Rowmark Alumni of Note
College Outcomes
Combined with our exceptional academic program at Rowland Hall, our college placement is 100%. Many Rowmarkers attend the very best colleges and universities around the country—view our historical matriculation list.
US Ski Team Alumni
Since our 1982 founding, we've continued to be a primary feeder program for the US Ski Team with the international success of World Cup stars such as Hilary Lindh, Picabo Street, and, most recently, Katie Hensien, Breezy Johnson, Erik Fisher, Alice McKennis, Courtney Hammond, Jennifer Van Wagner, Keely Kelleher, Kiley Staples, Tague Thorsen, Roger Brown, and Nick Baker. Thirteen Rowmark athletes have been named to the US Ski Team since 2003. And in 2014, Juliette Parke and Sofia Yubero were named to the US Ski Team National Training Group.
The resourcefulness, time management, and ability to think outside the box helped me continue to grow after my time at Rowmark, and enabled me to develop the many different aspects—besides skiing fast—required of a professional athlete. I am forever thankful.—Breezy Johnson ’13, US Ski Team member & Olympian
Photo by Jonathan Selkowitz, courtesy Darigold
Rowmark Alumni on National Teams
Name | Team & Accomplishments |
---|---|
Elisabeth Bocock ’23 |
US Ski Team |
Mary Bocock ’22 | US Ski Team |
Katie Hensien ’18 | US Ski Team; U16 National SL Champion 2015, Beijing 2022 Olympian |
Madi Hoffman ’18 | Australian Ski Team, named to Beijing 2022 Olympic Team (did not compete due to injury) |
Katie Vesterstein ’17 | Beijing 2022 Olympian (representing Estonia) |
Breezy Johnson ’13 | US Ski Team; three-time medalist U18 National Championship; Pyeongchang 2018 Olympian, named to Beijing 2022 Olympic Team (did not compete due to injury) |
Alice McKennis ’08 | US Ski Team; 2009 DH and Super-G NorAm Champion; five top-10s in World Cup races; Vancouver 2010 Olympian; won St. Anton World Cup DH, January 2013; Pyeongchang 2018 Olympian |
Andy Phillips ’07 | US Ski Team; All-American and All-PAC12 place kicker for University of Utah football |
Kiley Staples ’07 | US Ski Team |
Jennifer Vanwagner ’07 | US Ski Team; University of Denver Ski Team; World University Games Gold Medalist GS 2011 |
Courtney Hammond ’06 | US Ski Team; Dartmouth College NCAA All-American; 14 victories in FIS university races |
Erik Fisher ’04 | US Ski Team; World Junior Bronze DH; two-time NorAm SG Champion; two-time US National Silver Medalist DH; two-time NorAm DH Champion; Dec. 2008 Val Gardena World Cup 7th in DH; Jan. 2009 Kitzbuhel World Cup 11th in DH; Vancouver 2010 Olympian |
Tague Thorsen ’04 | US Ski Team |
Nicholas Baker ’03 | US Ski Team |
Keely Kelleher ’03 | US Ski Team; Europa Cup Silver and Bronze Medalist; World Cup Skier; 2010 US National Super-G Champion; founder of Keely's Ski Camp for Girls |
Chirine Njeim ’03 | Represented Lebanon in the 2002, 2006, and 2010 Winter Olympics, and in the 2016 Summer Olympics for the marathon; Njeim was a three-time NCAA qualifier at The University of Utah (2007–2009), earning All-American honors as a freshman in 2007 in the giant slalom, with a sixth-place finish |
Robert Saunders ’99 | US Ski Team |
Rowena Bright ’98 | Australian National Team; Olympian |
Jeff Durand ’95 | Canadian National Team |
Amber Guaraglia ’94 | US Ski Team |
Alex Shaffer ’94 | US Ski Team; two-time National Champion; Olympian |
Levi Leipheimer ’92 | Champion road cyclist. Tour De France: 8th in 2002; 9th in 2004; 6th in 2005; and 3rd in 2007. Tour De Spain: 3rd in 2001. Tour of Germany: 2005 Champion. Tour of California: Champion in 2007, 2008, and 2009. Dauphine Libere Champion in 2006. Beijing Olympic bronze medalist in the road time trial. |
Gota Miura ’88 | Japanese National Team; Olympian |
Hilary Lindh ’87 | US Ski Team; World Junior Champion; Olympic silver medalist |
Picabo Street ’87 | US Ski Team; World and Olympic Champion |
Ovidio Garcia ’86 | Spanish National Team; Olympian |
