Rowmark Season Highlights

Rowmark Junior athletes enjoying a day on the mountain.

By Andy Hare, Junior Program Director

U14 Season Recap
As we wrap up an incredible season of training and racing, we’re proud of the progress, passion, and perseverance each athlete has shown. From Tri-Divisionals to Regionals, IMD Finals to Family Race Day, this group has pushed hard—and it shows.

We had some fantastic results from regionals at Mammoth for both genders. Challenging conditions made things difficult, but our team rose to the challenge. Overall it was a weekend full of determination, progress, and strong finishes across the board. Many thanks to Hans for leading the team at regionals.

Spring Fling at Grand Targhee was a huge success for the whole team, and Snow Cup at Snowbird for our second years was also a great experience for those hopefully moving up to the Academy.

We’ll also have a few additional skiing opportunities in May for those looking to stay sharp. More details to come soon.

U12 Season Recap
We logged an impressive 75 days on snow, with 15 of those dedicated to freeskiing, giving athletes the chance to explore terrain, build confidence, and enjoy the mountain outside of structured training. In addition, we had one day at Woodward and one trampoline session, adding some fun and variety to our training while working on air awareness and agility.

Our athletes earned a total of six medals this season, a testament to their hard work, growth, and competitive spirit.

Throughout the winter, we had the opportunity to ski at a great range of resorts, including Park City Mountain Resort, Solitude, Snowbird, Big Sky, Deer Valley, Alta, and Snowbasin. Each venue offered unique terrain and challenges that helped our skiers progress and adapt in different environments.

U10 Season Recap
This year, our athletes had a fantastic season, with 52 total days on snow, well above the 30–45 days the program typically calls for. Of those, we spent 25 days skiing at resorts and 27 days at Utah Olympic Park, showing a great balance between technical training and all-mountain development.

We skied nine Epic Pass resort days and 15 days at Ikon resorts, including Solitude, Brighton, Alta, Snowbird, Snowbasin, and Deer Valley. We also spent one day at Woodward, which gave the athletes a fun chance to build confidence in a creative, progressive environment.

Collectively, the group logged an impressive 421,000 vertical feet skied this year—with 300,000 feet at resorts and 121,000 at Utah Olympic Park.

On top of the skiing, our athletes earned eight medals at races, and they began learning combination turns in both slalom and giant slalom, setting them up for future success in the U10 Skill Series. We also had a great team outing to the trampoline park to mix in some off-snow fun and build air awareness.

U8 Season Recap
What a season our U8s had! Our team of young athletes took to the slopes this winter with big smiles, even bigger hearts, and great progress.

Under the direction of coaches Alyson Ronald, Maeve Crimmins, and Wendy Hare, our athletes worked on character development and mastering technical skills. This year we explored many different renowned Utah ski resorts, where our youngest Rowmarkers were able to build their confidence and skills to navigate all types of challenging and fun terrain. Hands down, powder skiing in the trees was by far the most desired terrain, closely followed by the terrain parks. This terrain helped the athletes develop the quick feet skills to navigate the slalom and giant slalom courses during our training sessions at the Utah Olympic Park. The athletes enjoyed and had just as fun training gates as they did freeskiing in the trees. Many of our athletes tried their new race skills competing at the YSL race hosted by Rowmark at the Utah Olympic Park as well as the YSL Finals at Snowbasin.

By the end of the season our athletes consistently showed gratitude towards the mountain staff as they loaded and unloaded the chairlift, were respectful of their fellow teammates and coaches, and showed up to training and freeskiing with a positive attitude. We are proud of the progress that each athlete made this season. They showed great courage, determination, and a love for skiing and ski racing that is just beginning.

Thanks to all the families, teachers, and coaches for a great season—we’re proud of what the athletes accomplished and excited for what’s ahead!

Rowmark Junior Program Staff Updates
We would like to welcome the following new coaches to our program.

