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

Rowland Hall senior Arden Louchheim to play golf for NCAA I University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Senior Golfer Arden Louchheim Signs with the University of Nebraska

For most of her life, Arden Louchheim was a dual-sport athlete in golf and ski racing.

Arden first discovered an interest in golf at just three years old after her family moved to Park City and rented a house on a golf course, which gave the preschooler plenty of chances to hit golf balls, a skill she quickly discovered she was not only good at, but enjoyed. “When you’re a little kid you don’t get to hit stuff very often, so I thought that was fun,” she said.

Ski racing came just a couple years later, in kindergarten, and by the time Arden was in elementary school, she was succeeding in both sports. Thanks to the support of club pros and coaches on the golf course, Rowmark Ski Academy coaches on the mountain, and her parents—whom she credits with a no-pressure approach that drove her interest in both sports—Arden excelled. By the time she was an upper schooler, she was regularly playing in tournaments against the nation’s top young golfers, had joined the Rowland Hall’s girls golf team, and was competing for Rowmark. And though Arden was successfully juggling both sports, alongside her academic responsibilities, over time it started becoming clear that her long-term interest lay in golf. “I knew golf was what I should be doing and what I love the most,” she said. And because Arden wanted to play golf at the college level, she didn’t want to risk a racing injury derailing that goal. “I didn’t want to do anything that could mess up the rest of my golf career,” she said.

Arden Louchheim, class of 2023, with her parents on the University of Nebraska campus. — Arden on the University of Nebraska campus with dad David and mom Akemi.

Arden has been the player every coach dreams to have on their team. She is dedicated to the game, dedicated to the sport, and inspires everyone else around her.—Brianna Coopman, coach

So Arden made the difficult decision to quit Rowmark after her sophomore year to focus on her golf game, using the time previously spent on the slopes for golf-specific workouts, which target different muscles than ski conditioning does, and golf practices. As she worked, Arden dropped her score significantly—a welcome result as she began contacting schools of interest. With her parents’ help, said Arden, she made a list of schools she’d like to attend, narrowing them down not only based on their women’s golf programs, but also on their size and school pride. Though her family helped her make sure her choices were achievable, said Arden, some of them still felt like a reach, including the NCAA Division I University of Nebraska–Lincoln, which remained in the golfer’s top-three schools during nearly the entire recruiting process. “It felt for a long time that Nebraska was a dream,” she said.

But over time, by highlighting her achievements, determination, and team-positive attitude, Arden built a relationship with Jeanne Sutherland, head coach of Nebraska’s women’s golf team. They first emailed and talked on the phone, then Coach Sutherland came to watch Arden compete in a tournament and ended up offering her a spot on the team. In July, Arden headed to Lincoln for her first visit and immediately felt a connection to the golf team and coaches, and—necessary for the aspiring journalist—Nebraska’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications. At the conclusion of their trip, her parents asked her an important question: Would you want to be here with a broken leg?—meaning, if you couldn’t golf, would you still want to attend the school? For Arden, the answer was an enthusiastic yes. Later that month, she verbally committed to Nebraska, and this week she signed her National Letter of Intent, making her an official Husker.

Rowland Hall senior Arden Louchheim signs her National Letter of Intent, committing to Nebraska. — Arden signing the National Letter of Intent in November 2022.

“Arden has been the player every coach dreams to have on their team,” said Brianna Coopman, head coach of Rowland Hall’s girls golf team. “She is dedicated to the game, dedicated to the sport, and inspires everyone else around her. When I heard the news she was signing with Nebraska and the Big Ten Conference, I could not have been a prouder coach. Nebraska will be lucky to have her, and I have full confidence she will excel at both golf and academics during her time there. Congrats! Go, Cornhuskers!”

To celebrate Arden’s decision to golf for Nebraska, we asked her a few questions about her athletic journey. The following interview has been lightly edited.

Congratulations on signing with Nebraska! You’ve long wanted to play golf for a large university; in 2020, you even told HER Fairways, “I would love to play for a D1 women’s golf team at a school with a lot of school spirit and a football team.” How does it feel to know you’ll be attending and competing for a Big Ten school next fall?

It still doesn’t totally feel real. If you compare Nebraska to what I said in the HER Fairways article, it literally checks every box that I had for a college and more. Not only does it have a strong golf program, a football team, and school spirit (for all sports, not just football), it also has one of the best journalism schools in the country, which is what I want to major in. I feel so incredibly lucky that I get to go to Nebraska next year because it truly feels like it is the perfect place for me.

There have been so many people who have put in time and effort to help me achieve this goal.—Arden Louchheim

The recruitment process is a long journey. How did you feel when you received the offer from Nebraska?

Overall, I felt so extremely grateful. Grateful to the Nebraska coaches, Coach Sutherland and Coach Zedrick, for their belief in me; grateful to my parents for their undying love and support; grateful to my coach for all of his guidance with my swing; and grateful to everyone else who supported me on this journey. There have been so many people who have put in time and effort to help me achieve this goal, so it was really amazing to see not only my hard work, but also everyone else’s effort, come to fruition. I also definitely felt some relief. I learned and grew so much from the recruiting process, but it was long and stressful, so it was nice knowing that I had finally reached the end of it.

You've had a successful golf career at Rowland Hall, including helping to lead your team to back-to-back 2A state championships, earning top 2A medalist honors for three consecutive seasons, and being named team MVP twice. What moment as a Winged Lion are you most proud of so far?

