third state championship; read more about his victory in the Deseret News. Congratulations, Drew!

Athletics

Rowland Hall soccer player Summer Connery commits to play NCAA D1 soccer.

Senior Summer Connery Commits to Play Soccer at NCAA Division 1 Colgate University

Summer Connery first played soccer at six years old, but she didn’t expect to like it.

“When my dad asked me if I wanted to start playing soccer, I was lukewarm to the idea,” she remembered. “Despite this, I still ended up joining a rec team that my dad coached—and I had a blast. From the first day, I loved it.”

She’s good at it too: since those early days on the field, Summer has played on a variety of teams, including the Utah Avalanche (club soccer), the Utah Olympic Development Program (ODP) state team, and the 2020 ODP West Region Costa Rica team. During her four-year career as a Winged Lion, Summer helped the Rowland Hall girls soccer team claim four Region Championships and three State Championships, set a school record of 112 career goals, and amassed an impressive list of achievements, including 2021 Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) Academic All-State, 2020 Deseret News 2A MVP, a 2019 KUTV Prep of the Week, 2019 UHSAA 2A Leading Scorer, 2018 UHSAA State Assist Leader (all classifications), three-time MaxPreps Player of the Week, three-time member of First Team All-State, and a member of the 2021 West Girls All-America Game team. And though her high school soccer career is ending, Summer isn’t yet done with her journey as a student-athlete: on November 10, she signed the National Letter of Intent to play Division 1 soccer at Colgate University, one of her top college picks.

Soccer player Summer Connery signing her NCAA National Letter of Intent.

“It was a dream come true to know that a school I loved wanted me to come play soccer for them,” said Summer.

Division 1 schools offer the highest level of intercollegiate sports sanctioned by the NCAA, which will challenge Summer in new and exciting ways.

“Summer is a competitor; she will never settle or coast,” said Colette Smith, Rowland Hall girls soccer head coach. “Summer has been the type of player that works hard on her own and is constantly rallying her teammates to work with her. She evolved so much the past two years as a leader and as a soccer player. I am truly so excited to see what she does at the collegiate level. I know the attributes she shows on the soccer field will also help her in her future endeavors.”

To celebrate her decision to play at Colgate, we asked Summer to answer a few questions about her love of soccer and what she’s looking forward to as a D1 college athlete. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Colgate was one of your top college choices, and not only because of its fantastic soccer program. Tell us about your interest in the school.

I always knew that I wanted to play D1 soccer in college, but equally important to me was finding an institution that valued academics just as much. I had a pool of schools I was interested in, and Colgate stood out as the perfect fit.

How did it feel to commit to playing D1 soccer at Colgate next year?

It was an incredible feeling because it was me officially signing to do what I love, in a place that I love, for the next four years. It was so amazing to think about all that I have gone through to get to this point, and it was a very rewarding feeling and celebration.

You’ve played soccer since you were six years old, and you mentioned that you loved it from day one. Is there a moment that especially stands out in your relationship with the sport?

I think I really, truly fell in soccer when my club team at the time, Black Diamond Soccer Club, won the Sparta Cup in 2013. We started off the tournament with a bad 7-2 loss to a team called Chaos. We got better as the tournament went on and came to meet Chaos again, this time in the finals. We then beat Chaos 4-2 in the finals and we got what I called “the biggest trophy ever.” I remember feeling such great happiness and pride knowing that we worked so hard as a team to overcome the hurdles we faced early in the tournament. It was a great team reward and win in our first tournament as a team.

You've had a successful career at Rowland Hall, including winning three state championships and being recognized as a Prep of the Week in 2019 and the state 2A MVP in 2020. What moment as a Winged Lion are you most proud of?

The moment as a Winged Lion that I am most proud of was in the 2019 finals, when we beat Real Salt Lake Academy in PKs [penalty kicks]. We were down 0-1 at the half, but we knew we weren’t out of it. I scored the tying goal and the winning PK, but it was so much bigger of an accomplishment than any two goals. I was so proud of our team and of our comeback. We could all feel that we were playing well and showed such grit on the field, and then, of course, the shootout required us all to be calm under pressure. It was a roller coaster of emotions throughout the game but I wouldn’t have it any other way because it made the victory that much sweeter.

Tell us about the skills you built at Rowland Hall, both on and off the field, that you'll be taking with you to Colgate.

In terms of off the field, the academics and teachers at Rowland Hall are so incredible and I know that organization and analytical skills I am learning will aid my academic journey at a place like Colgate. In terms of on the field, I have learned so many leadership skills from upperclassmen and coaches, and I am excited to contribute those to the Colgate soccer team and community.

Soccer player Summer Connery with her family on National Signing Day. — Summer with her biggest fans: dad Brook, sister Paige, and mom Sherri.

Congratulations, Summer!

Athletics

Rowland Hall soccer player Camryn Kennedy commits to play NCAA D1 soccer.

Senior Camryn Kennedy Commits to Play Soccer at NCAA Division 1 Southern Utah University

Camryn Kennedy is the type of student-athlete you watch and wonder, “How does she do it?”

As a student at Rowland Hall’s Upper School, Camryn has juggled more than just classes and homework—she’s also successfully juggled the responsibilities of a varsity starter on the school’s girls soccer team and as a club soccer player. Over the past four years, Camryn has racked up an impressive list of achievements: she assisted the Winged Lions in winning four Region Championships and three State Championships, she was named Rowland Hall girls soccer MVP in 2021, and she was the 2020 leading scorer in league play with USA Metro, a club soccer team with which she’s played, and placed, in tournaments like the Far West Regional Championship, the Desert Conference League, the Pleasanton Rage Tournament, the Utah State Cup, and the Surf Cup. And through it all, Camryn has stood out—both for her play and for her leadership.

“Camryn has been very special for our team,” said Colette Smith, Rowland Hall’s girls soccer head coach. “She has taken on so many roles throughout the years, performing at different positions and being a calming presence on the field. She has an understanding of reading those around her.”

Camryn’s achievements also didn’t go unnoticed by university coaches. In late 2019, Kai Edwards, head coach of the women’s soccer team at Southern Utah University (SUU), reached out to Camryn about potentially joining the Division 1 school—an opportunity that would allow her to play at the highest level sanctioned by the NCAA. Camryn was able to build a relationship with the program, and by her junior year she knew she wanted to join SUU. On November 10, she made it official by signing her National Letter of Intent to play soccer for the Thunderbirds.

Soccer student-athlete Camryn Kennedy signs her NCAA National Letter of Intent.

“We are so proud of Camryn’s commitment to SUU,” said Colette. “We are excited to see what she accomplishes at the next level.”

To celebrate her decision to play at SUU, we asked Camryn to answer a few questions about her love of soccer and what she’s looking forward to as a D1 college athlete. The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You’ve known since your junior year that you were going to attend and play soccer for SUU. Can you tell us a bit about how that happened and why the school felt like a good fit?

Before I even started looking at colleges, the SUU coach reached out to me. After building a bond with the coaches, I went to visit. Soon after, I went back for my official visit and started to like it more and more. It was a welcoming community and a fun environment.

How did it feel to officially say yes to playing soccer at SUU next year?

I was so excited to officially be a T-Bird. After all the hard work I put in, it was relieving to finally see all my dreams come to a reality.

Looking back on your time on Rowland Hall's girls soccer team, what moment as a Winged Lion are you most proud of?

I have played Rowland Hall soccer all four years—my team is truly like family to me. The connection all of us have on and off the field is astonishing. There is never a dull moment with the soccer team.

Tell us about the skills you built at Rowland Hall that you'll be taking with you to SUU.

School-wise, focusing and being organized is most definitely helpful. Communicating with teachers is a skill I'll be taking to SUU especially, because SUU has smaller classes, which makes it easier to talk to the teachers on a personal level, just like Rowland Hall.

Is there anything else you want our community to know about your soccer journey?

I've played comp for as long as I can remember and always in the same club. My dad [longtime Rowland Hall coach Bobby Kennedy] was my first comp coach, starting when I was eight years old until I was 15, and then he was my high school coach my freshman and sophomore years. My dad has taught me everything I know and continues to coach me every moment he can. From building a soccer field in the back of our yard to building a soccer tennis court at my house, my dad has truly been my encouragement.

Soccer student-athlete Camryn Kennedy with her parents during College Signing Day. — Camryn with her proud parents, Kathy and Bobby Kennedy.

Congratulations, Camryn!

Athletics

Ski racer Mary Bocock, who competes with Utah's Rowmark Ski Academy, has been nominated for the 2021–22 US Alpine Ski Team

Rowmarker Mary Bocock Nominated to US Alpine Ski Team

Since the age of six, Rowland Hall junior—and passionate ski racer—Mary Bocock has had a big goal: to join the US Ski Team. That dream just came true.

I’ve wanted to be on the team ever since I started racing, so getting the call felt like I was achieving a goal I’d had for over 10 years.—Mary Bocock, class of 2022

On May 3, US Ski & Snowboard announced that 44 top national athletes, including Mary, have been nominated to the US Alpine Ski Team for the 2021–2022 competition season (athletes qualify based on published selection criteria in the prior season). Mary is one of only three new members of the women’s Development Team, also known as the D-Team; she’s also the youngest addition to that team and the only new member hailing from the state of Utah.

“When I got the call from [US Ski Team Coach] Chip Knight congratulating me on my nomination to the D-Team, I was overwhelmed with excitement,” said Mary. “I’ve wanted to be on the team ever since I started racing, so getting the call felt like I was achieving a goal I’d had for over 10 years. I am looking forward to skiing with a group of girls who push me and who know what it takes to be the best.”

Mary had a sensational 2020–2021 race season, which included a November 2020 US Nationals performance with Rowmark Ski Academy that earned her an invitation to compete with the US Ski Team in Europe. After placing in several races in Cortina, Italy, and Garmisch, Germany, in early 2021, Mary returned to the United States to finish the season: at the FIS Elite Races at Sugar Bowl Resort and Squaw Valley, California, she took 10th place overall (second for U19s) in giant slalom, and 11th place overall (fourth for U19s) in slalom. At the FIS Spring Series in Breckenridge, Colorado, she won the giant slalom race—a win that currently ranks her second in the nation and sixth in the world in giant slalom for her age, as well as first and ninth in the world in super-G. Finally, she ended the season with a 12th-place finish in super-G at the US National Championships in Aspen, Colorado.

Mary's fierce competitive nature is among the best in the world and I'm confident that she will take advantage of this opportunity.—Graham Flinn, head FIS coach

“Mary has worked incredibly hard day in, day out, not only this season but for many years in order to put herself in a position to accomplish the goal of being named to the US Ski Team,” said Graham Flinn, head FIS coach for Rowmark Ski Academy. “I'm very proud of the way she carried herself throughout this past year's successes and challenges. She continues to impress with her drive and ability to be a student of the sport. Her fierce competitive nature is among the best in the world and I'm confident that she will take advantage of this opportunity.”

The US Ski Team’s alpine athletes have already kicked off pre-season camps, and the official team will be announced this fall once nominees complete required physical fitness testing and US Ski & Snowboard medical department clearance. We will continue to update the Rowland Hall community on Mary’s progress in this exciting new chapter in her ski-racing career—which she’ll balance alongside her senior year at Rowland Hall—through the fall and winter.

