Rowmark News & Results

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

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.

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

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.

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.

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

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.

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

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.

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

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.)

BACK TO THE FINISH LINE

Rowmark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top photo: 2019–2020 Rowmark Academy Prep Team

Rowmark

By Todd Brickson, Rowmark Program Director

Despite the fact that our competition season was cut short due to the pandemic, Rowmark Ski Academy had a great season and many successful races regionally and nationally. Most importantly, our teams exhibited tremendous work ethic, camaraderie, and teamwork throughout the season for which the coaches are very proud.
 
New Value Statement
We are very proud of our team for creating and living up to our new Rowmark value statement—Teamwork, Balance, and Determination—throughout the season. This statement was created over a series of team workshops this fall.
 
     Teamwork = Kindness and Sportsmanship
     Balance = Academic and Athletic Excellence
     Determination = Effort and Resilience

Utah Olympic Park
The addition of the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) Alpine Expansion Project as another training venue for our program has been the single most important development in my many years at Rowmark Ski Academy. I want to again extend a huge thank you to our generous donors who helped make this project a reality. We now have a dedicated training arena to extend our season—one that provides quality snow surface and a variance of terrain, while at the same time increasing our training volume. When combined with our longtime venues at Park City Mountain Resort, we now have all the spaces to train at the highest level. It is a game changer for the enjoyment, progression, and security of all of our Rowmark teams, as well as for the growth and prosperity of ski racing in our community for years to come. Rowmark has been very excited to partner with Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation (UOLF), Park City Ski and Snowboard, and the University of Utah on this critical project, and we want to thank Colin Hilton and his UOLF staff for their vision, leadership, and commitment to this initiative.
 
Here is a wrap-up of our competition highlights from each of the winter months.
 
December 2019
Our Rowmark teams completed their first competitions of the year in December with outstanding performances, including several top-10 results and a few very impressive victories. We are equally as proud of the Rowmarkers who are in the first years of their age groups, thereby starting at the back of the pack in these early races and battling their way up the start list as the season progresses.

At the World Cup level, US Ski Team member and Rowmark alum Alice McKennis ’08 completed another successful comeback from major injury to take her ninth top-10 finish in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada. Recent graduate Katie Hensien ’18, now skiing for the US Ski Team and University of Denver, captured her third NorAm victory and two more top-fives at Nakiska, Canada, in the slalom (SL). At the same races, Madison Hoffman ’18 scored two top-six finishes and two U21 podiums as well.

At the regional FIS level, senior Eliza Hodgkins had her finest FIS race to date, with an eighth at the Western Region FIS races in the first SL at Snow King, Wyoming, while sophomore Mary Bocock was 10th in the second SL and ninth in the third SL. Then Mary topped those results with a sixth place in SL at the Steamboat FIS races the following week.

Mary’s younger sister and freshman Elisabeth Bocock was not to be outdone, with several great races, including a victory and two second-place finishes at the USSA Intermountain Division races at Snow King just before Christmas. Elisabeth also took the Series Overall Award. Eighth grader Molly Friedman had an outstanding series of her own, with a 10th, ninth, fifth, and fourth, while freshman Arden Louchheim skied her way into 9th place in the final SL race. For the boys, sophomore Jack AbuHaidar led the way with a sixth and ninth in giant slalom (GS), while eighth grader Alan Dugan popped into 10th in the final SL race.

In the Western Region U16 Performance Series at Mission Ridge, the highest level of U16 regional racing, sophomore Ford Hodgkins skied onto the GS podium in third, while freshman Harry Hoffman took the victory in GS.
 
January 2020
Rowmark had a great weekend of racing (and powder skiing!) at the Jackson Hole IMD Open Wes Barron Memorial 3 Super-Gs January 10–12. The boys and girls raced to several top-15 finishes, including a rare podium sweep in the last boys race—with Harry Hoffman first, Jack AbuHaidar second, and Ford Hodgkins third! Harry also won the second race and was second in the first race, taking the Overall Series Title for the weekend. Ford was third in all three races. Preston Bolus was fifth in the first race, while Jack added a ninth and 10th, Ian Hanrahan had a 10th and 11th, and U19 Mason Schlopy continued his steady progress with a 14th. For the girls, first-year U16s Elizabeth Bocock skied to a ninth and Molly Friedman earned an impressive 14th.