I am most proud of the team’s back-to-back state wins. It is really fun to win individually, but it is even more rewarding to come together as a team and achieve our goals as a unit. In the 2021 season I believe we only won state by three strokes, so we knew going into the 2022 season that we needed to practice hard to make sure we defended our state title. Watching all of my teammates come to practice motivated me every day, and seeing all of our hard work pay off with a large margin of victory at state in 2022 is a moment I am very proud of.

Arden with her parents and grandparents after committing to play for NCAA I University of Nebraska. — Arden celebrating with her parents and grandparents.

As previously mentioned, you’ve achieved so much already as a Rowland Hall golfer, but because girls golf is a spring sport for the UHSAA, you still have one more season to play before graduating. What are your hopes and/or goals for your final season as a Winged Lion?

My two main goals for the season are for the team to defend our back-to-back team state titles and for me individually to gain my fourth state title. My goal going into high school was to be a four-time state champion, so it would be really cool to achieve that goal with a win this year. Other goals I have include setting a new personal best for 18 holes, and maybe even trying to set a 2A record. My 67 in state last year was my personal best and set a Rowland Hall record, and I would love to try to lower that even further.

Tell us about the skills—both academic and athletic—you built at Rowland Hall that you'll be taking with you to Nebraska.

Rowland Hall played a massive part in achieving my goal of playing D1 college golf. Academically, Rowland Hall is a very challenging school, and while balancing golf and school was difficult, it taught me to be disciplined and to manage my time well. I learned to budget the time I had each day for practice, homework, workouts, and social events so that I could excel in academics and athletics while still enjoying time with friends and family. Additionally, the discussions that we have in classes like history and English helped me gain comfort expressing myself clearly and concisely. A lot of the recruiting process is emails and phone calls with coaches, and the speaking skills that Rowland Hall taught me benefited me greatly in these conversations with coaches.

Rowland Hall provided me with a place to grow as an athlete.—Arden Louchheim

Athletically, Rowland Hall provided me with a place to grow as an athlete and to experience team golf for one of the first times. Golf is largely an individual sport, and there are only a couple of team tournaments per year, so getting the chance to play with my classmates representing my school every year has been an incredible experience for me. Additionally, our school’s ski academy, Rowmark, is a very competitive program and the athletes are expected to hold themselves to the team’s high standards. These expectations instilled in me at a young age the responsibility, work ethic, and focus needed to be a member of the team. Once I built these habits, I was able to apply them outside of ski racing, and they have served extremely useful in my golf career, and my life as a whole. I have been at Rowland Hall since kindergarten and I take a lot of pride in this school, so getting a chance to use my athletic skills to represent the school is an opportunity I am very thankful for.

Arden Louchheim, class of 2023, with her parents on the University of Nebraska football field in Lincoln.

What do you think golf has taught you about yourself?

In my opinion, golf is one of the sports that most closely resembles life, so it has taught me so much about myself as an athlete but also just as a person. First and foremost, golf has taught me that I am a competitor. I love the feeling of adrenaline that comes with a must-make putt or a drive on a tight hole where I have to hit the fairway. The opportunity that competition provides to showcase every skill that I have worked so hard on is my favorite part of the sport. Golf has also taught me to be very, very resilient. In golf, progress is not always linear, and learning to fight through a single tough round or a couple weeks of rough play has made me a stronger golfer and person who is more prepared to face adversity.

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

I am so thankful for the support that Rowland Hall has provided me. Golf tournaments, as well as Rowmark events, required me to miss a lot of class, but my teachers were always so understanding and supportive. I have had math teachers take time out of their lunch breaks or free periods to go over material I missed, and history teachers who allowed me to sit in on class periods other than my own to hear lectures that I was not at school for. The faculty and staff’s willingness to be flexible in order to allow every student to achieve their full potential is not something that I take for granted, and my success is a direct result of the support that I have received from Rowland Hall. I am very proud to be a Winged Lion.

Congratulations, Arden!

Athletics

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

Former Rowmarker Katie Hensien '18, who is competing at the Olympic Games this month.

Rowland Hall Cheers on Alums Competing at 2022 Olympic Games

We are proud of the Olympians representing Rowmark Ski Academy and Rowland Hall at this month's Olympic Games, which kick off February 4.

Since their earliest days on the mountain, these skiers 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 hours of sacrifice and a steady commitment to intense training and competition.

While four of our former athletes qualified for the 2022 Olympics, two will be competing in Beijing this month.

“Unfortunately, Breezy Johnson and Madi Hoffman both sustained season-ending knee injuries while training for the Games and will not be able to compete,” said Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy program director. “Nevertheless, they qualified for the Olympics and we could not be more proud of Breezy and Madi. 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 will carry the Rowmark Ski Academy and Rowland Hall torch, and we will be watching!”

To help the Rowland Hall community prepare to cheer on our former Rowmarkers at the Games, we have provided brief overviews of the Olympians below (as well as a throwback photo for each!).

Team USA: Katie Hensien ’18

Former Rowmarker and 2022 Alpine skiing Olympian Katie Hensien.

Katie Hensien graduated from Rowmark and Rowland Hall in 2018. She is a five-year member of the US Ski Team, and also currently skis for and attends the University of Denver. Katie is originally from Redmond, Washington, and will make her Olympic debut in Beijing. She is the 2020 national champion in giant slalom and was a part of the Junior World Championships team that won the silver medal in the team event in Val di Fassa, Italy.

“Katie is an incredible talent and hard worker, and is someone who always has a huge smile on her face,” said Todd. “She brings incredible energy and positive vibes into every room.”