Congratulations, Mary!

The below video, first shared with the Rowland Hall community in April 2021, features Mary's reflections on competing in Europe earlier this year.

Rowmark

Skier Mary Bocock, who attends independent private school Rowland Hall in Utah, competed in Europe in 2021.

Rowmarker Mary Bocock Competes with US Ski & Snowboard Team in Europe

Congratulations to junior Mary Bocock, who has had a banner year with Rowmark Ski Academy.

Thanks to her performance at US Nationals in November 2020, Mary was invited to compete with the US Ski & Snowboard Team in Europe, starting in January. She kicked off her journey in Cortina, Italy, where she skied to fourth place overall (second for U19s) in super-G, earning an invitation to travel to Garmisch, Germany. There, she took third place (first for U19s) in super-G, followed by fourth overall and second place in alpine combined, ending with a ranking of 12th overall (second for U19s) at the German National Junior Championships.

“Mary has had an incredible season and has shown on multiple occasions that she is one of the fastest skiers her age in the world,” said Graham Flinn, head FIS coach. “The years of hard work and dedication that she has put in are showing, and we look forward to watching her continue to compete on the international stage. We are proud of her work ethic, ownership, and commitment to being an elite student-athlete.”

Since returning from Europe, Mary has continued to excel on the slopes. In the beginning of March, at Breckenridge, Colorado, she won the giant slalom. At the FIS Elite races at Sugar Bowl Resort and Squaw Valley, California, in March, she placed 10th overall (second for U19s) in giant slalom, and 11th overall (fourth for U19s) in slalom. She then won again in the giant slalom race in Breckenridge, Colorado—with this finish, Mary is currently ranked second in the nation and sixth in the world in giant slalom for her age, as well as first and ninth in the world in super-G. Mary will complete her season at the Women’s US Nationals in Aspen, Colorado, later this week.

Well done, Mary, and good luck in Colorado!

Update April 19, 2021: At the Women's US Nationals in Colorado, Mary placed an outstanding 12th in super-G.

Check out the below video to hear Mary reflect on her time in Europe, as well as to hear Coach Graham Flinn and English teacher Kody Partridge attest to how Mary's a force on the slopes and in the classroom.

Banner photo credit: Steven Earl

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

Finish Line—Upper School

Rowland Hall's boys soccer seniors, 2022.

Winged Lions Earn 2A Runner-up Honors in 2021–2022 Deseret News All-Sport Awards

Each year, the Deseret News recognizes the top overall athletic program in each Utah High School Activities Association classification with their All-Sport award. All-Sport points are earned by each team that places in the top eight at state in their respective sports, with 10 points for first place, eight points for second place, six points for third place, five points for fourth place, four points for fifth place, three points for sixth place, two points for seventh place, and one point for eighth place. If teams tie, the points for that finish are divided.

We are proud to announce that our Winged Lion Athletics program placed second this year! Our runner-up finish included state titles in girls golf and boys soccer, and five other top-four finishes in boys golf, boys cross country, boys tennis, boys basketball, and girls soccer.

Kudos to our coaches and athletes, and many thanks for the support of faculty, staff, administrators, and fans. Way to go, Winged Lions!

Update: June 14, 2022: Congratulations to Rowland Hall coaches and athletes on capturing this year's Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Directors Cup, a prestigious award based on team results at state competitions, academic performances of athletes, and full and successful participation in the Utah High School Activities Association Raise the Bars sportsmanship program. This award was made possible by our community: the coaches who do great work with athletes, the faculty for helping athletes balance academics and athletics, the athletes themselves for their dedication and hard work, and the administration for behind-the-scenes support. Thanks you all!

Athletics

Rowland Hall senior tennis player Daniel McNally.

2021–2022 Senior Athlete Awards

A number of Winged Lion athletes were recognized at the recent Senior Celebration with special awards by the Athletics Department for their contributions to our programs over the past four years.

The Outstanding Senior Athlete award is based on an athlete’s entire high school athletic career, and goes to athletes who our coaching staff believe have demonstrated a high level of athletic ability, and who also displayed commitment and self-motivation, as well as positive leadership, sportsmanship, coachability, and strong support of their teammates. This year’s Outstanding Senior Athlete recipients were Micha Nenbee (soccer and basketball) and Lorenzo Parker Pillow (cross country, basketball, and soccer).

The Lee Scholar-Athlete award is a gift of the S. Whitfield Lee Family and is awarded to seniors who have excelled academically and athletically, and who have demonstrated leadership in competitive team sports. Grace Baranko (soccer and basketball) and Kaitlyn Bates (soccer and basketball) were recognized with this award.

The Lionhearted Award for Athletics goes to senior athletes who our coaching staff felt were fully committed, who stepped into practices and competition with the heart of a lion day in and day out during their athletic careers, and who not only excelled in their sports, but were coachable and always modeled a team-first attitude and strong work ethic. This year’s recipients of this recognition were Sam Andrew (basketball and soccer), Briggs Ballard (basketball), Summer Connery (soccer), Paris Everett (basketball), Maddie Frazier (tennis), Camryn Kennedy (soccer), Isabelle Louis (swimming), Casey Maloy (volleyball), Daniel McNally (tennis), Luke Muhlestein (soccer and basketball), Enna Mustajbegovic (volleyball), Mercer Paradise (golf), Ana Rodriguez (cross country, basketball, and golf), Jezzie Sammons (softball), Tennyson Seethaler (tennis), and Ozzie Smith (basketball).

Congratulations to these seniors and to all seniors who competed for the green and white these past four years, as they have helped lead their teams to 26 region and eight state titles, and have led our athletics program to top-five finishes in the Deseret News All-Sports awards each year of their careers. Many have earned All-Region and/or All-State honors and many received recognition as Academic All-Region and/or Academic All-State athletes. You leave a legacy of excellence, and you will be very missed!

Athletics

Rowland Hall girls golf player Ana Rodriguez.

Spring Sports Academic Awards 2022

Each sports season, the Region 17 Board of Managers recognizes with Academic All-Region honors those seniors who meet their award criteria. This year, five spring sports athletes were so recognized: girls golf team member Ana Rodriguez, boys soccer team member Jaden Jensen, track and field athletes Shayna Green and Jake Gilbert, and boys tennis player Daniel McNally.

The Utah High School Activities Association (UHSAA) also recognizes excellence in the classroom with the designation of Academic All-State, awarded to senior athletes who are regular starters or performers for their varsity teams and who have a non-weighted, cumulative GPA of 4.0, or who meet a new index that the UHSAA has developed based on GPA and SAT or ACT scores. Four of our spring sports athletes earned that award: Ana Rodriguez (girls golf), Jaden Jensen (boys soccer), Jake Gilbert (track and field), and Daniel McNally (boys tennis).

In addition, our boys tennis team was recognized by the Utah Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association as the 3A tennis team with the top team GPA (3.93). This the second year in a row our team has earned this prestigious honor.

Congratulations to these Winged Lions on achieving excellence not only in the competitive athletics arena, but also in the classroom!

Athletics

Rowland Hall boys soccer player Jack Vitek.

Postseason Recognition for Winged Lion Spring Sports Athletes

Four athletes in our softball program and three athletes in our boys soccer program were named to the Region 17 All-Region Team for the 2021–2022 season. Congratulations to softball players Jezzie Sammons, Deja Shirkey, Aileen Robles, and Emma Hare, and to boys soccer team members Jack Vitek, Anthony Sanchez, and Kelton Ferriter on being recognized for their outstanding play in their respective sports by the coaches in the region.

The Deseret News collects votes from 2A coaches from across the state in softball and boys soccer, and honors the top picks with All-State recognition. This season, senior first-base softball player Jezzie Sammons was named to the 2A Second Team and ninth-grade pitcher Emma Hare was named 2A Honorable Mention. Boys soccer All-State will be named later this week.

Based on scores posted from matches all season, coupled with the results posted at state championships, the Utah PGA selected All-State golfers for the 2022 season. Our Winged Lion team had five golfers honored at a PGA-hosted banquet, including First Team players Arden Louchheim, Jasmine Le, and Katerina Gianoulis; Second Team player Allison Mayetani; and Honorable Mention player Ana Rodriguez.

We are proud of you all!

Athletics

Rowland Hall Upper School softball players, spring 2022

Farewell to Julie Shipman, Athletics Photographer

For over 20 years, Julie Shipman has been a familiar face to our Winged Lion athletics teams come team photo day, and she has also photographed many other Rowland Hall activities and events over the years. Julie has spent many hours on courts, fields, courses, and at swimming pools, capturing not only team photos, but shots of our athletes in action. Her photos have helped create a visual history of our athletics programs over these years and captured priceless memories for our athletes and families.

Thank you, Julie, for the many hours you have spent with our Rowland Hall teams—your sense of humor, ability to relate to our students and coaches, flexibility, talented eye for detail, creativity, and artistry have been much appreciated and will be missed. Best wishes to you as you move on to new life adventures!

Athletics

Rowland Hall supporters cheer on the boys soccer team.

Thank You to Athletics Booster Club

A heartfelt shout-out to Winged Lion Athletics Booster Club board members Erica Keil (president), Melanie Bates (treasurer), and Alexandra Von Maack (Middle School liaison) for the great service they have given to our athletics program throughout the 2021–2022 school year. The countless hours they have given on a volunteer basis to help make the athletics experience top-notch for the athletes who participate in our programs at both the upper and middle school levels is very much appreciated—their service continues to be invaluable!

A thank you to all the parents, families, and Rowland Hall Athletics supporters who chose to join the Booster Club this year—we were able to capture over 100 memberships! Your financial support allowed the booster board to fund numerous athletic department projects throughout the year: updated championship banners, sports calendar posters, pack-the-bleachers events, Middle School sports participation gifts, senior parent recognition gifts, a new refrigerator for the Athletics Department, and a $15-per-athlete donation toward Upper School end-of-season team celebration banquets, to name a few. Plans are in the works to use booster funds next year and beyond to help fund live-streaming of many home athletic events.

In addition, parent support in staffing the concession and ticket table for volleyball and basketball, as well as in supplying drinks for our athletes during each team’s season, was very much appreciated.

A special thank you to parents willing to spearhead each sport and serve as parent liaisons this year, most recently our spring sports liaisons: Akemi Louchheim, girls golf; Beth Jahn, track and field; Nancy McNally, boys tennis; Karey Barker, Amy Taylor, and Cyndi Baughman, boys soccer; and Kelly Cook, softball. Fall and winter sport liaisons were Sherri Connery and Kathy Kennedy, girls soccer; Ashley Boe, girls tennis; Sue Houden and Melanie Bates, volleyball; Beth Jahn, cross country; Allison Paradise, boys golf; Gwen Creel-Erickson, swimming; Anne Baranko and Melanie Bates, girls basketball; and Tanya Andrew and Wanda Parker Pillow, boys basketball.

Many thanks to everyone for helping to make the 2021–2022 year of Winged Lion Athletics a huge success. It takes a village to create something special—thanks for being there to make it happen! Looking forward to your continued support in 2022–2023. Happy summer, and GO WINGED LIONS!