Kristi Terzian ’85 | US Ski Team; two-time National Champion; Olympian |
Rowmark Alumni Collegiate Skiers
Name | Team & Accomplishments |
---|---|
Lili Honey ’24 | Southern Methodist University |
Morgan Jacquin ’24 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute |
Hayden Kaufman-Schiller ’24 | Montana State University |
Leo Martin ’24 | University of Colorado-Boulder |
Hayden Mengason ’24 | University of Wisconsin |
Declan Morasch ’24 | Holy Cross |
Campbell Prichard ’24 | PG Year |
Elisabeth Bocock ’23 | US Ski Team/Dartmouth University |
Ian Hanrahan ’23 | University of Connecticut |
Charlotte Morris ’23 | Colgate College |
Grace Venverloh ’23 | Air Force Academy |
Jack AbuHaidar ’22 | Colby College |
Mary Bocock ’22 | US Ski Team/Dartmouth College |
Preston Bolus ’22 | University of Connecticut |
Anna Davis ’22 | Bates College |
Audrey Higgins-Lopez ’22 | St. Lawrence University |
Ford Hodgkins ’22 | University of Washington |
Mason Schlopy ’22 | Syracuse University |
Frank Stearns ’22 | Colgate College |
Maddie Welling ’22 | University of Colorado |
Eliza Hodgkins ’20 | Cornell University |
Bridget Lennon ’20 | St. Lawrence University |
Carter Louchheim ’20 | Williams College |
Ellie Nichols ’20 | St. Lawrence University |
Jake Bleil ’19 | Princeton University |
Anya Mulligan ’19 | Colorado School of Mines |
Elena Zipp ’19 | Williams College |
Scottie Bocock ’18 | Williams College |
Camryn Glick ’18 | Colorado School of Mines |
Katie Hensien ’18 | University of Denver |
Madison Hoffman ’18 | University of Utah |
Lucy Neill ’18 | St. Michael's College |
Calen Carron ’17 | Hamilton College |
Sommer Glasgow ’17 | Bates College |
Ned Neill ’17 | Colby-Sawyer College |
Katie Vesterstein ’17 | University of Utah |
Hannah West ’17 | Bates College |
Sofia Yubero ’17 | Middlebury College |
Liz Baer ’16 | Babson College |
Zach Coury ’16 | McGill University |
Megan Dingman ’16 | St. Michael's College |
Riley Whitney ’16 | St. Lawrence University |
John Whiting ’16 | Plymouth State University |
Madison Ostergren ’15 | Westminster College |
Isabel Torres ’15 | Williams College |
Matthew Glasgow ’15 | Bates College |
Lexi Calcagni ’15 | Middlebury College |
Tristan McInnis ’15 | St. Michael's College |
Michael White ’15 | University of Connecticut |
Aspen Sulte ’14 | United States Air Force Academy |
Audrey Hume ’14 | University of Alaska |
Anna Jobe ’14 | Montana State University |
T.J. Pope ’14 | Babson College |
Hunter Stuercke ’14 | Plymouth State University |
Bella Andrini ’13 | University of Alaska |
J. J. Cleason ’13 | University of Utah; recipient of the Browning Scholarship for Mining Engineering; 2012 Western Region Junior Championships Slalom Champion; three-year Rowmark team captain |
Kaitlyn Gibson ’13 | Harvard University |
Griffin Robillard ’13 | Boston College |
Lauren Samuels ’13 | University of Utah; USA World Junior Championship Team 2012; USA World University Team 2013 |
Carter Dowd ’12 | Babson College; USCSA MacConnell Division Skier of the Year; 1st place Eastern Region Championships; 11th in GS at the 2012 USCSA National Championships |
Emma Naatz ’12 | University of Denver; Gold and Silver Western Region Junior Championship Slaloms |
Andrew Kircher '11 | Montana State University |
Chase Ryan ’11 | Boston College; Gold Super-G Western, Region Junior Championships |
Max Axelrod ’11 | Williams College |
Max Martin ’11 | Plymouth State University |
Coley Oliver ’09 | University of New Hampshire; NCAA All-American; 2nd place in GS at 2013 NCAA Championships; USA World University Team 2013 |
Taylor Vest Burton ’09 | Five-time J2 National Championships Medalist; University of New Hampshire; two-time NCAA All-American 2013; 5th and 6th place at 2013 NCAA Championships |
Zach Clayton ’08 | University of New Hampshire; NCAA All-American 2011; 3rd place in SL at 2011 NCAA Championships |
Justin Samules ’08 | Dartmouth College |