Update February 9, 2022: Katie placed 26th in slalom.

Team Estonia: Kaitlyn (Katie) Vesterstein ’17

Former Rowmarker and 2022 Alpine skiing Olympian Katie Vesterstein.

Katie Vesterstein graduated from Rowmark and Rowland Hall in 2017. A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Katie is currently a senior at the University of Utah and an All-American member of the university’s national champion ski team. Katie is a dual citizen of the US and Estonia and will be representing Estonia at the Beijing Games.

“Katie is a fierce competitor and incredibly kind teammate who grew up ski racing on the small hills of Minnesota before joining Rowmark and Rowland Hall for two years and propelling herself onto the prestigious University of Utah ski team,” said Todd.

Update February 7, 2022: Katie placed 35th in giant slalom.

Update February 9, 2022: Due to a crash, Katie received a DNF in slalom.

Team Australia: Madison (Madi) Hoffman ’18 (Injured)

Former Rowmarker and 2022 Alpine skiing Olympian Madison Hoffman.

Madi Hoffman graduated from Rowmark and Rowland Hall in 2018. She has been a member of the Australian National Team for several years and is also a two-year member of the national champion University of Utah ski team. Madi is a three-time Australian National Champion in slalom and giant slalom, and was one of only two Aussie women to qualify for the 2022 Olympics in alpine skiing. She had been preparing for this moment with her coach (and former Rowmark head coach) Jim Tschabrun for four years.

“Madi is one of the hardest working and thoughtful young women I have ever had the pleasure to coach,” said Todd. “Her unfortunate knee injury will keep her from competing in this Olympics, but she is a very determined, talented ski racer, and I have no doubt that she will be back stronger than ever."

Team USA: Breezy Johnson ’13 (Injured)

Former Rowmarker and 2022 Alpine skiing Olympian Breezy Johnson.

Breezy Johnson graduated from Rowmark and Rowland Hall in 2013. Originally from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Breezy joined the US Ski Team in 2014 and qualified for her first Olympic Games in 2018, where she placed seventh in downhill and 14th in super-G. Prior to her knee injury, Breezy was a clear medal contender after reeling off seven podium finishes and nine top-fives in her last 10 World Cup downhill races.

“In Breezy's time at Rowland Hall and Rowmark, she was incredibly determined and hardworking, both on the hill and in the classroom. At a young age Breezy had a very strong belief in herself and what was possible for her to achieve,” said Todd. “All I can say is that she is one of the world's best and she will be back with a vengeance.”

Schedule

Women’s alpine skiing events begin on Monday, February 7. Check out the full Alpine skiing schedule for event information.

Help Us Cheer on the Athletes!

Banner: Katie Hensien competing for Rowmark Ski Academy.

Alumni

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

Finish Line—Upper School

Rowland Hall fall 2022 sports athletes are presented academic honors.

2022 Fall Sports Academic Awards

Each sports season, the Region 17 Board of Managers recognizes with Academic All-Region honors those seniors who meet award criteria. Sixteen fall sport athletes were so recognized: Kate Altman, Maggie Estabrooks, Katerina Gianoulis, and Angel Wang (girls tennis); Elisabeth Bocock, Maddie Carlin, Maile Fukushima, and Ruby Jeschke (girls soccer); Asa Braun Freck and Jack Vitek (boys golf); Evan Jahn, William Cunningham, Zach Selzman, and Ezra Shilling Rabin (boys cross country); and Ryan Aguilar, Deja Shirkey, and Jordyn VanOrman (volleyball).

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 meet their standards. Nine of our senior fall sport athletes earned this prestigious recognition in their respective sports: Angel Wang, Maddie Carlin, Asa Braun Freck, Jack Vitek, Evan Jahn, Ezra Shilling Rabin, Ryan Aguilar, Deja Shirkey, and Jordyn VanOrman.

The Utah Interscholastic Athletics Administrators’ Association (UIAAA) sponsors a program whereby they recognize the school in each classification, and in each varsity sport within that classification, with a Top Team GPA award. We are very proud to say that our boys golf team was recognized with this award for the second consecutive season this fall. The team posted a 3.739 GPA.

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

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Rowland Hall volleyball player Kat Mantas is one athlete recognized this fall.

Postseason Recognition for Fall Sports Athletes

Four athletes in our girls soccer program and two athletes in our volleyball program were named to the Region 17 All-Region teams in their respective sports for the 2022 season. Congratulations to soccer players Maile Fukushima, Zakrie Smith, Beatrix Wall, and Elisabeth Bocock, and volleyball players Kat Mantas and Lulu Murphy on being recognized for their outstanding play by the coaches in the region!

Based on their finish at the State 2A Tournament this fall, four of our Winged Lion golfers earned First Team All-State honors: Matt Siegal and Kelton Ferriter (First Team All-State) and Carson Kawabata and Jack Vitek (Honorable Mention All-State). Cross country runner Will Cunningham ran to a spot on the All-State team, finishing eighth in the 2A race.

The Deseret News’ All-State teams in girls soccer and volleyball have not yet been released, so that news will be shared at a later date.

Congratulations, all!

Update November 23, 2022: The Deseret News announced that nine Rowland Hall girls soccer athletes were named to 2022 2A All-State teams. Additionally, junior Zakrie Smith was named 2A Player of the Year and junior Beatrix Wall was named 2A Playoff MVP.

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Athletics

Rowland Hall cross country head coach Mark Oftedal was named 2022 2A Cross Country Coach of the Year.