Sean Sullivan, U12 Head Coach
Carlee McCardel, U12 Coach
Nick Sheetz, U12 Coach
Joey Berg, U10 Coach 
Parker Hare, U10 Coach
Alyson Ronald, U8 Head Coach
Maeve Crimmins, U8 Coach

Rowmark Ski Academy athletes, winter 2024–2025

By Todd Brickson, Program Director, April 15, 2025

Rowmark Ski Academy had a very successful season, highlighted below. More important was the camaraderie, teamwork, and effort that was exhibited by our team throughout the season. Our team supported and pushed each other to new heights through many challenging snow and weather conditions across the US, as well as in Canada and Europe.  

Competition Highlights

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

U18 National Championships, Aspen, CO, February 25–March 3
Four of our U18s competed in the prestigious U18 National Championships at Aspen Highlands. Vivian Turner WON the slalom (SL) and is the U18 National SL Champion! This is Vivian's first FIS victory of her young career, and she was also 7th in the giant slalom (GS). Maya Eisner was impressive with a 10th in SL and 19th in GS. Bea Martin was fast in the super-G (SG), with a 20th place. Jack Hoffman had two strong races, with a 22nd in SL and 25th in GS.

Western Region Junior Championships, Mission Ridge, WA, March 12–17
Many of our FIS team competed in the Western Region Junior Championships at Mission Ridge, WA, with impressive finishes in the top 30. Jack Hoffman led the way on the boys’ side with an 8th in SL and two 12ths in GS. Jamison Oleksy was also fast with a 16th and 28th in SL. For the Rowmark girls, Sophia Hijjawi was impressively consistent with an 11th and 22nd in SL, and 23rd and 24th in GS. Ruby Rosh also cracked into the top 30 with a 26th in GS.

NorAm Finals Sugarloaf, ME, and Burke, VT, March 17–20
Karsten Schillinger had a breakthrough NorAm SL race at Sugarloaf by making the flip, WINNING the second run and moving all the way up to seventh overall and second for juniors! At the same time, the Women’s NorAms were taking place at Burke Mountain, VT, where Vivian Turner raced to 27th in GS and 30th in SL, and Brooke Brown placed 28th in SL and 29th in SG.

Western Region U16 Championships, Schweitzer, ID, March 18–21
Ten of our U16s competed in the Western Region U16 Championships at Schweitzer, ID, with exciting results in the top 30. Andrew Hanrahan raced to a podium with a third in SG, and 14th in SL. Cree Gilmour also had a great series with a fourth in SL, sixth and eighth in SG, and 15th in GS. Nate Brown was sixth in SL, 11th and 15th in SG, and 13th in GS. Luke Kanarowski was 16th in GS, 22nd in SL, and 26th in SG. Adrian Marquart was 18th in SG and 25th in SL. Rhys Schillinger was 21st in GS, and Riley Oleksy was 26th in SL. For the girls, Riley Cooper was 23rd and 24th in SG, and Lola Zinser was 27th in SL. From these races, four Rowmark boys—Cree, Andrew, Nate, and Luke—qualified for U16 Nationals in Sugarloaf, ME.

IMD Tri-Divisional Championships, Jackson Hole, WY, March 18–21
The Tri-Divisional Championships were contested at Jackson Hole, where our U16 and U14 teams performed very well. For the boys, Porter Taxin was second in the SG, third in GS, won the SL, and also won the overall series championship! Wyatt Williams was sixth in SG. Jake Snyder was 10th in GS and 10th in SL. U14 Chet Rhodes had a strong series with a 13th in GS (third for U14s), and 22nd in SG (fifth for U14s). Dylan Kinkead was 23rd in SL (10th for U14s). For the girls, Paulina Ize-Cedillo skied well with a seventh in SL, eighth in SG, and ninth in GS. Aster Schillinger was fast with eighth in SL (second for U14s). Stella Copeland was 21st in SL (fourth for U14s), 21st in GS (seventh for U14s), and 22nd in SG (eighth for U14s). Hadley Rhodes was 13th in SL (fifth for U14s), 24th in GS (ninth for U14s), and 31st in SG (13th for U14s).