Lauren Eder ’07 | University of Denver |
Mikaeka Martineau ’04 | Smith College USCSA All-American; 2nd place USCSA National Championships |
Dorothy Muirhead ’04 | Middlebury College |
Shawn Radman ’04 | Boston College School of Management, Cum Laude; Leadership Award in Skiing 2006-2007; Athletic Director's Award for Academic Achievement 2006-2007; Ski Team Captain 2007-2008; Outstanding Senior of the Year Award in Alpine Skiing 2007-2008 |
Eric Oehlerich ’95 | Dartmouth College Ski Team Captain |
Jeremiah Thompson ’90 | Dartmouth College Ski Team Captain |
Rowmark Stories in Fine Print Magazine
It’s been an incredible season for five Rowmark alums competing at the international level.
Four of those alums—Breezy Johnson ’13, Katie Hensien ’18, Mary Bocock ’22, and Elisabeth Bocock ’23—are members of the US Ski Team, and one, Madi Hoffman ’18, is a member of the Australian National Team.
“It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season,” said Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director Todd Brickson.
It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season.—Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy program director
The fun kicked off early at the World Cup in Solden, Austria, where, on October 26, Katie Hensien took fourth place in the opening giant slalom event, then won her second run. Less than two months later, at the first NorAm Cup races of the season at Panorama Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Madi Hoffman won first place in giant slalom and second and third in slalom, and Mary Bocock placed third in giant slalom.
The Rowmark community saw gold in February when Breezy Johnson made history by winning the World Championships downhill in Saalbach, Austria. Breezy is only the third American woman to win gold in downhill at worlds. Just three days later, Breezy and teammate Mikaela Shiffrin took gold in the team combined event by 0.4 seconds. Katie Hensien also competed in the team combined event, skiing to 10th place out of 26 teams with partner Jackie Wiles.
Later that month, Elizabeth Bocock raced at the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, where she took the bronze in the team parallel event and the giant slalom race. And in March, sister Mary Bocock put a bow on the season by winning both a NorAm downhill and NorAm super-G at Sugarloaf, Maine. What a year!
Congratulations to all on a banner season—it’s been an honor to cheer you on and watch you represent Rowmark on the international stage.
Alumni
Rowland Hall is pleased to announce that Per Lundstam has been named the new director of Rowmark Ski Academy.
Per brings over two decades of high-performance sports experience to the role, as well as a strong background in coaching and athlete development, including for high-level athletes as young as eight years old. This diverse background makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead Rowmark Ski Academy in its next chapter.
Per’s impressive coaching background includes serving as men’s assistant World Cup downhill/super-G coach, men’s assistant World Cup slalom/giant slalom coach, and head conditioning coach for US Ski & Snowboard. He also served as men’s assistant World Cup coach and head conditioning coach for the Swedish Ski Federation. Per earned Level 500 coaching certification, the highest level of coaching credential, from US Ski & Snowboard.
We are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future. He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community.—Todd Brickson, outgoing Rowmark Ski Academy director
Per’s career features significant leadership roles within top-tier sports. He’s currently the alpine sport science director for US Ski & Snowboard, where he drives innovative sports science programming. Prior to that role, Per was director of high performance for Red Bull North America, where he managed performance strategies for a wide array of elite athletes.