Mark Oftedal Named 2A Cross Country Coach of the Year

Mark Oftedal, head cross country coach for the Winged Lions, was recently selected, by vote of the Coaches’ Association, as the 2022 2A Cross Country Coach of the Year!

This season, Mark coached our boys cross country team to its 10th consecutive region championship and a fourth-place finish at state. Since taking the reins of the cross country program in 2007, Coach Oftedal has led the boys team to three state titles and those 10 Region championships, and the girls program to two state titles and eight region championships. He has also coached two runners to individual state championships, with both athletes running to the title two years in a row.

Congratulations to Coach Oftedal on these incredible accomplishments and this well-deserved recognition!

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Members of Rowland Hall's 2022 volleyball team.

Volleyball Competes at State 2A Sweet Sixteen

By Kendra Tomsic, Head Coach

Drive, Spirit, Fight was this year’s volleyball team mantra, and the 21 players who stepped on the court each day in practice and at every match certainly lived up to that motto.

Led by senior captains Ryan Aguilar, Kat Mantas, Deja Shirkey, and Jordyn VanOrman, our fun-loving, talented team came to practice each day with a mindset to improve, knowing that they would sometimes fail, but with a determination and desire to learn and grow from mistakes and to get better as individuals in order that our TEAM would get stronger, while at the same time keeping an element of fun going all the time. That mentality paid big dividends. Thanks much to our captains and fellow seniors Vika Feletoa and Jasmine Le; juniors Lauren Bates, Regan Hodson, and Lilly Swindle; sophomores Eva Aguilo, Gemma Ciriello, Bb Comeros, Emma Hare, Sophia Lieskovan, Anna Lui, Rebecca Miles, Luella Murphy; and ninth graders Greta Filippone, Emerson Lehmann, Liv Rollins, and Sarah Shakib for buying into our team culture and creating a welcoming, positive, family-like atmosphere in the gym.

Following a tough preseason schedule that included matches with 3A Judge Memorial and Providence Hall, as well as last year’s 1A state champion, ICS, and potential 2A state championship contender, Millard High—all tough competitions during which we tweaked our varsity lineup numerous times—the team was well prepared to start region play in mid-September.

League play in Region 17 brought with it some ups and downs, and a fourth-place finish with a 4-6 record. We dominated UMA Hill Field and West Valley APA, and our losses against Draper APA, Waterford, and St. Joe were still exciting contests that featured many lengthy rallies and amazing play by our small-in-stature-but-big-on-heart, scrappy varsity team. Varsity highlights of the league season included our very successful Swing for Life pink game, a well-attended event that resulted in our team raising $2,000 to donate to the Huntsman Cancer Foundation for breast cancer research. Another match to remember was our Senior Night, where our six seniors showcased their talent in a decisive victory before a packed crowd in the Den.

Our fourth-place finish in Region 17 set us up as the #15 team in the 2A RPI and earned us the chance to host the first round of the State 2A Tournament, a match that pitted us against Rockwell and that we won handily in the Den in three straight sets to advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the state tournament, held at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield on October 28 and 29. The double elimination tournament saw us face the eventual state runner-up squad from Kanab in our first match. Despite battling every point, we were unable to overcome the offensive firepower of the strong front line of the Cowboys and lost, thus putting us into the Consolation Tournament bracket. We next faced #7 Enterprise. Though our team fought tough every rally and gave their all in a heartbreaking 27-25 loss in the third set of the match, we lost in straight sets and were thus eliminated from further tournament play. The coaching staff was so very proud of the tenacity, heart, and never-say-die attitude and play of the team at state!

Thanks to my coaching staff—Kathy Howa, Lauren Carpenter, and Wendy Hare—whose support of the team, and me, was invaluable. A special shout-out to our six senior players, Ryan Aguilar, Vika Feletoa, Jasmine Le, Kat Mantas, Deja Shirkey, and Jordyn VanOrman, who anchored the varsity team this year and whose talent on the court and leadership by example was a key to the success we had this season. Thanks to all of you for all you’ve given to the volleyball program these past four years. You will be much missed!

The success we saw this season was a result of each player’s commitment to their role on the team—all accepted their roles without complaint and gave their all every match. We decided to give each varsity player a special award based on their contribution to the team this year, as follows: Ryan Aguilar, the Rock Solid Award for her consistent play at middle blocker; Vika Feletoa, the Blocking Beast Award for her outstanding ability to stop opposing hitters; Jasmine Le, Libero Magnifico for her stellar back-row play; Kat Mantas, Super Setter award for her amazing ability to get the ball to our hitters; Deja Shirkey, Dynamic Defender for her outstanding play as a passer and digger in the back row; Jordyn VanOrman, Coaches’ Award for her willingness always put the team first and her much appreciated help to coaches; Lauren Bates, Ms. Positivity for her always upbeat spirit and support; Regan Hodson, the Stellar Serving & Spiking Award for her talent in those skills; Lilly Swindle, Most Improved as she came on strong this year as a middle blocker; Eva Aguilo, Super Sub for her ability to step onto the court as and when needed; Emma Hare, Most Determined for her solid work ethic and coachability; and Lulu Murphy, Best All-Around Player for her ability to light up the court doing it all—passing, hitting, blocking, digging—and always with enthusiasm.

Postseason recognition thus far has gone to All-Region 17 players Kat Mantas and Lulu Murphy (Deseret News’ All-State team has not yet been selected). Senior varsity starters Ryan Aguilar, Deja Shirkey, and Jordyn VanOrman earned Academic All-Region 17 honors, and all three were also recognized with the prestigious Utah High School Activities Association Academic All-State award. Congrats!