Our Rowmark U19 team earned many impressive top-15 results against the region’s top SL and GS skiers at the Western Region FIS Elite 2SL/2GS races at Big Sky January 9–14. For the boys, Alessandro Gandini had a fifth, seventh, 10th, and 15th, while Carter Louchheim also clawed his way onto the first page with a seventh and 14th. For the girls, Mary Bocock earned a sixth, eighth, and 13th, while Ellie Nichols skied to an impressive sixth in the final GS and had two other top-20 finishes. Eliza Hodgkins and Bridget Lennon each had a top 20 of their own as well.

The Rowmark U16 Team had their first of three IMD Qualifier races of the season January 24–26, where they went head to head with 150 racers from across the Intermountain Division, all vying to qualify for the Western Region Championships in March.

For the boys, Harry Hoffman dominated the weekend by winning all three races. Also finding the podium was Ford Hodgkins, with a third place in GS. Ian Hanrahan had a great weekend as well, with a seventh in GS and fifth in SL, while Frank Stearns cracked into the top-10 with a ninth in SL, along with Preston Bolus, who was 10th in GS. Skiing with a broken thumb, Jack AbuHaidar clawed his way to 11th in GS, while eighth grader Matt Siegal had a breakthrough race with a 15th in SL.

For the girls, Elisabeth Bocock continued her impressive season with a third place in GS and a victory in the first SL. Molly Friedman had two strong races with an 11th in GS and 12th in SL.

Our teams exhibited tremendous work ethic, camaraderie, and teamwork throughout the season for which the coaches are very proud.

Our Rowmark FIS Team divided and conquered, with two different race trips in late January. Coaches Ker and Graham and seven U19s made the trek to Schweitzer, Idaho, for the Western Region FIS Elite 2DH/2SG series, with several top-10 finishes in challenging snowy conditions. For the girls, Ellie Nichols raced to a fourth and 10th; Eliza Hodgkins earned a fifth, seventh, and eighth; first-year U19 Dagny Brickson had a breakout series with a sixth, eighth, and ninth; and Bridget Lennon skied to a sixth and ninth of her own. For the boys, Carter Louchheim charged to a sixth and eighth in super-G (SG), and Ale Gandini finished the series strong with a ninth in the last SG race. Dagny and Eliza also each won the Hard Charger Award—Dagny in downhill (DH) #1 and Eliza in DH #2—which goes to the competitor with the biggest move up the results sheet compared to their start position each day.

Meanwhile, Coach Lauren and three U19 girls cruised over to the Colorado Ski Cup FIS 2GS in Steamboat, Colorado. Mary Bocock led the way with an eighth and ninth against steep competition, including a handful of the best NCAA college skiers in the country.

February 2020
Our Rowmark Team competed in the IMD U16 Super-G Qualifier/U19 Open Races February 7–9 at Snowbasin with determination, teamwork, and several personal bests. Elizabeth Bocock had a great weekend, with a first, second, and fourth. Arden Louchheim had an excellent race on Saturday with a 10th, and Molly Friedman finished the series strong, coming in 13th in the final race. For the boys, Harry Hoffman continued to show his excellent form with two seconds and a third; Ford Hodgkins also made his way to the podium with a third; Ian Hanrahan was impressive with a fifth, 14th, and 14th; Jack AbuHaidar was very fast and consistent with a seventh, eighth, and 10th; Preston Bolus had a fine weekend with a seventh, 11th, and 14th; while Mason Schlopy cracked onto the first page with a 12th.