Athletics

Rowland Hall 2022 Upper School track and field team

Track and Field: “Those Things that Outlast Results”

By Mark Oftedal, Head Coach

He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
By W.B. Yeats

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

At the end of each high school track and field season the “All-Times List” and the “Scoring Tables” show up in coaches’ inboxes. Each year, I peruse these lists looking for changes to any of my past athletes’ rankings and possible additions to the list from the now-completed season. I was elated to learn that Jada Crockett’s 25.46 second 200-meter dash performance at the state meet landed her a spot on this year’s scoring table! By making this list, Jada is now in the running for the 2A Performance of the Year award, with a javelin throwing performance unloaded earlier in the season by Mary Degraffenreid of Millard High School. The table shows Jada’s performance in the 200-meter garnered 755 points, while Mary’s weighed in at 925.

Beside perusing these lists and tables each year, I’ve explored the deep and mysterious rabbit hole of a Google search: How is it that we can quantify Jada’s impressive 25.46 second dash with the 138-foot-10-inch flight of a javelin? I’ll not go into where I am at this point in understanding this system, nor my appreciation for the efforts of Bojidar Spiriev, a Bulgarian hydrogeological engineer and athletics statistician who made it possible for coaches to marvel at such comparisons since 1979. Nor will I try to understand why some coaches wish to use this system to determine the best.

Jada and Ezra Shilling Rabin were awarded our team’s Most Valuable award not because they landed on a list. They achieved these awards because I can see them, talk to them—feel their drive and determination for improvement—starting back in the cold, dark days of winter right through the final finish line of May. True, when I present the Most Valuable award, I talk about how many points they scored for our teams, but the award is for the most valuable—questions of what constitutes the most value, aside—not for the highest point accumulation.

I’ll admit, to begin the closure of my seasons, I revisit the results of each track meet, combing the events, and gathering each team member’s stats. However, during that gathering of results, my mind goes to the memories of that day, of that track meet and the performances of all those in green and white Rowland Hall singlets. I re-see the lean at the finish, the stretch for the jump board, the release of the javelin, and the faces and gestures expressing sometimes elation—involuntary fist pumps and jumps into the air—and sometimes disappointment—meaningful bowed heads, eyes resigned to staring at the ground. It’s these actions, these emotions, and the many, many individual dreams, not the numbers, that leave indelible marks on my mind.

With that, I’ll say the actions, emotions, and dreams of a multitude of new athletes joined our few returning team members this year, which made for lots of opportunities for learning, as the newcomers to the sport learned not only which events they wanted to focus on, but the various technical elements necessary for each event. Seniors Shayna Green and Dillon Fang—both awarded the Coaches’ Choice award for their mentorship roles over the years—were joined by fellow senior Jake Gilbert and juniors Will Cunningham and Jada Crockett as highly capable support for those learning how to set and come out of starting blocks and exchange a relay baton. Junior Annie Nash shepherded our new throwers while maintaining her own performances in the three highly technical events.

While all our new team members consistently improved in their events, ninth grader Carolina Corcoran managed an impressive first year, improving to the point of qualifying for the BYU Invitational in four individual events. Carolina, along with second-year team member and sophomore Dean Hijjawi, were clear standouts in terms of improvement this season and were therefore awarded the Most Improved Athlete award. And again, a ninth grader, Grant Downes, and a sophomore, Neha Dixit, shared the Tough as Nails award for their obvious enthusiasm for the sport of track and field. Neha joyously tried her legs in the sprints and the middle-distance races, while also remaining focused throughout the season on the shot put. In Grant’s case, he consistently—with vigor and unmistakable willingness—took on new challenges in a mature and focused manner. With a save-the-day, eleventh-hour acceptance to compete for our team’s state-qualifying 4x100 relay team, he secured the chance for the team’s two seniors to end their high school careers in the event they specialized in.

Indeed, the stats of a season, in inches, feet, meters, wind speeds, placings, and rankings on every level—event, team, region, state, nation—can be tallied to tell a story. Even a long-lasting and carefully tended and evolving point system awards a possible four-digit point total which will compare your best race of the year with someone’s best pole vault height. But in the end, it’s the hours, days, weeks, months into years spent with our athletes—working with these people in our lives that love to run, jump, throw, and dream—that matters. These can’t be sent to anyone’s inbox.

Thank you to coaches Roland Tolbert, Ashley Hagensick, Jake Colangelo, and Sam Duffy for your inspirational talents and knowledge shared with our team members this season. Thank you to the parents of our students, who know better than I the dreams of your children. And lastly, thank you, team members, for allowing us to grow and learn with you, as we watch, encourage, and share in the moment your training and performances.

2022 Rowland Hall Track & Field

Seniors: Dillon Fang, Jake Gilbert, Shayna Green
Juniors: Eli Borgenicht, Jada Crockett, Will Cunningham, Evan Jahn, Annie Nash, Ezra Shilling Rabin
Sophomores: Neha Dixit, Dean Hijjawi, Isabelle Jiang
Freshmen: Tessa Bartlett, Carolina Corcoran, Grant Downes, Eli Hatton, Winston Hoffman, Kendall Kanarowski, Owen Keil, Ruby McMaster, James Obermark, Pia Piccoli, Erika Prasthofer, Hasan Rahim

Region 17 Championship Meet Team Results

Girls: 2nd
Boys: 2nd

State Team Results

Girls: 8th
Boys: 14th

For full results please go to runnercard.com.

Athletics

Rowland Hall 2022 Upper School softball team

Solid Season for Softball Team

By Kathy Howa, Head Coach

With a solid group of returning players on the roster, an influx of new-to-the-team ninth graders and sophomores brought much energy and talent to our softball team this spring, as these eager athletes came in ready to work and learn. Though several were new to the game, their work ethic, focus, and natural athletic ability overcame their inexperience, as our returning veterans welcomed them and helped them learn the game and feel comfortable on the field.

Unfortunately, our season began with three teams dropping from the league, leaving us scrambling to schedule more games to qualify for postseason play, which we were luckily able to do. Our first game was with Region 17 rival, Draper American Preparatory Academy. Though it was early in the season and our newbie players were still learning their positions and game strategy, we came out on fire, beating the Eagles via the run rule in five innings.

We were able to pick up some non-region games with Juan Diego and Judge Memorial, as well as play in the Swing for Life tournament against some 5A and 6A teams. Our scrappy team dominated Judge, lost to Juan Diego, and had an amazing learning experience at Swing for Life, getting better and better each game against tough competition.

All this valuable game experience and some wins along the way gave us a berth into the 2A State Tournament that began at pod sites on Saturday, May 7. Unfortunately, we were paired up with the number-one team in the state, Enterprise, at their home field and lost a tough fight in our first game. The team bounced back, though, and played a great second-round game against North Sevier, but came up short again, that loss ending our 2022 season.

Congratulations to senior captain Jezzie Sammons, junior captains Ryan Aguilar, Deja Shirkey, and Aileen Robles, and teammates Lilly Swindle, Lauren Bates, Phoebe LaBelle, Emma Hare, Rebecca Miles, Bb Earl Comeros, and Abby Downs on a fun-filled and successful season!

A shout-out to Jezzie Sammons, Deja Shirkey, Emma Hare, and Aileen Robles on their selection to the All-Region 17 Team. Jezzie was also named to the 2A Deseret News All-State Team. End-of-season team awards were earned by pitcher Emma Hare, Most Valuable Player; shortstop Deja Shirkey, Golden Glove Award; first base player Jezzie Sammons, Slugger Award; utility player Aileen Robles, Coaches’ Award; catcher Bb Earl Comeros, Most Improved; and second base player Ryan Aguilar, Eagle Eye Award.

One of the strongest hitting teams we have seen in the history of the program, as well as one of the most solid defensive groups we’ve coached, we had a blast watching them jell and improve on a daily basis. With the loss of only one senior from this year’s squad, the future looks bright for ROHO softball—assistant coaches Leslie Varoz and Kendra Tomsic and I look forward to an exciting 2023 season! Great job this year, Winged Lions!

Finish Line—Middle School

Thank You to Athletics Booster Club

Athletics

2022 Rowland Hall Middle School girls soccer players

Middle School Athletics Spring 2022

Male Aligned Volleyball

Coaches: Jill Gerber and Garrett Stern

This spring, 24 Winged Lions challenged themselves in the sport of volleyball. Open to learning, inclusive, and supportive of their teammates, the players made considerable strides in developing their technical skills and working as a team to execute these skills in a game setting. Without an outside league in place, we ended our season with a competitive round-robin tournament where the boys also learned how to officiate, down ref, and line judge. The coaches were proud of the players’ growth, willingness to take risks, and teamwork. With the coming addition of boys volleyball at the varsity high school level, the players could be the foundation of a new sports tradition at Rowland Hall.

Cross Country

Coaches: Mary Lawlor and Sara Donnelly

Our Middle School cross country team had a great season! Our runners were pumped to run in five races, especially after missing two seasons of meets due to COVID. Coaches Mary Lawlor and Sara Donnelly loved watching each runner improve throughout the season, and several racers earned top-10 finishes! Way to go, Rowland Hall Middle School cross country team! You are one tough group of kids.

2022 Rowland Hall Middle School cross country runners

Female Aligned Soccer

A Team
Coaches: Scott Lagone and Campbell Ainsworth

Our A team had a fantastic season this year. Players began the year during the soccer elective working on developing fundamental skills and learning how to play together as a team. The team ended up finishing third place in the WAC tournament. It has been a lot of fun seeing the players develop and jell as a team this year, and we wish our eighth graders all the best as they transition to high school.

C Team
Coaches: Bobby Kennedy and Molly Lewis

On April 15, female aligned students hit the field running as part of our sixth-grade soccer team. The level of technical ability was varied, and we never really knew who was coming to the practice or the game, but that didn't deter the group from having a meaningful experience on route to the championship final.

We showed lion-hearted spirit while playing in all weather conditions in various formations, and steady progress was made throughout the season. The team finished with a 4-2-1 record, with a thrilling playoff overtime victory against local rival McGillis as the highlight of the season. Thanks to all who participated, and a special thanks to the caregivers for their flexibility. We hope that the students continue to enjoy the beautiful game.

Athletics

2021–2022 Rowmark Junior Program athletes

Rowmark Junior Program Winter Highlights 2022

By Troy Price, Program Director

As we wrap up another season, there are so many areas where the Rowmark Junior Program has been successful. I’m very proud of our team culture. As part of our team values, we focus on the skills of perseverance and determination. We continued to persevere through some challenges associated with the pandemic. We continued to keep our community healthy and executed our mission of providing our athletes with an amazing experience.

As part of our team culture, we benefit from the involvement and support from our amazing parents. Being a ski racing parent is not an easy task. There were several times that I was so grateful to have a community that supports each other and steps up during the difficult times, as well as one that enjoys each other as we celebrate improvements and successes along the way.

Our training sessions at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) and Park City continue to provide the ideal mix of terrain and course sets, allowing our athletes to develop new skills. We also continue to benefit from our use of the Ikon Pass as we free ski our local resorts of Deer Valley, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, and Brighton.