A big congratulations to the team on a fun-filled finish to an exciting, memorable, and successful-in-so-many-ways 2022 season. You made this season one of the best ever—thank you!

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Cross Country Takes Tenth Consecutive Boys Region Championship

By Mark Oftedal, Head Coach

The 2022 Rowland Hall cross country running season presented our team members challenges and opportunities for growth—as all seasons should. But this year’s challenges seemed more pronounced than in the past. One runner was trying to sort out an injury so they could get on with an otherwise ready-to-break-some-records season. Another was still recovering from a major setback experienced last spring. Another arrived the first day with jaw-dropping newfound fitness gained over the summer months, only to be tested in other ways throughout the months ahead. And then there were others that were visited by what seems to be perennial and season-lasting bouts of low-leg revolt.

In all cases, each and every one of these team members—and they know who they are—had much to be proud of at season’s end. Not one of them took an easy route to try to wrangle themselves back to training and racing. Not one of them lost hope. And not one of them should end this season thinking they did anything other than their very best throughout! Our coaches are proud to have worked with them and, while sharing in their frustrations and determined efforts to regain their full potential, we admired most their unrelenting fortitude. The traits of gifted, dedicated, and determined athletes are well-rooted within our team.

Our other team members, without surprise, showered support on those faced with these extra challenges, beyond those that are just part of trying to become a better runner at the cross-country distances. The grit exhibited when these few runners tested their ability to race, often knowing the results were not what they knew they were capable of, will remain examples of determination personified for those who knew of the resistant reins holding them back. I wonder how much of a role these exhibits pushed our other varsity-level runners toward the many personal best times achieved near our season’s end.

The most impressive team effort, which harnessed this grit, came in the boys race at our region championships. Seniors Ezra Shilling Rabin, Evan Jahn, Will Cunningham, and Zach Selzman led the effort toward a score of 17 total points (a perfect score is 15), while the future of our boys team was established as juniors Dean Hijjawi and Max Jansen, along with sophomore Eli Hatton, finished in the top 10. That is, our varsity squad of seven captured seven spots within the top 10 to capture our 10th consecutive region championship!

Likewise, the girls team exhibited grit all season long and gave us a glimpse of what lies ahead for the next couple of years as sophomores Kendall Kanarowski, Winston Hoffman, Ruby McMaster, Pia Piccoli, and Erika Prasthofer, along with junior Maddi Stufflebeam, raced to impressive personal-best times in their last two races of the season. And next year, in addition to these returning team members, we’ll look forward to the return of ninth grader Kylie Seamans, who finished her first season with the team often ranking in the top spot until she was beset with an injury near season’s end.

Included in the highlights of this 2022 season was our return to Boise, Idaho, for the 46th Bob Firman Invitational. For the boys team, seniors Will Cunningham and Evan Jahn finished in the top 25 (out of a field of 323 Division II competitors). Sophomores Kendall Kanarowski and Winston Hoffman were our first two girls into the finishing, both posting their fastest times to date on the demanding course. The boys’ performance at region has been mentioned already, and while the team easily took first in the region, we were short coming into the state meet, with our two top finishers at region out of the state race due to injuries. Senior Will Cunningham led our varsity team of five, finishing on the podium in eighth place and helping to secure a fourth-place finish for the team. Sophomore Kendall Kanarowski finished 19th in the team score at state and ran to her best time of the season. Ninth grader Kylie Seamans clinched many early season performances for the girls team, finishing in the top 21 in four of our meets, fifth overall in the All-City Championships, and seventh overall at region.

With winter knocking on our door, I’m still very much looking forward to working with these dedicated athletes once again this spring on the track!

2022 Cross Country Team Award Recipients

Most Improved: Winston Hoffman and Evan Jahn
Coaches Choice: Dean Hijjawi and Erika Prasthofer
Most Valuable: Will Cunningham
Best Newcomers: Kylie Seamans and Kendall Kanarowski
Tough-as-Nails: Raphael Andreae

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Members of Rowland Hall's 2022 girls soccer team—Utah 2A state champions!

Girls Soccer Recaptures State 2A Title

By Colette Jepson-Smith, Head Coach

We started our soccer season on a warm summer morning in late July and ended on a crisp fall afternoon in October! This year, we had big goals and plans to execute. We finished with a 13-5 record, and the coaching staff believes our difficult preseason schedule prepared us for an outstanding run in the state playoffs. The Region 17 season brought one loss and a runner-up finish, followed by a 2-1 win at the State 2A Championship!

A highlight of the season includes our two wins against Waterford. Both preseason and league match-ups with this archrival were exciting contests with a great competitive atmosphere. We then met them again in the state semifinal game, winning 3-1! We were ecstatic to be able to celebrate with so many students and faculty. The ultimate highlight was the state final, where we beat St. Joe 2-1 to win a state championship, the program’s fifth in the past six years!

This team was challenged early in our very competitive preseason schedule. They were led by an incredible group of seniors who took the time to make sure every underclassman was taken care of and felt part of the team, a team culture that carried onto the field as they played so well together, and with a unified mindset and goal. We want to thank all the administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and students who were able to support us during the season. The crowd at the state final was amazing—there were so many rooting for us, and we felt it during the regular season. Thank you!