Mary Bocock, in her first year of FIS racing, had her first opportunity to compete at the NorAm level in SL and GS February 4–12 in Collingwood, Ontario, and Whiteface, New York, against the top FIS racers in the US and Canada. Mary started near the back of the pack in the 70s–80s and consistently finished in the 30s–40s. Even more impressive is that Mary finished in the top-two twice, top-three twice, and top-four once, for all first-year FIS athletes competing in the races.

At the same time, the rest of our FIS Team raced in the Bryce Astle Memorial WR FIS Elite 2GS/2SL Series at Park City and Snowbird, competing against a deep field from the entire Western Region. Breaking into the top 30 were Ellie Nichols with a 22nd, Mary Clancy with a 24th and 29th, and Eliza Hodgkins with a 25th.

The Rowmark U16s competed in their final qualifier races of the season in Sun Valley, Idaho, February 21–23. Harry Hoffman again led the way with a 1st and 2nd in GS and 1st also in SL, which earned him the Laura Flood Memorial overall series trophy. Jack AbuHaidar skied to a career-best podium finish with a third as well as an eighth in GS. Ian Hanaran was close behind, with a sixth in GS and a sixth in SL. For the girls, Molly Friedman cracked into the top 10 with a ninth in SL.

Qualifying for the U16 Western Region Championships to be held in Schweitzer, Idaho, March 11–14 were Harry Hoffman, Ian Hanrahan, Jack AbuHaidar, Ford Hodgkins, Frank Stearns, Preston Bolus, Matt Siegal, Elisabeth Bocock, Molly Friedman, and Arden Louchheim.

Five of our Rowmark U19s competed in the prestigious US National Junior Alpine Championships February 24–28 at Snowbasin: Ale Gandini, Carter Louchheim, Mary Bocock, Bridget Lennon, and Ellie Nichols. In the super-G, Mary rocketed from the 41st start position onto the podium into third place! After a DNF in GS, Mary also had a great SL race, with a 10th place finish. Bridget and Ale both cracked into the top 30, with Bridget 28th in the super-G and Ale 29th in SL. Carter had two solid races with a 37th in super-G and 42nd in GS.

The Women’s Open FIS 2SL at Snowbird and Men’s FIS GS/SL National Performance Series races at Snowbasin were contested directly after the National Junior Championships. For the women, Eliza Hodgkins had two breakout SL races, with fourth and fifth place finishes! Mary Bocock continued her solid string of races with a sixth and 15th. Ellie Nichols (with a 23rd), Mary Clancy (with a 26th), Dagny Brickson (with a 34th and 38th), and Charlotte Altman (with a 37th) all significantly improved from their start positions in the deep field. At the Men’s NPS GS races, Ale Gandini and Carter Louchheim also moved way up from their start positions, with Ale finishing 24th and Carter in 36th against the best U19–21s from across the US.

March 2020
Due to the pandemic, racing came to a grinding halt in mid-March with the cancellation of the remainder of the ski season nationwide, including many of the championships and all of the spring series races. However, the first half of March was action-packed, with many impressive Rowmark performances.

The U19s raced March 7–11 at Sun Valley FIS Open Series. Eliza Hodgkins kept her momentum going from her previous races, roaring onto the podium into second place in the first slalom race as well as an eighth in GS. Also cracking into the top 20 were Bridget Lennon with a 16th and Dagny Brickson with a 14th, 20th, and 20th. For the boys, Carter Louchheim had a great SL race in fifth, while Ale Gandini stepped up with an eighth and 11th.

It turned out that the last races of the season were the Western Region U16 Championships at Schweitzer, Idaho. Rowmark was proud to qualify 10 athletes to represent the Intermountain Division Team: Elisabeth Bocock, Arden Louchheim, Molly Friedman, Jack AbuHaidar, Harry Hoffman, Ford Hodgkins, Ian Hanrahan, Preston Bolus, Frank Stearns, and Matt Siegal.

For the girls, Elisabeth Bocock led once again, with fourth and sixth in the super-G, and onto the podium with a third place in GS. Arden Louchheim also had standout performances, with a 12th in SG and 21st in GS.