The continuation of our Love-to-Ski program for first- and second-grade students was a great success. Thanks to Wendy Hare for leading this group. Big shout-out to our Middle School athletes as they served as mentors, paving the way for the next generation. This was yet another area where the UOP venue provided exactly what we needed.

Below you will read about our competition highlights. I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks for our amazing coaching staff. I’m honored to have so many great coaches return year after year; I’m so pleased with our new hires too. Our coaches are professionals in the industry, and they take so much pride in the character development of each athlete. Thank you, Matt, Parker, Mary, Madi, Guy, Eric, Penny, Charley, Kate, Megan, Jay, Wendy, and Tiffany. You are the key to our ongoing success and the athletes love you.

Competition Highlights

Throughout the season we strive to peak during March and April. This all starts with our fitness training in the fall, on-snow training, and our sports psychology sessions. Everything builds as we move through the qualifiers and prepare for the championships, critical races in the closing of our season. Below are competition highlights of current Rowmarkers who captured top finishes during the last month of the season.

U14 Regionals, Mammoth, California

Our Academy Prep program set a record, qualifying seven athletes to Regional Championships. This event is held for the top 60 U14s in the Western US and is the pinnacle of the Rowmark Junior Program, providing a clear path as the athletes continue their ski racing journeys. Congratulations to Ruby Rosh, Sophia Hijjawi, Tallulah Proulx, Teo Shamah, Lukas Postnieks, Luke Kanarowski, and Chase Dennis.

Top Performances: Sophia Hijjawi (second in slalom and sixth in giant slalom), Teo Shamah (fourth in slalom)

Tri-Divisonal Championships, Jackson, Wyoming

This event provides an additional tier for our U14 and U16 athletes as they compete alongside Northern and Alaska divisions. Congratulations to Andrew Hanrahan, Eli Rankin, Rhys Schillinger, Jax Salinas, Jameson Moore, Wyatt Williams, and Jett Winkler.

Top Performance: Andrew Hanrahan (fifth in giant slalom)

IMD Championships, Sun Valley, Idaho

This is the premier event for our All Star program and a common outcome goal for our U12s. This event brings the best 50 U12s from Utah to race with the best 50 U12s from Idaho and Wyoming. Sun Valley provided an exceptional race environment for our athletes. Congratulations to Addison August, Dylan Galan, Gabrielle Hanlon, Harper Jensen, Callie Lipson, Mei Mei Morgan, Zoe Rankin, Finley Taptich, Elle Wuetich, Will Hanlon, and Asher Williams.

Top Performance: Callie Lipson (sixth in giant slalom)

IMD Finals, Snowbird, Utah

This event provides a great environment, allowing everyone to have a final race. Our Rowmarkers crushed it, once again peaking at the right time. Congratulations to Cate Abuhaidar, Evelyn Chen, Chandler Corcoran, Lucy Dahl, Viktoria Hall, Paulina Ize-Cedillo, Makenna Karr, Romann Brandolini, Aaron Chen, Paxton Cichos, Owen Donigan, Pedro Huerta Strodthoff, Logan Karr, Dylan Kinkead, Rohan Pani, Nilkas Tognina, Andrew Wentz, and Will Wucetich.

Top Performances: Paulina Ize-Cedillo (first in giant slalom and second in slalom), Lucy Dahl (fourth in giant slalom and fourth in slalom), Cate Abuhaidar (sixth in slalom)

YSL Finals, Snowbasin, Utah

This is the premier event for our All Mountain Rippers. The YSL Finals brings all the programs across the state of Utah together. We are very pleased with the progress this group has made throughout the year. They have a strong foundation to build upon as they continue their journey. Congratulations to Evelyn Chen, Evelyn Donigan, Emi Salmon Garbett, Viktoria Hall, Makenna Karr, Chandler Corcoran, Wyatt Daniels, Logan Karr, Dylan Kinkead, Rohan Pani, Aaron Chen, Owen Donigan, Pedro Huerta Strodthoff, William Wucetich, and Beck King.

Top Performance: Evelyn Chen (10th in giant slalom)

OHG Spring Series, Bozeman, Montana

This event provides a great environment, allowing everyone to have a final race. Our Rowmarkers crushed it, once again peaking at the right time. Congratulations to Andrew Hanrahan, Luke Kanarowski, Rhys Schillinger, and Wyatt Williams.

Top Performance: Luke Kanarowski (second and third in the slalom races)

IMD Spring Series, Grand Targhee, Wyoming

This event brings together the best U12s and first-year U14s for a fun series focused on skill development. The athletes competed in a giant slalom, dual slalom, and a Kombi. Congratulations to Callie Lipson, Finley Taptich, Romann Brandolini, Andrew Hanrahan, Niklas Tognina, and Wyatt Williams.

Top Performance: Andrew Hanrahan (third in giant slalom)

Snowcup Series, Snowbird, Utah

This event invites the second-year U14s to race up with older athletes, including our own Academy athletes. Congratulations to Sophia Hijjawi, Tallulah Proulx, Chase Dennis, Jax Salinas, and Teo Shamah.

Top Performance: Sophia Hijjawi crushed it, finishing second in giant slalom and third slalom OVERALL; Teo Shamah, Chase Dennis, and Tallulah Proulx all had top-three finishes for the U14 age class

Rowmark

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Rowland Hall Middle School boys basketball players watch a game in the Salt Lake Bishop Tuttle Gymnasium.

Middle School Winter Sports 2022

A Team (Coach: Sam Duffy)

The Rowland Hall A team finished the season with a 4-3 record. The team competed in every game and was able to show great improvement from the beginning of the year to the end of the season. The A team learned how to communicate, compete, and have a deeper understanding of the game of basketball. Being able to compete against other schools that had solid programs was a great experience for our players. This group has some great athletes and basketball players that have great potential of being a successful basketball team in the future!

B Team White (Coach: Shuja Khan)

The white B team did an incredible job this year! There was so much growth over the course of the season; it truly made me proud as a coach. By the end of the season, the kids were able to run a complicated offense with poise and control—not an easy thing to do in middle school! They worked so well with each other. The ball never got stuck in anyone's hands … the kids played with the kind of selflessness every coach wants to see. They were tough and resilient and willing to learn—all the things a coach could possibly want. I was so happy to be with this group!

B Team Green (Coach: Sarah Yoon)

The green B team had a terrific season! After a year of no games due to the pandemic, the boys were eager to get out on the court. They worked hard during practices and learned to work together as a team. Throughout the season, they remained passionate and competitive while displaying gracious sportsmanship toward each other and the opposing team. With only one loss, the green team had a fun and exciting season that left everyone hungry for more. They are already looking forward to next year and can’t wait to get more buckets!

C Team White (Coach: Scott Langone)

I'm so proud of the C team. The improvements made in such a short amount of time were amazing. The team went from running the wrong direction for an inbounds play during the first couple of weeks to being able to change defense (zone or man) mid-game and run a couple of offensive sets each time down the court. I was also thoroughly impressed with the skill development each player made over the season, and the bond each player had for one another. I can't wait to watch this group mature and continue their basketball development. The future of Rowland Hall basketball looks amazing.

C Team Green (Coach: Sam Duffy)

This season the C team developed basketball skill work, understanding of the game, and how to compete at a fast pace, making it such a fun season. The C team only lost one game to a team that they ended up beating in the last game of the season, showing their growth. It was an honor to coach such a fun, talented group! We received praise from other schools' coaches about our player's skills and sportsmanship. It was a great season!

Athletics

Rowland Hall Middle School basketball players.

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowland Hall's Middle School volleyball A team

2021 Middle School Fall Sports

By Zack Alvidrez, Interim Middle School Athletic Director

It was a great season for all of our Middle School teams. We had a total of nine Middle School teams—64 soccer players and 108 volleyball players—on our rosters this season! A heartfelt thank you to every one of our Winged Lions families for your support throughout the season.

Thank you also to our Middle School boosters for providing every athlete with a Rowland Hall athletic mask or a “Defend the Den” sports headband. We are fortunate to have a dedicated coaching staff who puts in so much time, effort, and care to develop our student-athletes.

Please read on for a recap of each team’s season highlights.

A Girls Volleyball (Coach: Lauren Carpenter)

This year's A volleyball team enjoyed a very successful season. With fun as their main goal, they practiced with enthusiasm and a playful sense of humor. They also worked energetically to improve their skills and play as a team. Learning to rely on other team members is a key component to success in a team sport, and the athletes made good strides in this area. These attributes led the team to enjoy a 7-1 record and to garner a second-place finish in the Wasatch Athletic Conference Championships. Congratulations, team!

B Girls Volleyball (Coaches: Sam Duffy and Sarah Yoon)

Our B team volleyball players had a great season. Players learned the values of discipline, hard work, and sportsmanship. We had wins and losses, but everyone worked hard and supported each other with positivity. In practice, players focused on improving their skills in passing, setting, and hitting. As we progressed into the season, speed, agility, and accuracy became a goal for everyone. Players gained a better knowledge of the court and were excited about each game. They had fun and built strong relationships through teamwork. The season ended with fun scrimmages against each other. We are very proud of our players and hope they will continue to play volleyball next year.

C Girls Volleyball (Coaches: Chad Obermark and Mary Lawlor)

The C team had a fantastic season! Players showed incredible growth over a short time, focusing on passing and serving. These athletes had an awesome mixture of focus, competitiveness, and enthusiasm. They cheered for each other and loved to be a part of this team. They were excited to get to play games again as we traveled across the valley playing both home and away games. RH2 was competitive in every game and won several as the season progressed. RH1 was the second seed in the tournament and ended up winning the championship for the first time in several years! We are incredibly proud of all the players and impressed by how much they developed their skills over the course of the season. It was a great way to start the year!

A Boys Soccer (Coaches: Scott Langone and Campbell Ainsworth)

Our soccer teams had a fantastic season this year! Players began the year during the soccer elective, working on developing fundamental skills and learning how to play together as a team. We emphasized defense, how to use the whole field, and how to make smart decisions with and without the ball. The players consistently had a positive attitude and put a lot of effort on the field. The green team ended up winning second place in the WAC league and got third place in the tournament. It has been a lot of fun seeing the players develop and jell as a team this year.

C Boys Soccer (Coaches: Bobby Kennedy and Molly Lewis)

The C team had a fantastic season. A group of eclectic sixth graders joined together to learn the “beautiful game.” Steady progress was made in all facets of the game and a collective sense of Winged Lion pride was developed. After a robust league schedule, we took our second place seed into the playoffs. In a tightly contested match against APA Draper, the Winged Lions emerged victorious in a thrilling 4-3 win in overtime. In the championship finals, we faced our rivals to the south: the Waterford Ravens. The team knew it would be a stiff challenge, but were ready to rise to the occasion. In the end, the talented and skillful Waterford side came away with the victory and the Winged Lions finished second place.