Team members this year included Halle Baughman, Elisabeth Bocock, Finley Bodeen, Madeline Carlin, Paige Connery, Carolina Corcoran, Eliana DeBellis, Thea DeBellis, Dakota Erickson, Maile Fukushima, Julia Graham, Nessa Corbin, Sophia Hijjawi, Lili Honey, Claire Hersh, Ruby Jeschke, Mei Mei Johnson, Kavitha Kasturi, Camryn Kennedy, Ming Lee, Ashlyn Lieberman, Beatrice Martin, Quinn Orgain, Zakrie Smith, Beatrix Wall, and Mackenzie White. A special shout-out to our departing seniors, Maile Fukushima, Ruby Jeschke, Dakota Erickson, Elisabeth Bocock, Mei Mei Johnson, and Madeline Carlin, whose leadership by example was much appreciated and will be greatly missed.

Post-season team awards went to Maile Fukushima, MVP; Elisabeth Bocock, Leadership Award; Ming Lee, Most Improved; Madeline Carlin, Defensive MVP; Zakrie Smith, Offensive MVP; and Ashlyn Lieberman, Newcomer Award.

Maile Fukushima, Zakrie Smith, Beatrix Wall, and Elisabeth Bocock were recently named to the All-Region 17 team. The Deseret News’ 2A All-State team has not yet been released, and we hope to see several of our players on that roster. Seniors Elisabeth Bocock, Maddie Carlin, Maile Fukushima, and Ruby Jeschke earned Academic All-Region recognition. Maddie Carlin was also named to the prestigious Utah High School Activities Association Academic All-State team. Congrats to all these players!

Coaches Annie Hawkins, Bret Jepson, and I want to thank the team for an incredible experience and amazing 2022 season!

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Boys Golf Continues Tradition of Success

By Stacey Camacho, Head Coach

2022 brought another chance to display the talent of the Winged Lions boys golf program. Seniors Carson Kawabata, Jack Vitek, and Kai Dowdle, and juniors Matt Sieigal, Kelton Ferriter, and Mikko Anderson led the way this season, earning a fifth consecutive region title at Rose Park Golf Course.

At the 2A State Championship, held at Mountain View Golf Course in early October, the Winged Lions had a second-place finish with a two-day total of 636 (+60). Two of our players had great individual performances at state, earning them All-State honors. Matt Siegal finished in a tie for third place, with a two-day total of 145 (+1), while Kelton Ferriter finished in a tie for eighth place, with a two-day total of 157 (+13). Two others on our state team, Carson Kawabata and Jack Vitek, were named Honorable Mention All-State. All the hard work throughout a long hot summer paid off in the end!

Rounding out the 2022 roster were ninth graders Jax Salinas, Samuel Bateman, and Madsen Varner; junior Nate Kantor; and seniors Alex Yang and Asa Braun Freck. The competition that these guys provided throughout the season was vital to our success as a team.
End-of-season award recipients included Matt Siegal, Most Valuable Player; Mikko Anderson, Most Improved Player; Jack Vitek and Carson Kawabata, Coaches’ Award; and Samuel Bateman, Heart of the Lion Award.

Many thanks and congratulations to our seniors for their leadership—you will be missed. Coach Brady Hansgen and I are very excited to see what the future holds for our talented returning young athletes!

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Athletics

The 2022 Rowland Hall girls tennis team.

Girls Tennis Earns State Runner-up Trophy

By Rich Francey, Head Coach

The 2022 season for our girls tennis team is in the books after a fun and very successful experience. The team started practices on the morning of August 3 at 8 am. The weather was extremely hot the entire season, so it was nice to have some morning practices before school started in late August. We also welcomed three new players to the team, which is always nice to have. More about them later.

The early part of the season was filled with many non-region matches against 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A schools, including Ogden, Brighton, West, Morgan, Grantsville, Murray, and Manti. It is always good for the team to compete against some of the larger schools, as it gives the players some early challenges and confidence. With the changes in how state is now seeded, it also gave the coaching staff the opportunity to play some of our JV girls in some varsity matches.

The last week of August saw the team starting classes as well as region matches. The team had a quick region schedule, as we had to have our final matches completed by September 15. Our team posted an amazing 7-0 region record, winning 37 matches and dropping only three. The team’s overall record for the season, including non-region matches, was 58 matches won and only 15 matches lost. Our Winged Lions won 12 dual meets and were defeated in only two.

The state championship was held, again, at Liberty Park, but unlike 2021, we had incredible weather. We advanced all positions with two wins each on the first day, allowing all five positions to move into the semifinals. For the finals, we had three positions vying for individual state championships: #1 Singles, Sophie Baker; #3 singles, Alivia Boe; and #2 Doubles, Kate Altman and Frances Hodson. Sophie Baker, at #1 Singles, brought home the state title, while in the other two finals we earned second in state for those individual awards. With the new state scoring system, we took second place as a team, with 47 points, behind Morgan (53 points).

One highlight I would like to bring up is the unbelievable play of our three singles players. Sophie Baker, new to Rowland Hall this season, had an amazing 17-1 record at #1 Singles, losing only to the 5A state runner-up in a non-region match. Jane Borst, who was also new to Rowland Hall this year, had a 14-3 record at #2 Singles. The most impressive season was at #3 Singles, where Alivia Boe had a 16-match winning streak and did not even drop a set during that run, winning all 32 sets. The only disappointment was in the state final, where she lost an incredibly close match in three hard-fought sets. All in all, the three singles players had a combined match win total of 47 matches won and five lost—an amazing feat.