For the boys, Jack AbuHaidar broke through and surprised many by taking the victory in the first super-G! Harry Hoffman skied to sixth and seventh in super-G, and 10th in GS, while Ford Hodgkins was 13th and 14th in super-G and seventh in GS, and Ian Hanrahan was 11th in GS. Unfortunately, as Rowmark has a very strong U16 SL team poised to land on the podium, the SL race was canceled.
 
April 2020
Qualifying out of the Regionals to the prestigious U16 National Championship, which was to be held April 1–5 in Sugarloaf, Maine, before being canceled, were Elisabeth Bocock, Arden Louchheim, Harry Hoffman, and Ford Hodgkins.

The Rowmark Spring Awards Banquet, originally slated for April 30, is postponed (TBA). We are looking forward to honoring deserving Rowmarkers with our annual awards when the time comes.

Rowmark

March Madness has arrived! Rowmarkers have been traveling across the country to compete in championship events.

U16 Team

U16 Western Regional Championships
Sun Valley, Idaho | March 14–17
The top U16s from all over the West come together to duke it out to qualify for the U16 Nationals. Six Rowmark athletes qualified for the Western Regional Championships: Mary Bocock, Dagny Brickson, Preston Bolus, Ian Hanrahan, Ford Hodgkins, and Harry Hoffman. These skiers qualified from a season-long series of competitions. Rowmark had some great performances under bluebird skies. In the GS, Ford Hodgkins finished 13th and first for the 2004 age group. Harry Hoffman was second in the SL, first for 2004s, and Mary Bocock was second in the Super-G and also second in the SL. In the GS race, both Preston Bolus and Dagny Brickson won the Hard Charger Award for the biggest moves from their start position to finish position. Preston moved up 48 places and Dagny moved up 41 places. Ian Hanrahan also skied very well, moving up eight spots in the SL and 10 in the SG.

U16 National Championships
Breckenridge, Colorado | March 31–April 4
Mary Bocock, Jack Hodgkins, and Harry Hoffman qualified for this prestigious event. Mary will be looking to defend her U16 Super G National title!
 
Tri-Divisional Championships
Jackson Hole, Wyoming | March 21–24
The Tri-Divisional Championships are held each year with teams from Intermountain, Alaska, and Northern divisions. Rowmark competes in the Intermountain Division, and three of our U16s competed, earning some great results. Leading the pack was Jack AbuHaidar, who was first in the Super-G, second in the GS, and fourth in the SL; these three top finishes earned Jack the Overall Tri-Divisional Series Championship! Frank Stearns had his best races of the season with a second in the SL and 14th in the GS. Mason Schlopy also skied well, with a ninth-place finish in Super-G and 10th in GS. Way to go, boys!

U19 Team

The U19s have been traveling far and wide this year and still have two race series before the season ends. Some highlights up to this point:
 
Western Region Junior Championships
Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows, California | March 12–17
This year Rowmark qualified a full contingent, one of our biggest teams ever, to the Western Region Junior Championships, where athletes from all over the Western US competed. Qualifying from Rowmark were Charlotte Altman, Anya Biskupiak, Mary Clancy, Eliza Hodgkins, Bridget Lennon, Anya Mulligan, Ellie Nichols, Elena Zipp, Jake Bleil, Andrei Dan, Tommy Hoffman, Carter Louchheim, and Greg Olszanskyj. All enjoyed some fast skiing and beautiful weather! 