Coach	Soccer	WAC Season Record	WAC League	WAC Tournament
Scott Langone	A1 Team White	1-5	5th
Campbell Ainsworth	A2 Team Green	3-0-2	2nd	3rd
Bobby Kennedy	C1 Team	2-3	2nd	2nd
Molly Lewis

Coach	Volleyball	WAC Season Record	WAC League	WAC Tournament
Lauren Carpenter	A Team	4-1	2nd	2nd
Sam Duffy	B1 Team	4-2	2nd
Sarah Yoon	B2 Team	2-4	4th
Chad Obermark	C1 Team	5-1	2nd	1st
Mary Lawlor	C2 Team	2-4	6th

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Athletics

Middle School C team basketball champions

Winter 2020 Middle School Athletics

It was a great season for all of our Middle School teams. We had a total of six Middle School basketball teams and 64 basketball players on our rosters this season! A heartfelt thank you to every one of our Winged Lions families for your support throughout the season—for sharing your children, for coming out to the games, and for all the snacks!

Thank you also to our Middle School boosters for providing every athlete with a colorful pair of Rowland Hall socks or a pop socket, and for hosting fan appreciation nights. We are fortunate to have a dedicated coaching staff who put in so much time, effort, and care to develop our student-athletes.

Please read on for a recap of each team’s season highlights.

A Girls Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez and Mike Roberts

The A team players consistently impressed us with their work ethic, team-first mentality, and willingness to learn. After a successful season where we improved on the fundamentals of the game, the players put it all together and ended the season by taking third place in the tournament. The most impressive aspect of the team was that no matter what the end result was, they always left their best effort out on the court! We greatly enjoyed the time we spent with the players on and off the court, and we wish them the best in their future basketball endeavors.

B Girls Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez and Sarah Yoon

The B team was full of intensity and spirit throughout the season. Athletes worked hard during practices to improve their understanding of all aspects of the game. As the season progressed, the team gained confidence and was excited to expand their defense and offense skills. At games, B team showed tremendous support for one another and displayed professional graciousness towards other teams. The camaraderie among teammates on bus rides made basketball games fun and brought the team together. B team ended the season with a third-place win! The coaches were very proud of their strong efforts, and we look forward to seeing these ladies continue to develop their skills.

C Girls Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez and Tyler Tanner

The C team had a fantastic season! Players committed to practices on Monday mornings during late start time and learned skills on dribbling, cuts, properly executed passes, and shooting. These athletes showed incredible spirit and high energy during practices and games. They cheered for each other and loved to be part of this team. This display of team spirit and love of basketball brought excitement and strengthened the C team as a community. As the season progressed, the team gained confidence and won some games. The best aspect of the team was all the creative cheers the girls came up with. The fun carried over into the playoffs, with a successful third-place finish! We were very proud of all the players on the C team and how much they developed their skills over the course of the season. It was a good time for all!

A Boys Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez and Mike Roberts

The A team had a strong year! They went 6-4 in the regular season, finishing second in the league. During the end-of-season tournament, all the boys stepped up their game, and they capped things off by crushing Waterford for third place. Throughout the course of the season, the coaches were extremely impressed with the focus and commitment the team displayed. They consistently represented Rowland Hall in a positive manner on and off the floor, and the coaches are very proud of everything these young men accomplished this season.

B Boys Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez and Sarah Yoon

The B team had a terrific season! Athletes were committed to improving their skills and worked hard during practices. As the season progressed, overall skills improved and a clear display of teamwork was evident in defense and offense plays. All players showed strong support for one another and represented the team with character and professional graciousness at games. The season ended with a third-place win, and the team played with tremendous heart and excitement. The coaches are very proud of B team, and we look forward to seeing everyone continue on with their basketball journey in the future.

C Boys Basketball
Coaches Zack Alvidrez, Tyler Tanner, and Brian McCloud

The C team played hard and had a terrific season. Players committed to practices on Monday mornings during late start time and learned skills on dribbling, cuts, properly executed passes, and shooting. The team worked well together and played hard in every game. They supported each other through all their wins and one loss with excitement and team spirit. The team played well in the tournament, dominating their opponents and taking first overall! Congrats to all the members of the C team! It was awesome to watch their development over the course of the season. We are very proud of all their accomplishments and the way they represented Rowland Hall this year.

Middle School Athletics Winter Season Results

Coaches for all teams: Zack Alvidrez, Tyler Tanner, Mike Roberts, Sarah Yoon	Nov–Dec Basketball	WAC Season Record	WAC League	WAC Tournament
	A Team	3-4	4th	3rd
	B Team	3-7	4th
	C Team	3-4	4th
Coaches for all teams: Zack Alvidrez, Brian McCloud, Mike Roberts, Sarah Yoon, Tyler Tanner	Jan-Mar Basketball	WAC Season Record	WAC League	WAC Tournament
	A Team	6-4	3rd	3rd
	B Team	5-4	3rd	3rd
	C Team	9-1	1st	1st

Athletics

Middle School Athletics — Fall 2019 Season

It was a great season for all of our Middle School teams. A heartfelt thank you to every one of our Winged Lion families for your support throughout the season. We are fortunate to have a dedicated coaching staff who put in so much time, effort, and care to develop our student-athletes. Please read on for a recap of each team’s season highlights.

A Soccer
Coaches Chelsea Vasquez and Mary Lawlor

This year’s A soccer team had a strong season, with many well-fought games in a new, more challenging conference. Our seventh graders showed many improvements throughout the season, and our eighth graders stepped into leadership roles, creating a true team mentality. The difference in cohesive gameplay from the first game to the final was astonishing. The team learned to communicate and trust each other, which significantly improved their performance on the pitch. A memorable moment was beating McGillis on our practice field after losing to them in an earlier match. Even their coach congratulated the players on their dynamic play, connected passing, and determination throughout the game. It was a fun season filled with lots of laughs, and we look forward to seeing what’s next for our seventh graders and graduating our eighth graders to the high school program.

C Soccer
Coach Campbell Ainsworth

The C team had a fantastic season this year. All season long, they worked on skills, moving with and without the ball, and, above all, how to play as a team. Their hard work paid off in the WAC tournament as the team, losing 1-0 at halftime in the semifinal game, came back to win 2-1 in overtime, and then won the championship the following day. Drew Lipson and Anthony Goorman led the attack, Freddy Gowski and Noa Fukashima were unstoppable in the middle of the defense, and Madsen Varner and Milan Mickelson were outstanding goalkeepers. This team never gave up, and their championship trophy reflects the hustle and 100% effort they put into games all season long. The players should be proud of their pluck and determination, and we look forward to seeing them play for the A team next year.

A Volleyball
Coach Doug Booher

What a great season for an amazing, talented, and fun group of volleyball players! The A team, with a huge emphasis on team, worked hard, laughed hard, and played hard all season. There was great skill improvement, some practice with mental performance techniques, a few tears (those darn Waterford Ravens!), some baked goods, increased strategic and game knowledge, and a little bit of fire, as we went from a team that gave up points for being out of rotation early in the season to a strong second place finish in the tournament. I look forward to watching the eighth graders take their skills to the Upper School program and am already hoping and planning for next year for the seventh graders.

B Volleyball
Coaches Mike Roberts and Sarah Yoon

The B2 team saw continuous improvement throughout the season. They consistently improved both their skills and their understanding of the game each and every week. Additionally, they were very supportive of one another and became an extremely tight-knit group by the end of the season. Highlights of the season included multiple three-hit rallies, consistent serving (including some overhand serves), and even a few hits at the net! The team hit their stride during the tournament, and as a result, they were able to walk away with the third-place trophy. The team should be proud of their effort, and I look forward to seeing them continue their volleyball journey next year.

B Volleyball
Coach Jen Schones

The B1 team had a great season, and all of the girls showed a lot of improvement. Some goals for the season were to move to the ball, call the ball, control passes, and have fun! The entire team accomplished these goals, and it was an exciting season. I had a great time watching the girls mature as volleyball players and learn to play different positions. The team had several games that were super close, and it was fun to watch everyone fight to the final point. In our final game against Waterford, we played our best, and it was great to see beautiful, controlled passes, high sets, and some strong attacks on the net. Between playing some good volleyball, making up new cheers, and overcoming some mental aspects of the game, it was a good season and I enjoyed coaching this group of girls. Thanks for the great season!

C Volleyball
Coach Chad Obermark

The sixth-grade girls volleyball team showed amazing improvement this season. For many of the players, this is their first real exposure to volleyball. To see them grow from learning the fundamentals of passing and serving to playing intense points with multiple volleys is incredible! I appreciated the grit and perseverance this team showed all season. We started with a few losses, but they rallied back and our improvement by the end of the season was impressive. I look forward to seeing each of them develop their skills and build on this strong start to their volleyball careers.

ATHLETICS

Middle School Athletics - Spring 2019 Wrap Up

It was a wonderful season for all of our Middle School teams. We had two Middle School soccer teams, and 60 athletes participated in cross country this season. A heartfelt thank you to every one of our Winged Lion families for your support throughout the season—for sharing your children, for coming out to the games, and for all the snacks! Thank you also to our Middle School Boosters for providing every athlete with a colorful pair of Rowland Hall socks and for helping to host a successful cross country meet. We are fortunate to have a dedicated coaching staff that commits so much time, effort, and care to develop our student-athletes.

Please read on for a recap of each team’s season highlights.

Girls A Soccer
Coach Campbell Ainsworth

Our soccer team had a fantastic season! The A team battled throughout the year and ended up winning the WAC tournament. This was truly a team effort, as the defense and forwards worked together to pressure the opposing team and have a cohesive attack. These Winged Lions never gave up; games were played under the searing sun and the freezing rain, rarely with substitutes, and the girls played with pluck and joy. Three times during the season, they came back to win the game after being down a goal, a true testament to their grit and positive attitude. Despite coming into the season with no true goalkeeper, several players stepped up to volunteer to be goalie; shout-outs to Molly Friedman, Maddie Carlin, Mei Mei Johnson, Maile Fukushima, and Rachelle Prasthofer for giving it their all between the goal posts. This team’s hustle and fun-loving spirit made this a memorable season. We look forward to seeing these skilled players contribute to the high school team in the upcoming years!

Girls C Soccer
Coach Bobby Kennedy

While the weather was a little unpredictable this spring, the results for the soccer team were not. They had lost only one game entering tournament play, and earned the number-one seed. After handling LCA in round one, they were poised to avenge the only loss of the season in the final against Waterford. The Ravens got off to a quick start, scoring twice in the first 20 minutes. Rowland Hall responded with back-to-back goals in the dying minutes of the first half. After a few adjustments at halftime, both teams battled for the balance of the second half. Waterford scored with three minutes remaining, and the Winged Lions never really threatened in the limited time in the second half. Of course, results matter, but the true winner was the game of soccer. While we have players that play outside of school, we also have student-athletes that play very little, and they were part of a great experience.

Cross Country
Coaches Mary Lawlor, Chelsea Vasquez, and Sara Donnelly

This has been an excellent and fun cross country season, with our largest team yet! Even in freezing temperatures and torrential downpours, our runners showed up, ran quickly, and worked hard to improve their times. A highlight of this season was our dynamic group of awesome eighth graders, who, without being asked, led by example during each practice and meet. They acted with intention and modeled kindness and effort for our whole team, and they truly made our season more fun and fulfilling. We also had a great bunch of sixth- and seventh-grade runners. Whether they were returning runners or trying out the sport for the first time, it’s been great to watch their progress and feel their positivity. As a team, we placed in every meet and often had multiple runners in the top-10 slots for each respective age group. Nice work! Special shout-out to Will Cunningham (A boys) and Nina Martin (C girls) who consistently placed in the top three in their divisions. We had so much fun with you all and can’t wait until next spring.