Once again, assistant coach Susan Daynes headed up our JV team this year and did another magnificent job. We had 13 players on the JV team, and while they were considered JV, they were a big part of the team as we were able to letter 18 of our 20 total team members. We also brought back Assistant Coach Cory Levetan, who was a tremendous help with both the varsity and JV teams. The JV players this year consisted of Isabelle Bown, Grace Frazier, Katerina Gianoulis, Marina Peng, Nadia Scharfstein, Kelly Siegal, Paige Timmeny, Aurelie Wallis, Chloe Flanagan, Ainsley Moore, Madilyn Mulford, Nina Martin (new to the team this year), and Angel Wang. The entire JV team played many matches against other schools, which was essential in their growth. The JV season concluded with our annual JV Tournament, with Ainsley Moore winning the tournament as well as a new Head racquet.

Like in 2021, the season concluded with a wonderful team awards banquet, held at the Boe family’s home. As always, it was a very nice event with great food, and was very well attended. It also gave us a chance to give out some awards to the team: MVP to Alivia Boe and Sophie Baker; Coaches’ Award to Kate Altman; Most Improved Player to Frances Hodson; JV MVP to Ainsley Moore; and JV Most improved to Paige Timmeny and Madilyn Mulford. We are also proud to announce that Kate Altman, Maggie Estabrooks, Katerina Gianoulis, and Angel Wang earned Academic All-Region honors, and that Angel Wang was a recipient of the prestigious Utah High School Activities Association Academic All-State award.

Congratulations to the team for a wonderful season. With a great lineup of returning players, the coaching staff is looking forward to what 2023 will bring!

Back to the Finish Line

Athletics

Finish Line—Middle School

Fall 2022 Rowland Hall Middle School soccer players.

Fall 2022 Middle School Athletics

It was a great sports season for all of our Middle School. We had a total of nine teams and 53 soccer and 62 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.

We are fortunate to have a dedicated coaching staff who put in so much time, effort, and care to develop our athletes. Please read on for a recap of each team’s season highlights.

Volleyball A White Team

Coach: Sam Duffy

This fall, our volleyball team showed a ton of growth in volleyball skills, communication, awareness, and how to compete at a high level while having fun. The confidence that was grown visually with the players was really fun to see and shows how good this can be. Finishing in third place in the conference tournament— competing well against a very strong opponent, keeping our composure, and playing well—was a fun experience for the team. I am excited for the growth the team showed and their willingness to listen to coaching.

Volleyball B White Team

Coach: Sam Duffy

This fall, our B Green team placed third in the conference tournament, competing hard till the end! We played almost every match for three sets, which created a fun atmosphere to be a part of. The growth in volleyball skills, confidence, spatial awareness, and communication was very impressive for many beginners of the sport. The willingness to learn from me and teammates created a great bond among the team, and I am lucky to have coached and gotten to know this team.

Volleyball A Green Team

Coach: Sarah Yoon

We had a terrific volleyball season! With powerful hits and jump serves that closed out games, our girls played hard and gave it their all. At practice, they worked diligently to improve their skills and learned the value of teamwork. As we put together a strong offense, each athlete became specialized in their positions, and by the end of the season their skill sets were strong and confident. At games, players had fun and encouraged each other while remaining competitive on the court. Their consistent display of gracious professionalism brought integrity and character to the game of volleyball. Congrats to the A team on a successful season and for taking second place at the WAC tournament!

Volleyball B Green Team

Coach: Sarah Yoon

The B Green team had a fantastic volleyball season! Winning first place at the WAC tournament, they were strong and competitive. At practice, the court was packed with athletes eager to learn. Within weeks, the B team's defense improved, and they were determined to win. Using skills gained at practice, athletes were competitive and exciting to watch. Players took risks and played with confidence. They also supported one another with encouragement and displayed excellent sportsmanship. By the end of the season, the strategies of volleyball and learning specialized positions was a new goal. Players were passionate about volleyball and excited for the next season to begin. Congrats to the B team on a successful season!

Rowland Hall Middle School volleyball players.

Volleyball C White and Green Teams

Coaches: Mary Lawlor and Chad Obermark

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 across the valley, playing both at home and away. The Green team was competitive each night—almost every match went all three games. White team was the third seed in the tournament and ended up winning the championship over our rival, Waterford! 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!

Soccer A White and Green Teams

Coaches: Scott Langone and Campbell Ainsworth

What a fantastic season our Middle School soccer teams had this year! Students played with a lot of effort and heart, and the joy they have for the game was evident throughout the season. We emphasized defense, two-versus-one combination attacking options, and making smart decisions with and without the ball. Due to our strong numbers, we were fortunate to have two teams in the league. The Green team finished second in the WAC league and third in the tournament. The White team finished in third place in the league standings and first in the WAC tournament championship, with a stellar team effort, winning 2-0 against Waterford. It has been a lot of fun seeing the players develop and jell as a team this year and we are excited to see what they do in eighth grade and in high school soccer.

Soccer C Team

Coaches: Bobby Kennedy and Campbell Ainsworth

On a hot summer day in late August, 17 sixth-grade athletes came together to play "the beautiful game." The green and white was well represented from a variety of communities, and with a wide range of experience and skill levels the challenges they faced were numerous. Questions like Who do we play?, How many games are in the season?, and What formation will we utilize? were put to rest in the first training session.

With a relatively short period of time before the first match, the goal was to develop a few principles of play on both sides of the ball that all team members would value and support. This proved to be a challenge as the vast majority of our players chose to value results and scoring goals. Early on we enjoyed success against inferior teams and then we faced our rival to the south, the Waterford Ravens, a team composed of several experienced club players that play in the upper echelon of UYSA.