US National Championships, Vail, CO, March 29–April 1
Three of our US Ski Team alums and four of our current Rowmarkers competed in the prestigious US Alpine Championships in Vail. Brooke Brown raced to 13th in both SL and GS, Karsten Schillinger was 15th in SL and on the junior podium in third, and Vivian Turner cracked into the top 30 in GS.

U16 National Championships, Sugarloaf, ME, April 1–5
Four of our U16 boys qualified for the prestigious U16 Nationals in Sugarloaf, ME, and competed with great results. Andrew Hanrahan blazed to fifth in SL. Luke Kanarowski was seventh in GS and 27th in SL. Cree Gilmour was 11th in SL, 14th in SG, and 16th in GS. Nate Brown was 13th in SG, 17th in SL, and 23rd in GS.

IMD Snow Cup, Snowbird, UT, April 5–8
Our U16s and second-year U14s had their final races of the season at the annual IMD Bryce Astle Memorial Snow Cup races at Snowbird. Perfect weather and snow conditions created a fun, competitive venue, and our team really stepped up with exciting performances. Here are our results in the top 30: Leading the way for the boys was Andrew Hanrahan with second- and third-place finishes in GS. Rhys Schillinger skied to a third and seventh in GS. Nate Brown was fourth in the first GS. Porter Taxin was eighth in SL,16th in the first GS, and fourth in the second GS. Adrian Marquart was fifth in SL, and fifth and 17th in GS. Riley Oleksy was 10th and 14th in SL, and 10th and 11th in GS. U14 Chet Rhodes was 23rd in SL. Jake Snyder was 18th in SL, and 27th in GS. For the girls, Elizabeth Hutcheson had a great series with a second in SL, and fourth and eighth in GS. Lola Zinser was fourth and 10th in SL, and 15th in GS. Reilly Cooper was consistently fast with sixth and 13th in SL, and seventh and seventh in GS. U14 Julia Kehl was 19th in SL, and 20th and 27th in GS. U14 Alessa Lattanzi was 19th in GS. Paulina Ize-Cedillo was steady with a 22nd and 26th in SL, and 23rd and 21st in GS. Great way to end the season!

The year-end 2025 Bryce Astle IMD Cup Awards were given out at the conclusion of the Snow Cup. U16 Rowmarkers earned five of the prestigious cumulative awards from the best four SL, best four GS, and best two SG race finishes of the 2025 IMD Cup season: Nate Brown: first place SL; Andrew Hanrahan: third place SL and second place GS; Cree Gilmour: third place GS; and Luke Kanarowski: third place SG.

U16 Whistler Cup, Whistler, BC, April 9–13
Rowmarker Cree Gilmour qualified for the Whistler Cup from his results at U16 Nationals. Cree performed very well at this prestigious event against many of the best U16 racers from North America and Europe. Cree was 20th and 13th in SG, and was fourth after the first run of SL before skiing out in the second run.

FIS Spring Series, Palisades Tahoe, CA, April 10–13
Our FIS team competed in their final races of the season at Palisades Tahoe in the WR FIS Spring Series 2SL/2GS races this past week against very deep fields and challenging conditions, with very high DNF rates throughout the start order. Vivian Turner had a great series with a fourth (first for U18s) and 10th in GS (second for U18s), and fifth in SL (first for U18s). Maya Eisner was fast in the first SL with a 12th (second for U18s). For the boys, Karsten Schillinger was eighth in GS. Cracking into the top 30 were Jack Zipp in 27th and Milan Mickelson with a 29th in SL, and Jack Hoffman with a 29th and 31st in GS (third for U18s). At the series end, the Western Region year-long titles were awarded.

Western Region Year-End Awards 2024–2025
Vivian Turner
walked away with first for the WR 2025 GS title as well as the junior GS title, and was second in the overall and third for the junior GS category. Brooke Brown finished third for the overall SL and junior SL title, as well as second in the junior SL category.

News from Rowmarkers on the US Ski Team and NCAA and USCSA Teams

World Cup, Solden, Austria, October 26
An incredible breakthrough for US Ski Team member and Rowmark/Rowland Hall alum Katie Hensien ’18, who stormed to fourth place in the opening World Cup GS at Solden, Austria! Katie won the second run!