Mountain Biking
Coach Jen Schones

Despite a few meetups being foiled by rain or thunder, we enjoyed some fun rides down in Draper at Corner Canyon with our awesome group of bikers. Our team consisted of a mix of skill levels, ranging from beginners to advanced riders, and everyone enjoyed honing our jumping skills at the Draper Bike Park. We loved learning from (and trying to keep up with!) the more advanced riders, while seeing the beginners grow their confidence and skills climbing and descending. Parent volunteers made the rides more diverse and we appreciate your participation!

Middle School Athletics Spring 2019 Season Information

Season results:

Coaches	Soccer	WAC Season Record	WAC League	WAC Tournament
Ainsworth	A1 Team	3-1	2nd	1st

Kennedy	C Team	6-1	1st	2nd
Coaches	Cross Country			WAC League
Lawlor, Vasquez, Donnelly	A Team			2nd
Lawlor, Vasquez, Donnelly	C Team			3rd

Athletics

Finish Line—Rowmark

Rowmark Junior Program Winter Highlights 2022

Competition Highlights

U14 Regionals, Mammoth, California

Top Performances: Sophia Hijjawi (second in slalom and sixth in giant slalom), Teo Shamah (fourth in slalom)

Tri-Divisonal Championships, Jackson, Wyoming

Top Performance: Andrew Hanrahan (fifth in giant slalom)

IMD Championships, Sun Valley, Idaho

Top Performance: Callie Lipson (sixth in giant slalom)

IMD Finals, Snowbird, Utah

Top Performances: Paulina Ize-Cedillo (first in giant slalom and second in slalom), Lucy Dahl (fourth in giant slalom and fourth in slalom), Cate Abuhaidar (sixth in slalom)

YSL Finals, Snowbasin, Utah

Top Performance: Evelyn Chen (10th in giant slalom)

OHG Spring Series, Bozeman, Montana

Top Performance: Luke Kanarowski (second and third in the slalom races)

IMD Spring Series, Grand Targhee, Wyoming

Top Performance: Andrew Hanrahan (third in giant slalom)

Snowcup Series, Snowbird, Utah

Rowmark

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2021–2022 Rowmark Ski Academy athletes and coaches on the Lincoln Street Campus in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Rowmark Ski Academy Winter Highlights 2022

By Todd Brickson, Program Director

Competition Highlights

Below are competition highlights of current Rowmarkers who captured top finishes during the last month of the season.

U18 National Championships, Colorado, March 1–7

Six Rowmarkers qualified for the prestigious U18 National Championships at Vail, Colorado, last week with great performances: Jack AbuHaidar, Preston Bolus, Ian Hanrahan, Ford Hodgkins, Elisabeth Bocock, and Maddie Welling. For the boys, Ford was impressive with 15th in downhill and 15th in super-G, while Jack was 17th and 25th in downhill and second in giant slalom. For the girls, Elisabeth rocketed to third in giant slalom and sixth in slalom, while Maddie found the podium in giant slalom in fifth, was ninth in super-G, and was 14th in slalom.

FIS Western Region Junior Championships, Washington, March 12–17

Twelve members of our FIS Team took part in the Western Region Junior Championships at Mission Ridge, Washington, with challenging weather and snow conditions that wreaked havoc on the schedule and resulted in a few postponements and a race cancellation during the week. Despite this, many Rowmarkers turned in great performances, including Anna Davis with a victory in slalom and a third in giant slalom. Audrey Higgins-Lopez was also impressive with a fourth and fifth in super-G, and Lili Honey skied to two ninths in super-G and 15th in giant slalom. Hayden Mengason broke through with a 15th in slalom, while Charlotte Morris and Grace Venverloh both cracked the top 30, Charlotte with a 27th in slalom and Grace with a 28th in super-G. For the boys, Cam Prichard had a great start to the series before injuring his hand, with a 16th in the first slalom (from the 81st start position, winning him the Hard Charger Award!) and 26th in giant slalom. And not to be outdone, Frank Stearns also turned in a 16th in the second slalom as well as a 30th in giant slalom.

Western Region U16 Championships, Montana, March 14–17

Five members of our U16 Team raced in the Western Region U16 Championships at Big Sky. Leading the way was Karsten Schillinger, who had a spectacular series with a victory in slalom, second in giant slalom, and fourth and sixth in super-G, thereby also winning the overall series title. First-year U16 Jack Hoffman had three excellent races, with a ninth in giant slalom, and 15th and 20th in the two super-G races. Both qualified for the U16 Nationals in Sugarloaf, Maine. Jack Zipp had his two best races of the season, with a 19th in slalom and 20th in giant slalom. For the girls, Kaia Brickson was 15th in slalom—all the way from the 50th start position.

IMD Tri-Divisional Championships, Wyoming, March 24–27

The USSA Tri-Divisionals Championships at Jackson Hole concluded with several strong Rowmark finishes. Declan Morasch was fast in super-G with an impressive fourth place. In the giant slalom, Milan Mickelson had a great race in 15th, while Andrew Hanrahan was 18th overall and fifth for U14s. For the girls, Kendall Kanarowski had her best race of the year with an 18th in slalom.

IMD SnowCup Spring Series, Utah, March 31–April 5

Many of the Rowmark girls competed at the IMD Snow Cup Spring Series at Snowbird the past few days. Sophia Hijjawi had a great series with a third in slalom (first for U14s) and second in giant slalom (first for U14s) and fifth in giant slalom (second for U14s). Charlotte Morris was sixth in the first slalom. Kaia Brickson was ninth and ninth in slalom (fourth and third for U16s) and 11th in giant slalom (eighth for U16s), while Tallulah Proulx was 20th and 27th in giant slalom (seventh and eighth for U14s).

Meanwhile, at the IMD Snow Cup Spring Series at Snowbird, Cam Prichard grabbed two podiums with a victory and third place in giant slalom. Preston Bolus was third in giant slalom and fourth in slalom; Ford Hodgkins was fourth and seventh in giant slalom, and second in slalom; Jack AbuHaidar was fifth in giant slalom and third in slalom; Frank Stearns was ninth and 14th in giant slalom, and eighth in slalom; Mason Schlopy was 11th in giant slalom and 16th in slalom; Leo Martin was 14th in slalom; and Matt Siegal was 17th in slalom. For the U16s, Jack Zipp was 13th in giant slalom (fifth for U16s) and 11th in slalom (fifth for U16s), and Freddy Gowski was 12th in slalom (sixth for U16s). For the U14s, Teo Shamah was second, third, and third (41st, 37th, and 31st overall).

U16 National Championships, Maine, April 2–6

At the prestigious U16 Nationals in Sugarloaf, Maine, Karsten Schillinger was 13th in the super-G and 12th in the giant slalom, while Jack Hoffman was 22nd in the slalom.

FIS Elite Spring Series, California, April 5–10

The Rowmark FIS Team finished their season at the FIS Elite Spring Series in Tahoe, California, where we saw Rowmarkers in the top 15 every day of racing against the best 100 boys and 100 girls in the Western US. For the girls, Elisabeth Bocock knocked it out of the park with a victory in slalom and a fifth and second in giant slalom, while Maddie Welling raced to an impressive fifth in slalom and fifth, sixth, and 10th in giant slalom. Chloe Lathrop had a great series with an eighth, 10th, 13th, and 14th. Audrey Higgins-Lopez was impressive with an eighth, 10th, and 16th. Anna Davis was also fast with a 16th and 19th.

For boys, Ford Hodgkins grabbed a podium of his own with a third in slalom, as well as a 13th in slalom, and 14th in giant slalom. Jack Abuhaidar took eighth in giant slalom and 17th in slalom; Cam Prichard raced to eighth, 11th, and 16th; Frank Stearns finished 14th in slalom; and Preston Bolus and Ian Hanrahan both took home 15th-place finishes.

Alum News

We think it’s appropriate to give another shout-out to our four Olympian alums and to congratulate our newest NCAA Champion!

Four Rowmark Ski Academy Athletes Qualify for the 2022 Olympic Games, Bringing the Academy’s All-Time Olympian Total to 20

We are proud of our four Olympians who qualified for February’s 2022 Olympic Games: Katie Hensien ’18 and Breezy Johnson ’13 (USA), Katie Vesterstein ’17 (Estonia), and Madi Hoffman ’18 (Australia). Since their earliest days on the mountain, these Olympians have been on a journey toward athletic excellence. Being named to their countries' Alpine ski teams is one of the highest honors of their careers and represents endless hours of sacrifice and a steady commitment to intense training and competition.

While four of Rowmark's former student-athletes qualified for the Games, only two were able to compete in Beijing. Except for an unfortunate injury two weeks prior to the Olympics in a World Cup training run in Cortina, Italy, Breezy was on that charted path, and heavily favored for a medal in the women's Olympic downhill, scheduled for February 15. Just a few days later, Madi injured her knee, knocking her out of the Games as well. While both Breezy and Madi sustained season-ending knee injuries while training for the Games, they nevertheless qualified for the Olympics, and we could not be prouder of them. Injury is a common reality in our sport, and the timing is devastating, but they will be back stronger than ever.

Katie Hensien and Katie Vesterstein went on to carry the Rowmark Ski Academy and Rowland Hall torch, and represented incredibly well. Congratulations to Katie Hensien, who charged to 26th in the Olympic slalom (starting 40th), and to Katie Vesterstein, who was 35th in the Olympic giant slalom (starting 62nd). Katie Vesterstein was impressive in her giant slalom race from a late-start position. She did not finish her first slalom run but was skiing great before she crashed out of the course. Katie Hensien had two excellent slalom runs to move into the top 30.

NCAA National Championships, Park City, Utah, March 9–12

Congratulations to Rowmark alum and current University of Denver student-athlete Katie Hensien ’18, who is the NCAA National Slalom Champion and the silver medalist in giant slalom! It has been quite a month for Katie, also a US Ski Team World Cup Team member who competed in her first Olympic Games in February.

Zoe Michael, who attended Rowmark/Rowland Hall from 2016 to 2018 and skis for the University of New Hampshire, was also an NCAA All-American, with a 10th in slalom, while Sophia Yubero ’17, a senior at Middlebury College, was 28th in slalom and 30th in giant slalom.

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Rowmark Junior Program Fall 2021

By Troy Price, Rowmark Junior Program Director

The Rowmark Junior Program is now in full swing. We started the year off with an overnight camping trip in Ogden Valley, where we enjoyed some team bonding and paddleboarding with the Middle School students. September was all about physical conditioning and getting everyone set up with their ski equipment. October provided more time for conditioning, as well as our annual parent meetings for each program. We recently completed our dryland training sessions with our annual fitness testing. We had so many athletes set personal records in several test areas. This is a great reflection of the growth mindset used throughout our program. We are very proud of our team environment, which allows every student to pursue their personal best as they are encouraged by their teammates.