We finished the regular season with a record of 5-2, with our two losses coming against Waterford by a combined handful of goals. Entering playoffs, we took our #2 seed into the semifinal game against Prince of Peace, where we handled them easily with a solid team effort. The stage was set for a third matchup with Waterford in the final.

We jumped out to a two-goal lead early on, and the belief started to grow. With a renewed emphasis on defensive shape and individual marking responsibilities, Waterford became frustrated and the Winged Lions could see a path to the top spot. With exceptional all-around play from the entire team, highlighted by a saved PK that kept the momentum in Rowland Hall's favor, we earned a well deserved 4-2 win. While it will go down as a Winged Lion victory, it was also a win for the concept of total soccer.

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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

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

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

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

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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

Finish Line—Rowmark

Rowmark Junior members at Mt. Hood, Oregon, in fall 2022.

Rowmark Junior Program Summer and Fall 2022 Highlights

By Troy Price, Rowmark Junior Program Director

The Rowmark Junior Program is enjoying the early snowfall. We recently returned from a ski camp in Loveland, Colorado, with our Academy Prep group. Since our last article, we have enjoyed a camp at Mt. Hood in June with both the All-Star and Academy Prep groups, then an additional Mt. Hood camp in August for the Academy Prep group. Mt. Hood continues to provide excellent training opportunities to advance athletes’ skills during the off-season.

Returning to school in August, we shifted our focus to our physical conditioning and getting everyone set up with their new ski equipment. September and October provided more time for conditioning, as well as our annual parent meetings for each program. We have recently completed our dryland training sessions, along 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.

It was great to host our annual fall BBQ to welcome our new members and to share highlights from the summer and fall. We had to take a couple years off due to the pandemic, so it was so fun to unite as a team.

As mentioned above, 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 All-Mountain Rippers program, along with 16 All-Stars and 14 Academy Prep athletes. 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). They are now getting ready for our next camp in Sun Valley. The All-Star program will join them in Sun Valley as well, followed by our All-Mountain Rippers and Love to Ski programs starting up in December.

From Coach Matt Brown:

We had three days of beautiful Colorado sunny skies at Loveland Ski Area.

The hospitality from our hotel was perfect, with spacious rooms and space for meetings, studying, and ski tuning; hot breakfast; a short one-minute walk to restaurants for dinner; and a close distance 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 movement prep and breakfast, followed by loading, a ski session, conditioning, and study hall. We ended our day at 9 pm, with lights out.

We skied for about four hours each day, with the kids split up randomly into different groups each day with different coaches, allowing athletes and coaches to find what works best for each individual and to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Back to the Finish Line

Rowmark

Rowmark Ski Academy Summer and Fall 2022 Highlights

By Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director

We are excited to be celebrating Rowmark Ski Academy’s 40th anniversary this school year! We are looking forward to our March 11–12 celebration weekend, and invite our current Rowmark families and alumni to join us for a weekend of activities, including free skiing with friends, a dual ski race, BBQ tailgating, hors d’oeuvres, and remarks and a slideshow at the Utah Olympic Park on March 11. More details to come!

We welcomed three new staff to our Academy team this summer. Peter Girardi is our new men’s FIS head coach and conditioning coach; Rowmark and Rowland Hall alum Tristan McInnis ’14 returns to our staff, this time as our women’s FIS head coach and equipment manager; and Ben Throm joins us to assist both Peter and Tristan with our FIS teams. All three have hit the ground running and we are thrilled to have them on board.

The Academy’s summer and fall activities have been very busy and productive, with ski camps and daily dryland conditioning. Our on-snow preparation period started off with a June ski camp at Copper Mountain, Colorado, and an August camp at Mt. Hood, Oregon. Despite the ongoing drought-related challenges, both camps presented excellent summer skiing conditions and our team made excellent headway with their technical, tactical, and conditioning goals.

In early September, our team headed down to Southern Utah for our annual Academy Fall Orientation Weekend. For this year’s trip, we spent two days rafting, paddleboarding, swimming, and camping at the Nefertiti Recreation Area on the Green River. We also challenged the Rowmarkers’ teamwork and leadership skills with a series of water relays and beach games.

On October 1, our FIS team traveled to Stelvio, Italy, for two weeks for their third ski camp of the prep period, where they were greeted with excellent weather, snow, and training conditions on a glacier deep in the Italian Alps. The camp also provided a dynamic cultural experience and challenged athletes’ academic and organizational abilities, as they missed seven days of school for it.

In late October, both our FIS and U16s drove over to Copper Mountain, Colorado, for an excellent four-day camp, where an early cold snap and aggressive snowmaking provided excellent mid-winter snow conditions on their training arena at the top of the mountain at 12,000 feet of elevation.

As this goes to publication, our Rowmark team will be back in Colorado just prior to Thanksgiving break for an eight-day slalom and giant slalom camp at Aspen Highlands. This will wrap up our preparation period camp slate, as we get on snow full-time here in Utah upon our return.

With that said, we could not be more excited about the opening of the phase-two mountain expansion on the west peak of the Utah Olympic Park this winter. Phase one opened in 2019 and, in combination with the Eagle Race Arena at Park City Mountain Resort, has already provided us with a huge upgrade to our training quality and volume. Phase two/west peak is a 1,200-vertical-foot, full-length super-G, giant slalom, and slalom venue, complete with a high-speed quad chairlift, snowmaking, and lights. This will clearly be a state-of-the-art game changer for our Academy and Junior Program teams, and we couldn’t be more grateful to our incredibly generous donors who helped make this a reality. We can’t wait!

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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

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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