Throughout his career, Per has demonstrated a strong ability to build meaningful relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders. Again and again, Per’s references spoke about his deep knowledge, his expertise in skiing and coaching, and his commitment to supporting each skier’s athletic and personal progression. He is known as a collaborative leader who listens deeply and leads with kindness.
“As I pass the torch, we are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future,” said Todd Brickson, current Rowmark Ski Academy director. “He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community, and we look forward to the vision and direction he will bring to the program.”
Welcome, Per! We look forward to Rowmark Ski Academy’s bright future under your direction.
Rowmark
Breezy Johnson ’13 is on fire!
The Rowland Hall/Rowmark Ski Academy alum etched her name into ski-racing history on February 8 when she took gold in a stunning downhill performance at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.
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Despite stiff competition, as well as a demanding downhill track, Breezy blazed to victory, clocking 1:41.29—a mere 0.15 seconds faster than the next competitor—to secure her first downhill world champion title.
“This victory means everything to me,” Breezy said in a post-race interview with Eurosport. “I’ve been working toward this moment my entire life, and to achieve it on this stage, with my family and teammates here, is a dream come true.”
Raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Breezy, who specializes in the downhill and super-G speed disciplines, refined her skills at Rowmark before joining the US Ski Team in 2014. Since then, she’s represented the United States in multiple World Cup seasons (in addition to this year’s victories, she has seven World Cup podiums to her name) and was a member of Team USA at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Games.
And even after being crowned a world champion, Breezy wasn’t done. On Tuesday, February 11, she teamed up with fellow US Ski Team member Mikaela Shiffrin for the women’s team combined event, where Breezy had a strong downhill performance, finishing in third. Mikaela then followed with a slalom run time that allowed the duo to secure gold for the US. What a week!
“All of us at Rowmark are so proud of Breezy,” said Todd Brickson, program director, who has for years watched this former Rowmark athlete inspire others with her dedication, persistence, and passion for alpine ski racing.
“Ever since she was at U16 at Rowmark, she had a dream to be a world champion,” Todd continued. “After many years of commitment, injury, blood, sweat, and tears, she has reached this huge milestone. Her perseverance and work ethic are second to none, and now that she has broken through on the highest stage, this likely is the tip of the iceberg for her.”
Congratulations, Breezy! We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.
Alumni
Todd Brickson stands tall as a mountain in the world of ski racing.
For the past 20 years, he has served as the program director of Rowmark Ski Academy, Rowland Hall’s world-class ski racing program, founded in 1982. An international level 500 coach in the US Ski & Snowboard Association, Todd has worked with hundreds of top-level Olympic, World Cup, and collegiate athletes. But, even with all that experience, those who know Todd don’t immediately bring up his coaching prowess, or his experience on the slopes. Instead, they talk about who he is as a person—and for good reason.
Priority one, before coaching, is to be a very good role model. You need to be the kind of person who young people aspire to be one day. Todd is solid in that way.—Olle Larsson, Rowmark Ski Academy co-founder
“Priority one, before coaching, is to be a very good role model in front of people. If you fail that, it doesn’t matter what kind of coach you are,” said Olle Larsson, former Rowmark program director and the co-founder of the program, who was instrumental in hiring Todd. “You need to be the kind of person who young people aspire to be one day. Todd is solid in that way.”
Building athletes of good character is central to Todd. He makes that clear on the first page of the handbook given to all team members. There, he writes that the main goal of the program is “for each Rowmarker to learn and develop responsible independence.” He emphasizes that there is more to being on the team than just making it down the hill, adding, “This is above all a process, a time of trial and error, a time to learn from mistakes, a time to learn how to win—and learn how to lose.”
The values of responsibility and independence that Todd promotes create a strong bedrock on which he builds exceptional competitors and people. But here is where Todd steps back a bit, to let the athletes find that fire within that’s needed to push themselves farther and achieve more. He’s the iconic definition of a coach in these moments, trusting that his athletes are capable of practicing what to do, and he allows them to do it. That mutual respect is what launches Rowmark athletes into greatness.
Todd on the mountain in 2005.