We have now moved into our fall on-snow prep period. These early season camps and local training sessions will prepare our athletes for the upcoming competition phase. We have a full roster, with a record number of 22 athletes in our Academy Prep program, along with 15 All-Stars and 12 All-Mountain Rippers. Our Love to Ski program for first and second graders is filling up fast too.

Our Academy Prep program has already returned from their first ski camp in Colorado (please see the summary of their camp below from Coach Matt Brown). We look forward to starting up our local training for all Rowmark students in December.

Rowmark Junior student-athletes training on Rowland Hall's Salt Lake City Lincoln Street Campus.

From Coach Matt Brown:
We had three days of beautiful Colorado sunny skies at both Arapahoe Basin and Loveland Ski Areas. We spent one day at A-Basin and two days at Loveland, and the snow was fantastic in both areas.

The hospitality from our hotel was perfect, with spacious rooms and space for meetings, studying, ski tuning, and hot breakfast. It was also a short, one-minute walk to restaurants for dinner, as well as close to our afternoon dryland activities.

We want to congratulate the athletes and coaches for coming in with a huge growth mindset to learn and support each other as a team over the entire camp. The daily schedule was super busy, with a 6 am wake-up for warm-up, breakfast, and loading, and lights out at 9 pm. We skied for about four hours daily, with the kids split randomly into different groups each day with different coaches, allowing the athletes and coaches to find what works best for each individual and to get to know each other on a deeper level. Most kids had new equipment, so it was also time to work out the kinks and break in the boots. Despite a few sore shins, we had a huge amount of success working on finding our stance and balance after not skiing for several months.

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Rowmark Ski Academy Summer and Fall Highlights 2021

By Todd Brickson, Rowmark Program Director

Our Rowmark team, which consists of many of the top junior alpine ski racers and student-athletes nationally and internationally, has been working very hard on a daily basis this past spring, summer, and fall in our rigorous on-snow and conditioning program. This program prepares our athletes to be in optimal physical condition as they prepare for the fast-approaching race season. Our coaches are seeing solid technical/tactical improvements and strong bonding across our team.

One of the special attributes of Rowmark is the way in which the athletes work together and support one another through all aspects of their experience. This was exemplified during our 11th Rowmark Ski Academy Bear Lake Challenge in early September. The orientation weekend is designed to test the Rowmarkers physically, mentally, and socially; to identify and develop leadership, spirit, and cooperation skills; and for team bonding. The event also helped identify our team captains for the year, as elected by their peers. This year’s captains are Mary Bocock, Layla Hijjawi, Ford Hodgkins, and Mason Schlopy, and we are looking forward to their leadership.

A commitment to year-round physical conditioning is a critical component to optimal performance on snow. Foreste Peterson, our new head women’s FIS coach and head conditioning coach, directs a dynamic, periodized daily physical training program that includes facets such as strength and power, cardio, plyometrics, quickness and coordination, flexibility, and cross-training and games.

We also are thrilled to have Brian Morgan move into our head men’s FIS coach role and, at the same time, Lyndsay Strange move up to work with our FIS team. We also welcome Jeremy Jakob to round out our FIS staff and the return of Skip Puckett to our U16 staff.

The theme of Rowmark Ski Academy’s summer and fall training period has been an ongoing exercise in flexibility and creativity as we piece together plans that have been constantly changing due to warm temperatures and lack of snow. We have been able to pull it off with a lot of patience and willingness to change plans, and we appreciate everyone’s ability to adapt on the fly.

Rowmark had an interesting start to our summer ski camp plans when, back in April, it became clear we needed to cancel our annual June trip to Mammoth Mountain, California. Normally a location with ample winter snowpack and excellent race-training conditions into late June, Mammoth had a low snow season (as did most of the western US) and had to close in late May. Instead, we skied eight days, over two Fridays and three weekends, at Snowbird in May, which turned out to be a productive alternative. We are thankful to Snowbird for providing terrain on the upper mountain, the Road to Provo bowl, where we were able to free-ski, kick off our drill progression, and train gates over the eight days.

We experienced a similar challenge for our next ski camp, scheduled in August at Mt. Hood, a dormant volcano and the highest peak in Oregon that normally has good snow for race training throughout the entire summer. The already low and quickly melting snowpack was devastated even further by a record heat wave in the Pacific Northwest, where temps reached into the 110s for several days in early July. We were fortunate to be able to reschedule our dates in mid-July before the snow completely disappeared, and we had an excellent camp for the Rowmarkers who were able to change their summer plans in order to attend.

Thankfully, our third ski camp, in Schnalstal, Italy, located in the heart of the South Tyrol Alps, went off as scheduled in early October, with excellent snow conditions. Our FIS team had a great camp and also enjoyed the two-week immersion in Italian mountain culture, with its stunning beauty and delicious cuisine.

Our most recent ski camp in Copper Mountain, Colorado, in late October also went off very successfully despite the continuing unusually warm fall weather. The 12,000-foot elevation of Copper’s training venue, located at the very top of the mountain, was well prepared with man-made snow, and both our FIS and U16 teams had a very productive giant slalom camp.

Our final on-snow camp is after Thanksgiving in Aspen, Colorado, before we begin our local training after Thanksgiving at the Utah Olympic Park and Park City Mountain. Aspen’s training venue is much lower in elevation, at 9,000 to 10,000 feet, and they are having challenges with the warm temperatures to make enough snow. So we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to pull off the Aspen camp. Stay tuned!

As the winter season approaches, the Rowmarkers are looking forward to putting their summer and fall on-snow training conditioning to the test. Their days will soon be filled beginning to end. Morning academic classes are followed by afternoon ski training, video review, ski tuning, and evenings of homework. Their race schedule takes them all over the country and, for a few, to Canada and Europe as well. The extensive travel causes Rowmarkers to miss several weeks of school throughout the winter, which tests their organizational, communication, and time-management skills. Their success hinges on the support of the Rowland Hall faculty and their extra efforts of frequent communication and consultation sessions, which allow the Rowmarkers to not only survive the academic load but often to excel. A big thank you goes out to these teachers for their commitment to making this happen.

In any case, the double whammy of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change have made the past year and a half particularly challenging for the sport of ski racing. It has certainly been an exercise in flexibility, as well as a true character-building period of time. We are proud of our Rowmark student-athletes for their ability to adapt and flourish in the strangest of times, and we can’t wait for the fast-approaching winter competition season.

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Rowmark Junior Program Highlights 2021

By Troy Price, Junior Program Director

As I take time to reflect on the past season, I see so many areas where the Rowmark Junior Program has been successful. I’m very proud of our program. As part of our team values, we focus on the skills of perseverance and determination. This past season has presented its challenges, yet in every case the Rowmark community has persevered. We had to adapt to a new race schedule splitting genders or teams. Parents stepped up to provide transportation and lodging as needed to meet protocols. Coaches have picked up extra hours and created training sessions to meet the needs of every athlete. The athletes continue to thrive as they find balance in pursuing their sport at the highest level and also stay committed to their academic workload.

Our training sessions at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) and Park City Mountain Resort continue to provide the ideal mix of terrain and course setting, allowing our athletes to develop new skills. We also continue to benefit from our use of the Ikon Pass, as we free-ski our local resorts: Deer Valley, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, and Brighton.

The return of our Love-to-Ski program for first- and second-grade students was a great success. Thanks to Wendy Hare for leading this group. Big shout-out to our Middle School athletes as they served as mentors, paving the way for the next generation. This was yet another area where the UOP venue provided exactly what we needed.

The month of March was full of championship events. We had Rowmarkers invited to all levels, and several podium finishes. A Rowmarker won the overall award in all three levels of championship events. Congrats to Paxton Cichos, Luke Kanarowski, and Jack Hoffman for winning the overall for their respective championship events.

YSL Finals, UOP, March 13–14

Girls Slalom

Harper Jensen: 2nd (U10) 
Zoe Rankin: 3rd (U10) 
Dylan Galen: 8th (U12)

Girls Giant Slalom

Harper Jensen: 4th (U10) 
Zoe Rankin: 6th (U10) 
Addison August: 9th (U12) 
Dylan Galen: 10th (U12)

Boys Slalom

Asher Williams: WINNER (U10) 
Will Hanlon: 9th (U10) 
Paxton Cichos: WINNER (U12) 
Niklas Tognina: 7th (U12) 
Andrew Wentz: 9th (U12)

Boys Giant Slalom

Will Hanlon: WINNER (U10) 
Asher Williams: 2nd (U10) 
Andrew Wentz: 7th (U12) 
Niklas Tognina: 10th (U12)

OVERALL WINNER: Paxton Cichos

IMD SS Champs, Snowbasin, March 17–19

March 17

Lukas Postnieks: 5th (slalom) 
Niklas Tognina: 6th (giant slalom)

March 18

Zoe Rankin: 7th (giant slalom); 8th (slalom) 
Harper Jensen: 5th (slalom)

March 19

Luke Kanarowski: 4th (giant slalom); WINNER (slalom) 
Andrew Hanrahan: 5th (giant slalom); 3rd (slalom) 
Rhys Schillinger: 9th (slalom) 
Brynn Copinga: 4th (giant slalom) 
Callie Lipson: 10th (slalom)

OVERALL WINNER: Luke Kanarowski

U14 IMD Champs, Jackson Hole, March 24–28

March 24–26

Sophia Hijjawi: 7th (super-G); 2nd (giant slalom) 
Jack Hoffman: WINNER (super-G); 2nd (giant slalom); WINNER (slalom)

March 27–28

Lukas Postnieks: 8th (giant slalom); 3rd (slalom)

OVERALL WINNER: Jack Hoffman

Spring Series, Grand Targhee, April

Girls

Sophia Hijjawi: WINNER (slalom); 4th (giant slalom); 2nd (Kombi) 
Tallulah Proulx: 3rd (Kombi)

Boys

Luke Kanarowski: WINNER (slalom); 2nd (giant slalom) 
Teo Shamah: 6th (slalom); 5th (giant slalom); 2nd (Kombi) 
Chase Dennis: 8th (slalom) 
Andrew Hanrahan: 4th (giant slalom)

As I write this article, I’m in Squaw Valley, California. Jack Hoffman and Sophia Hijjawi both qualified to represent the Intermountain Division, as they were selected to attend a special development project hosted by the Western Region as an introduction to the National Development system. Jack and Sophia are joined with the best U14s in the Western US.

This has been a successful season and a true reflection of our core values, where everyone has preserved against the challenges of ski racing during a global pandemic.

Special thanks to our new staff members, Matt Brown, Parker Acosta, Jules Parke, Lucy Doyle, and Tiffany Flygare, for making a positive impact on our program during their first year.

Note regarding banner photo: Due to COVID-19 delays, 2020–2021 Rowmark Junior Programs photos have not yet been released. We will update the above banner image when we receive those photos.

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Rowmark Ski Academy Winter Highlights 2021

By Todd Brickson, Program Director

Competition Highlights

Below are competition highlights of current Rowmarkers who captured top finishes during the last month of the season.