NorAm Panorama, December 12–15
Madi Hoffman ’18 had an amazing three days with a first in GS and a second and third in SL, while Mary Bocock ’22 was third in GS.

World Championships, Saalbach, Austria, February 4–16
Breezy Johnson ’13 is a world champion! Wow! The US Ski Team veteran and Rowmark/Rowland Hall alum won the World Championships downhill (DH) in Saalbach, Austria! This historic achievement is the first win for Breezy on this stage after seven previous podium finishes at the World Cup level. Congratulations to  Breezy for her perseverance, skill, and incredible hard work over many years to come back from several injuries.

In a second milestone achievement in just two days, Breezy teamed up with all-time great Mikaela Shiffrin to bring home the victory in the team combined event, where Breezy skied the DH portion and Mikaela skied the SL portion. Their combined time was good for a 0.4 seconds win. Fellow Rowmark alum and US Ski Team veteran Katie Hensien ’18 raced the SL portion and was paired with Jackie Wiles. They skied to 10th place out of 26 teams.

World Junior Championships, Tarvisio, Italy, February 25–March 6  
After teaming up for the bronze in the World Junior Championships team parallel event, Elizabeth Bocock ’23 was on the podium again, snatching the bronze in the GS race! Wow!

NorAm Speed Finals Sugarloaf, ME, March 10–15
Mary Bocock ’22 won both a NorAm DH and a NorAm SG at Sugarloaf, ME, over two days.

USCSA Collegiate National Championships, Mt. Bachelor, OR, March 11–13
Alum Ian Hanrahan ’23 was impressive with a seventh in GS and ninth in SL to help propel the University of Connecticut to seventh place overall, while fellow alum Charlotte Morris ’24 skied to 16th in SL to score points for Colgate University, who were fifth overall.

US National Championships, Vail, CO, March 29–April 1
Three of our US Ski Team alums competed in the prestigious US Alpine Championships in Vail. Elisabeth Bocock ’23 won the GS, her second national championship of her career, and was also on the podium in third in the SG. Katie Hensien ’18 blazed to second in SL and fourth in GS. Mary Bocock ’22 showed her impressive all-around skill with a fifth in the SG, seventh in the GS, and 15th in SL.

Congratulations to all the Rowmarkers for their effort, teamwork, determination, and resilience, and their resulting strong finishes to the competition season!

Rowmark athletes traveled to Southern Utah for their 2024 orientation weekend.

By Todd Brickson and Andy Hare

Rowmark Summer and Fall Highlights
Our Academy and Junior Program summer and fall activities have been very busy and productive, with off-season ski camps, team building, and daily dryland conditioning.

For our U16s, our on-snow preparation period started back in May, with four days of late-season directed free-skiing and drills at the local Snowbird Resort, which is known worldwide for its extended ski season on world-class terrain (their season goes through May, and sometimes well into June).

Our U14s began with a June ski camp at Mt. Hood, Oregon, where the snow conditions were excellent and the on-hill skill development was very high on vast, moderate terrain above the famous Timberline Lodge.

Then in August, our FIS team traveled to the southern hemisphere, to El Colorado, Chile, for a two-week ski camp where they were also greeted with great winter conditions and had a very productive time. During the same time, our U16s and U14s drove up to Mt. Hood for another week of dynamic ski training on the Palmer Snowfield.

In late September, our FIS team headed out again, this time to Saas-Fee, Switzerland, for their second off-season ski camp. They had a few storm days where the mountain was closed due to a prolonged early-season snowstorm, but the weather cleared and they took advantage of the good early season snow conditions on the Allalin Glacier (3,600 meters above sea level). For the second year in a row, the camp provided our FIS team with a great ski training environment and an immersive experience of Swiss culture.