“Todd provided me with tools and then didn't put any pressure or expectation on race day. He knew that pushing wouldn’t help, and that I needed to figure it out,” said former Rowmarker and Olympic athlete Breezy Johnson ’13. “He provided me with the means to reach my incredibly high goals, and then was there with a hug and a word of advice, win or lose, at the end of the day.”
Todd does teach competitive spirit, but not in ways you may expect. He meets his students in competition in other arenas to show them that he respects them enough to go nose to nose. It may be on the golf course, in a go-kart, or by the side of a lake with a fishing pole in hand. Todd understands that coaching is a disposition and not contained to a certain time or place.
“There have been times when Todd has played hockey with us on a pond after skiing, or field hockey on dry land,” said Elisabeth Bocock, a senior who currently competes for both Rowmark and the US Ski Team. “He is never afraid to go shoulder on shoulder with us if that’s what it takes. He is super intense and does what he needs to do to win the game.”
And in his 20 years with the program, Todd’s intensity has helped raise the bar for Rowmark as an elite ski academy. Since 1988, there has been a representative from Rowmark at each Winter Olympics, and in 2014, the program became one of the first in the nation to achieve the Gold Certification level from the US Ski & Snowboard Association, and they’ve held onto that certification in the eight years since.
Rowmark’s skiers achieve off the slopes as well. The team currently has a 100 percent college placement rate, and its students are sought after by the best colleges and universities in the nation. “Todd is very involved in our academic success,” said Ian Hanrahan, co-captain of the Rowmark Academy Program. “He and the other coaches do a lot of work to make sure our teachers understand our busy schedules to help us stay on top of school and make sure we are successful skiers while still growing our academic careers.”
And Todd’s concern about the success of Rowmark skiers starts before they are even on the team. From the outset, he makes sure new recruits can thrive in the program. “Todd gives so much time to prospective families,” said Kathy Gunderson, former director of admission for Rowland Hall. “He cares so much about the candidates not only being a good fit for Rowmark but also finding academic success at the school as well. He’s brought recruiting to the next level.”
Todd’s recruiting prowess also extends to the coaches he selects to help guide the team. Every coach on Todd’s team knows they were selected for their excellence and are expected to reach extraordinarily high standards. But they also know that Todd views them as peers and wants them to feel welcome and able to grow as professionals through trial and error.
Todd, fourth from left, with the Rowmark coaching team in 2010.
“Todd works to develop his staff,” said Rowmark Junior Program Director Troy Price. “Recently, three former staff members have gone on to coach for the US Ski Team. You must have excellent training to get job offers at that level.”
Staff development goes beyond coaching skills under Todd’s mentorship. After all, there is much more to the job than improving skiing skills. There are also all the logistical concerns, financial planning, health tracking, and emotional support needs that must be handled. Then there are the moments that are totally unexpected.
“My first season with the team we had a group of Rowmarkers involved in a head-on car accident while racing in Oregon,” said Troy. “Todd was coaching at another race in Whistler, Canada, yet he made arrangements to get to Portland. He stayed with our injured members during this extremely difficult time and was the glue that held everyone together. His empathy for others and his ability to stay calm in difficult situations is unmatched.”
Todd was a very important person in my development as an athlete. He taught me the tools I needed both technically with the fundamentals, and the greater work ethic required to make it to the highest level.—Breezy Johnson ‘13, Olympian
Todd’s two decades with Rowmark have left an indelible mark on all aspects of the program, and that impact will only continue to grow in the coming years. In 2019, an alpine training addition to the Utah Olympic Park became the team’s primary training facility, giving athletes access to the very slopes where their idols have competed. “This is the most important development for Rowmark since 1982,” said Olle. “The training arena that they now have does not exist anywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere.”
Time will tell what athletes will come off those slopes and into the national and international spotlights, but it’s clear that all of them will have benefitted from having Todd Brickson as a coach, mentor, and friend, just as those who came before them have.
“Todd was a very important person in my development as an athlete,” said Breezy. “He taught me the tools I needed both technically with the fundamentals, and the greater work ethic required to make it to the highest level.”
Rowmark
Todd's anniversary isn't the only celebration for Rowmark Ski Academy this year. Rowmark is also excited to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a celebration weekend, March 10–12.