FIS Elite Races, California

Many of our U19s raced in FIS Elite races at Sugar Bowl Resort and Squaw Valley, California, in mid-March against the best 100 boys and 100 girls in the Western US.

Maddie Welling: Seventh overall (fifth for U19s) in slalom #1; eighth overall (and second for U19s) in slalom #2 
Mary Bocock: 10th overall (and second for U19s) in giant slalom; 11th overall (and fourth for U19s) in slalom 
Harry Hoffman: 10th overall (second for U19s) in slalom; 13th overall (second for U19s) in giant slalom

Divisional FIS Race, Wyoming

At the same time as the California races, Snow King Mountain Resort in Wyoming hosted a Divisional FIS race where the other half of our U19s competed.

Charlotte Altman: Eighth in slalom; 14th in giant slalom 
Dagny Brickson: 15th in slalom 
Preston Bolus: 19th in slalom; 19th in giant slalom

Tri-Divisional Championships, Montana

Many of our U16s raced in the Tri-Divisional Championships at Big Sky Resort in Montana from March 18–21.

Boys:

Matt Siegal: First in super-G; eighth in giant slalom; seventh in slalom 
Henry Cunningham: Second and third in super-G 
Leo Martin: Ninth in giant slalom  
Jack Zipp: 11th in slalom; 13th in giant slalom

Girls:

Arden Louchheim: Second in super-G; third in giant slalom 
Kaia Brickson: Fourth in slalom 
Charlotte Morris: Fifth in slalom 
Hayden Kaufman Schiller: Seventh in super-G

South Series Finals, Utah

U16 freshman Declan Morasch competed in the South Series Finals at Snowbasin, Utah, in late March, where he placed first in giant slalom.

77th Annual Snowcup, Utah

The 77th Annual Snowcup at Snowbird, Utah, held March 30 to April 2, was an excellent race for Rowmark, with outstanding finishes from across the team. Notably, Ian Hanrahan and Elisabeth Bocock won the prestigious Snowcup overall titles! Below are some standout finishes from this series.

Boys:

Ian Hanrahan: Second in slalom; first and second in giant slalom; first overall 
Jack Abuhaidar: Second in slalom; first and second in giant slalom 
Ford Hodgkins: Third and third in slalom 
Preston Bolus: 10th in slalom; fourth and seventh in giant slalom 
Frank Stearns: Fifth and 11th in slalom 
Karsten Schillinger: Sixth in slalom; 14th in giant slalom 
Henry Cunningham: 10th in slalom; 13th in giant slalom

Girls:

Elisabeth Bocock: First and first in giant slalom; first and second in slalom; first overall 
Madi Dean: First and fifth in slalom; fifth and sixth in giant slalom 
Mary Clancy: 12th in giant slalom; second and fifth in slalom 
Charlotte Morris: 15th in slalom

Western Region U16 Championships, California

Three Rowmark athletes—Elisabeth Bocock, Lili Honey, and Karsten Shillinger—qualified to compete in the exclusive Western Region U16 Championships in Mammoth, California, which consists of the best U16 athletes in the entire Western Region of the United States. Elisabeth Bocock finished first in super-G, first in giant slalom, and second in slalom, securing her the Western Region Overall Championship and a spot in the U16 Nationals, which, unfortunately, was cancelled due to COVID-19 protocols. Lili Honey and Karsten Shillinger both also had some strong top-25 finishes.

FIS Spring Series, California

Some of the FIS Rowmarkers managed to get a spot in the Squaw Spring Series races at Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. Post-graduate Madi Dean charged to a fifth and sixth in slalom, and junior Maddie Welling had some standout performances and secured 10th in giant slalom.

FIS Spring Series, Colorado

Mary Bocock won the giant slalom race in Breckenridge, Colorado. With this finish, Mary is now ranked second in the nation and sixth in the world in giant slalom for her age, as well as first and ninth in the world in super-G!

US National Championships, Colorado

Three of our FIS athletes had the outstanding achievement of qualifying to the prestigious US National Championships in Aspen from April 5–16. Harry Hoffman competed in the men’s US Nationals this past week with strong results, while Mary Bocock had an outstanding 12th in super-G and Maddie Welling had two top-30 finishes, with a 24th in the alpine combined and a 29th in super-G.

Western Region FIS Downhills, California

Finally, five Rowmarkers finished the season with downhill races at Mammoth Mountain, California. For the men, Ford Hodgkins led the way with a 13th and 26th, while, for the women, Dagny Brickson was 11th on the first downhill and an impressive eighth place in the final race.

Congratulations to our entire team for a great season despite all the craziness!

Alum News

Rowmark alum and US Ski Team star Breezy Johnson ’13 had a nearly unprecedented series of podium results on the World Cup, with four consecutive third place downhill podium finishes, followed by a fifth! With this streak, Breezy placed fourth in the Overall World Cup downhill standings for the 2021 season. Incredible!

Rowmark alum and emerging US Ski Team member Katie Hensien ’18 scored her first World Cup points, with an 18th in a World Cup slalom in Croatia in March. Katie also won the 2020 National Championship giant slalom and was third in the slalom back in November.

Congratulations to Rowmark alum Alice McKennis Duran ’08 on her retirement from ski racing after an impressive career of 13 years on the US Ski Team, including a World Cup victory, three podiums, 10 top-10 finishes, two Olympic Games (fifth in downhill in 2018), and two National Championships. Rowmark Ski Academy is very proud of your accomplishments, and even more proud of your incredible determination and resilience to return to the top of the sport after several serious injuries. (Read more in this US Ski Team post highlighting Alice's stellar career.)

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Rowmark Ski Academy Summer/Fall 2020 Update

By Todd Brickson, Rowmark Program Director

As you can imagine, Rowmark’s activities this summer and fall have been heavily impacted by COVID-19 guidelines and mitigation efforts. It’s been a challenging and character-building several months, and we are very proud of the effort and seriousness of the Rowmarkers and staff in following strict protocols to keep each other safe.

To start, our annual June ski camp at Mammoth Mountain, CA, was cancelled outright as the ski area remained closed due to the pandemic. In its place, the Academy shifted gears to a weeklong intense and unique dryland conditioning camp, which culminated in a sunrise hike to the top of Jupiter Peak followed by a team-relay paddleboard, mountain bike, and trail run triathlon race at the Jordanelle Reservoir. The Rowmarkers exhibited strong teamwork, comradery, and effort throughout the week.

From mid-June to mid-August the focus remained on a long conditioning block before we got the green light to get back on snow August 15–23 at Mt. Hood, OR. It was motivating to finally be back on snow since the mid-March shutdown. The Mt. Hood management enforced the COVID-19 protocols very seriously, and the outdoor setting proved to be a safe environment for all the teams training there. Our Mt. Hood camp included the Academy and Junior programs.

After the Mt. Hood camp, we rolled right into the beginning of school and scrambled to adjust to the hybrid learning program. Physical testing and then a second extended conditioning block ensued each day after school. We had to cancel the U19/FIS Team ski camp in Italy due to COVID-19-related travel restrictions, but we were able to replace that camp with a successful camp in Copper Mountain, CO, in late October.

As I write this in mid-November, our Academy team is all in Aspen Highlands, CO, for our final ski camp of the season before we return to Utah for local training and the fast-approaching competition season. The snow conditions in Aspen are great for race training and the Rowmarkers are working hard on their technique and tactics. They also carve out time in the afternoons and evenings to keep up with their schoolwork and Zoom with their teachers, in between conditioning workouts, ski tuning, and video review with their coaches. Busy and challenging days, for sure.

Meanwhile, our Junior program is gearing up to host their fall camp locally at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP). We are all grateful for the early snowfall and the commitment to snowmaking at the UOP. Our athletes will greatly benefit from this preparation period.

It has been a crazy several months as we adapt to social distancing, mask wearing, and disinfecting measures at every turn in our training and conditioning. Our race season is going to look very different also. Virus mitigation is requiring races with small fields, splitting genders, and much less time in lodges in addition to the normal protocols.

As “normal” team travel is not allowed, I want to give a big shout-out to the Rowmark parents who have stepped up to provide all the transportation, lodging, and meals, which are new requirements in this COVID-19 world. Another big shout-out to the tremendous effort and professionalism of the teachers and administration; we are very proud to be part of such a supportive school. The Rowmarkers and staff continue to meet the challenge. We are looking forward to the start of the competition season and any new curveballs we may encounter.

Rowmark All-Stars team 2019–2020 — Rowmark All-Star team 2019–2020

Banner photo: Rowmark Academy team 2019–2020

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Rowmark Junior Program, Winter 2020

By Troy Price, Rowmark Junior Program Director

The world of skiing racing came to a halt on March 15. Many Rowmarkers were either en route to their championship events or attending their final training sessions in preparation for champs. I will recognize these athletes later in the article, but first I want to discuss the remarkable community we have in the Rowmark Junior Program.

Our community of athletes, coaches, parents, teachers, and administrators created an incredible environment centered around our core values. The development of the whole athlete is paramount to me, and we were able to find the balance of academics and athletics. More so, we were able to identify the best opportunities for each athlete. The coaching staff and athletes created an environment of high expectations and inclusivity. They practiced the positive characters traits of trust and perseverance. Meanwhile, there was always a balance between team pride and sportsmanship. Our Rowmark parents were supportive of all competitors and thankful for the volunteers at each race. I’m very pleased with our team culture and look forward to building upon our successes moving forward.

I’m so very proud of the hard work that all our student-athletes have applied this season. They were ready to showcase their talents at their given championships across the Western US. Please join me in celebrating the following Rowmark athletes for reaching their championship events.

U14 Regionals | Mammoth Mountain, Mammoth, CA
Kaia Brickson, Morgan Jacquin, Henry Cunningham, Alan Dugan, and Jack Hoffman

U14 Tri-Divisionals | Big Sky Resort, Big Sky, Montana
Lucy Nolan, Joe Lennon, Declan Morasch, and Jack Zipp

U12 IMD Championships | Bogus Basin, Boise, Idaho
Brooke Copinga, Chase Dennis, Andrew Hanrahan, Sophia Hijjawi, Luke Kanarowski, Jameson Moore, Lukas Postnieks, Tallaulah Proulx, Abi Quinn, Eli Rankin, Teo Shamah, Wyatt Williams, and Jett Winkler

U12 IMD Finals | Sundance Resort, Sundance, Utah
Julian Bamberger, Dean Hijjawi, Drew Lipson, Kirsten Mannelin, Milan Mickelson, Kendra Larson, Darshan Pani, Addison August, Andrew Wentz, Asher Williams, Brynn Copinga, Callie Lipson, Dylan Galen, James Steele, Miles Bauer, Niklas Tognina, Paxton Cichos, and William Youngtok

Honorable Mention: Kendall Kanarowski
Kendall tore her ACL in December and has committed her season to her physical therapy. I know she will be ready for next season and I look forward to having her back full time.

2019–2020 will be a season we all remember for a long time. I’m thankful to everyone for making it a successful season.

Rowmark All-Star Team Winter 2020 — 2019–2020 Rowmark All-Star Team

Top photo: 2019–2020 Rowmark Academy Prep Team

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