Women:

• SL 1: Rowmark had four women finish in the top 25: Ellie Nichols (15th), Anya Biskupiak (16th), Elena Zipp (18th), and Bridget Lennon (22nd)
• SL 2: Anya Biskupiak finished 17th and Anya Mulligan skied away with the win—first place!
• SL 3: Anya Biskupiak finished 12th
• GS 1: Ellie Nichols finished 16th (winning the second run!)
• GS 2: Anya Mulligan finished ninth
• GS 3: Anya Mulligan finished fifth

Men:

• SL 1: Andrei Dan finished 10th
• SL 2: Carter Louchheim finished 30th after starting 68th
• SL 3: Rowmark had three men in the top 15: Andrei Dan (10th), Jake Bleil (13th), and Carter Louchheim (15th after starting 70th!)
• GS 1: Tommy Hoffman finished 12th
• GS 2: Andrei Dan finished seventh and Tommy Hoffman finished 11th 
• GS 3: Tommy Hoffman (13th), Carter Louchheim (27th), and Greg Olszanskyj (29th)

US Alpine National Championships
Waterville Valley, New Hampshire | March 23–30
Seniors Anya Mulligan and Elena Zipp both qualified for the US Alpine Championships and Junior National Championships. Elena finished 12th and Anya 22nd in the Junior Nationals Super-G. Congratulations!

Alumni Updates

2019 World Junior Championships
Katie Hensien '18, currently a freshman at Denver University and a US Ski Team member, qualified for the World Junior Championships held in Italy. Katie finished 10th in the SL and second in the team event! The US Ski Team had their best showing ever, finishing third overall in the standings. Way to go, Katie!

Unfortunately, Rowmark’s two US Ski Team World Cup team members and Olympians Alice McKennis '07 and Breezy Johnson '13 both suffered season-ending injuries before competitions ramped up. We look forward to their return to the World Cup stage for the 2019–2020 season.
 
Rowmark Spring Banquet on April 24
We look forward to celebrating Rowmark accomplishments and announcing our annual awards for sportsmanship, conditioning, perseverance, most improved, and skier of the year. We’ll also honor Team Manager Sarah Getzelman, who is leaving Rowmark after 12 incredible years serving our Academy and Junior Program.

Rowmark

The Junior Rowmark Program had another great season.

Youth Ski League Championships
Brianhead, Utah | March 9–10 

William Youngtok and Wyatt Williams medaled.

Intermountain Division Championships
Snowbasin, Utah | March 15–17

Thirteen Rowmarkers attended this championship event. Jack Hoffman won the overall after winning the SL race and placing fourth in the GS.

Tri-Divisional Championships
Jackson Hole, Wyoming | March 21–24

Eight Junior Rowmarkers qualified for this high-level event. Congratulations to Lucy Nolan, Kaia Brickson, Morgan Jacquin, Lalya Hijjawi, Alan Dugan, Matt Seigel, Henry Cunningham, and Jack Zipp. Morgan and Henry both had breakout performances: Morgan was third in the SL and Henry was fourth in SG and third in GS.

U14 Regionals Championships
Big Sky, Montana | March 20–24

Molly Friedman, Arden Louchheim, and Elisabeth Bocock were named to the IMD Divisional Team for this prestigious event. Elisabeth and Arden skied their way to a podium finish in the GS, with Elisabeth in fourth and Arden in 10th.

Rowmark

The Rowmark Junior Program had extraordinary success this year! From the older eighth grade Academy Prep skiers to the young All-Mountain Rippers, there were podium finishes and medals galore. This is a true testament to the hard work the athletes and coaches put in all year.

Read on for season highlights.

Academy Prep

The following students qualified for the U14 Western Region Championships in Jackson, Wyoming: Harry Hoffman, Preston Bolus, Jack AbuHaidar, Ford Hodgkins, and Ian Hanrahan.

Leading the charge was Harry Hoffman, winning both the super-G and giant slalom (GS). Preston Bolus placed third in the super-G followed by Jack AbuHaidar in fourth and Ian Hanrahan in ninth. Other top-10 finishes included Jack placing third in the giant slalom and Ford Hodgkins finishing 10th. All five boys collected medals, which was an amazing feat. Harry's results qualified him for the U16 National Championships, where he will join Rowmark Academy teammates Mary Bocock, Lindley Friedman, and Carter Louchheim in Mission Ridge, Washington.

Preston Bolus and Jack AbuHaidar qualified to the 2018 Whistler Cup in Canada April 12–16. This prestigious international children's event hosts athletes from all over the world. Harry Hoffman will also be competing with his home country of Australia.

Qualifying for the Tri-Divisional Championships at Snowbasin, Utah, were Arden Louchheim, Kate Altman, Davern Cigarran, Remy Mickelson, Molly Friedman, Hayley Brathwaite, Frank Stearns, and Angus Percy. The weather started off pretty wild, with plenty of rain, forcing the cancellation of the super-G. In the GS, Arden put together two great runs to capture first place! In the SL event, teammate Molly won, followed by Arden in third and Kate Altman in fifth.

All-Stars

The All-Stars consist of U10 and U12 skiers. Qualifying from this group to the U10/U12 Intermountain Champs were Kaia Brickson, Sophia Hijjawi, Kirsten Mannelin, Pippa Brathwaite, Lucy Nolan, Morgan Jacquin, Alan Dugan, Henry Cunningham, Jack Zipp, Cooper Percy, Anders Silitch, Lukas Postnieks, Chase Dennis, Jack Hoffman, and Cael Eley. The event was held at Grand Targhee in Wyoming and consisted of a GS, SL, dual event, and crazy, ever-changing weather.

In the SL event Alan Dugan tied for third place, while Kaia Brickson finished fourth. Henry Cunningham finished 14th, Jack Zipp 15th, and Anders Silitch 19th. In the GS, Henry finished eighth, Jack Zipp 16th, and Alan 20th.

For the U10s, Sophia Hijjawi finished third in GS and sixth in the SL, Pippa Brathwaite finished eighth in GS and 11th in SL, Lukas Postnieks finished first in the SL, Chase Dennis finished fourth in SL and 12th in GS, and Cael Eley finished eighth in the GS.

To top off the weekend, Olympian and Rowmark alumna Breezy Johnson '13 stopped by to give words of encouragement.

All-Mountain Rippers

Our All-Mountain Rippers group had success throughout the season, starting with the YSL race on our home hill at Park City. They continued their development and finished the season with two outstanding races: Brian Head (Utah) and Bogus Basin (Idaho). Congrats to Noah Helms, Julian Bamberger, Chase Noteware, Andrew Hanrahan, Eli Rankin, Henry Damico, and Wyatt Williams!

Rowmark

This year could be summed up as the winter that wasn't! After record-breaking snowfall last season, the 2017–2018 season was the complete opposite. Most of the Intermountain West suffered a snow drought for a good portion of the season, so the skiers had to travel extensively in the beginning of the year to find snow for training. Rowmark only trained a handful of times in the Eagle Race Arena at Park City Mountain. Luckily, there was no drought in the medal count for the Rowmark Ski Academy athletes.

U19 Roundup

Women's Head Coach: Jim Tschabrun
Men's Head Coach: Dave Kerwynn
Women's Assistant Coach: Mary Joyce
Men's Assistant Coach: Brian Morgan

Once again, the Rowmark women's U19 team showed their strength by placing strong at regional and national events all year.

Senior Australian sensation Madison Hoffman competed in numerous Nor Am and FIS U competitions all over the country and Canada, scoring in the top 10. When competing in Regional FIS races at Snowbird she managed a first and second place in the slaloms along with a victory in the giant slalom (GS). Madison was often accompanied by PG athlete Katie Vesterstein '17, whose main focus was competing in the FIS U races this year. Katie has signed a letter of intent with the University of Utah starting next fall. Fellow senior and US Ski team member Katie Hensien also had an extraordinary year, finishing second in a Nor Am Slalom, fourth in the World Jr. Championship Slalom, and starting in two World Cup Slaloms.

Juniors Elena Zipp and Anya Mulligan have had a fantastic season to date, with many top three finishes in the Regional FIS circuit. A highlight was when they both tied for first in GS at the Wild West classic in Jackson, Wyoming! More podiums were captured when they traveled to chilly Lutsen, Minnesota, along with fellow teammate senior Camryn Glick. The Lutsen race series included top junior skiers and college athletes from around the country. All three girls—Camruyn, Elena, and Anya Mulligan—had many fast runs with top-three finishes. Junior Anya Biskupiak and senior Addie Beasley fought hard this season, with some respectable finishes and brilliant runs. Both qualified for the Western Region Junior Championships.

Unfortunately, the squad suffered some injuries. After a strong early start with third place in GS at the Australian Junior National Championships, captain Lucy Neill was unable to compete due to concussions. Sophomore Eliza Hodgkins, who was coming off a stellar soccer season for Rowland Hall, suffered a season-ending ACL tear in January. Freshman Mary Clancy suffered a season-ending injury in January. Still, seven out of 10 Rowmark women landed on an international podium this year, which is the best depth the team has had in the past five years.

On the men's side, senior Scottie Bocock racked up some serious mileage traveling to numerous race series. Scottie has been competing in the US Ski Team's National Performance Series, which includes various camps and competitions with other boys his age from all over the country. With many top-10 finishes to date, Scottie's best series has been the Western Region Junior Championships (WRJC) in Schweitzer, Idaho, where he placed first and second in the GS and sixth in the SL and the super-G. Other boys qualifying to the WRJC in Schweitzer were Andrei Dan, Jake Bleil (injured), Greg Olszanskyj, Liam Michael, Alex Percy, and Ned Friedman. Senior Liam Michael placed fifth and sixth in super-G along with an eight in the GS. Liam had numerous top 20 results in FIS races this year, as well as some crashes.

PG athlete Nick Fontaine '17 rounded out his season with two trips to Lutsen, Minnesota, for FIS races, where he finished fourth in the SL and sixth in the GS. Nick also scored two top-10 finishes at the Wild West FIS series in Jackson, Wyoming. One of the hardest working athletes in the weight room, Nick looks to finish out strong this season. Captain Daniel Mulligan was unfortunately sidelined most of the season with a chronic hip injury and looks get back to conditioning this spring.

The men's squad has a few races series left this season at Mammoth Mountain, Aspen, and Snowbird.

U16 Roundup

Head Coach: Todd Brickson
Assistant Coach: Skip Puckett

The U16 group had another incredible year! The U16 Rowmarkers were on numerous podiums during the season-long IMD qualifying series.

Competing in the U16 Western Regional Championship in Alyeska, Alaska, were Mary Bocock, Dagny Brickson, Lindley Friedman, Charlotte Altman, Danika Mannelin, Ellie Nichols, Zoe Michael, Alex Deubel, Nick Orfanakis, Tommy Hoffman, Carter Louchheim, and Jimmy Bocock.

Rowmark scored great results under perfect weather, hard snow, and breathtaking views in every direction. To start off the week, Tommy Hoffman and Mary Bocock both won the SkillsQuest competition. Lindley Friedman skied to a fourth place in the slalom and 26th in GS. Carter Louchheim was seventh in the GS and fourth in the super-G. Jimmy Bocock was 12th in the GS, 14th in the SL, and 25th in the super-G. Ellie Nichols was seventh in the GS and Alex Deubel was 27th in the super-G. Nick Orfanakis moved up to 29th in the SL and won the Hard Charger Award in the super-G, starting 80th and finishing 38th. Mary then finished off the week with a convincing victory in the super-G.

Qualifying for the upcoming U16 National Championships is Mary Bocock, Lindley Friedman, and Carter Louchheim, along with seventh grader Harry Hoffman, who dominated at the U14 Championships. The event will be held March 30–April 4 in Mission Ridge, Washington.

Update April 1, 2018: Mary Bocock won the Super-G at the U16 Nationals in Mission Ridge!

The U16s will wind down their season at the last Intermountain Division open races scheduled for Snowbird in April.

For more results and photos, please visit Rowmark Ski Academy's Facebook page.

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