In early September, our Academy Team headed south to the San Rafael Swell and Goblin Valley State Park in Southern Utah for our annual Academy fall orientation weekend. There, we challenged the Rowmarkers’ teamwork skills while navigating the Goblin’s Lair and Little Wild Horse Slot Canyon hikes over two days. Then, in the evening around a campfire, we held a leadership exercise that involved re-forming our expectations statement around the theme What I expect from myself, from my teammates, and from my coaches.

Similarly, the U14 program recently hosted a team-building day at the Utah Olympic Park. The day was packed with team-oriented activities designed to build camaraderie and teamwork. Highlights included running an obstacle course, log carrying, a Q&A with Academy athletes, tug-of-war, and running the 110-meter ski jump stairs—all done together as a team, not individually. It was a fantastic way to strengthen both physical skills and team spirit.

Last week, both our FIS and U16 teams were in Colorado for a four-day slalom and giant slalom camp at Copper Mountain. The U14 team is currently in Loveland, Colorado, attending an early-season directed free-ski camp, and it’s going exceptionally well. The conditions this year are very different from last season, when we had to cancel the camp. This time, we’re experiencing true winter conditions at 11,000 feet—ideal for training and building a solid foundation.

Next week, our FIS, U16, U14, and U12 teams head out to Big Sky, Montana, for our final off-season camp of our preparation period before we get on snow here locally at the Utah Olympic Park and Park City Mountain Resort. At these camps, the Rowmarkers are focused on and further developing their skills, technique, and tactics, and dialing in their new ski equipment ahead of our fast-approaching competition season. The days are long and intense, with 3–4 hours of on-snow training, followed by dryland workouts, study hall, ski tuning, and video analysis. These are highly focused, high-performance training camps designed to prepare them for the competition season ahead. These camps also challenge the Rowmarkers’ academic and time management abilities, as they miss several days of school for the fall camps and work to keep up with school during evening study halls.

In between all these camps, our teams have been busy with daily after-school dryland conditioning, which includes strength training, intervals, core, cardio, agility, coordination, and games as we finally get on snow full time here in Utah to prepare for the fast-approaching competition season. Good luck to all!

Rowmark Staff Updates
We would like to welcome the following new coaches to our programs! 

  • Alexis Hollister, FIS (U18 and older) assistant academy coach
  • Sean Sullivan, U12 head coach
  • Carlee McCardel, U12 coach
  • Nick Sheetz, U12 coach
  • Joey Berg, U10 coach and parent of Rowmark/Rowland Hall students Molly, Max, and Warren
  • Parker Hare, U10 coach
  • Alyson Ronald, U8 head coach
  • Maeve Crimmins, U8 coach
  • Sophie Felici, U8 coach

Alumni Update
An incredible breakthrough two weeks ago for US Ski Team member and Rowmark/Rowland Hall alum Katie Hensien ’18, who stormed to fourth place in the opening World Cup giant slalom at Solden, Austria. Katie won her second run! Even more remarkable is that Katie is returning from a season-ending knee injury she suffered last winter.

Congratulations, Katie, and good luck to four of her fellow Rowmark/Rowland Hall grads, Breezy Johnson ’13, Madison Hoffman ’18, Mary Bocock ’21, and Elisabeth Bocock ’23, on their NorAm, Europa Cup, and World Cup races this season!

Rowmark Junior Program athletes, winter 2024

By Andy Hare, Junior Program Director

As we reflect on another season, the achievements of the Rowmark Junior Program shine brightly across various fronts. Despite a sluggish start, the season gained momentum, and with the onset of snowfall, our focus intensified, leading to valuable training sessions as we geared up for the qualifying races across all age groups and, ultimately, the end-of-season races and championships.

I’m very proud of our team and our team culture. As part of our team values, we focus on the skills of teamwork, determination, perseverance, and resilience. We executed our mission of providing our athletes with an amazing experience both on and off the snow, creating memories for a lifetime.

Our on-snow sessions at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP) continue to provide an exceptional experience and a venue for optimal training. The UOP proves to be one of the leading ski race training facilities in the country. With it only open to ski racing programs that are a part of the community, we avoid dealing with any of the issues that are negatively impacting the resorts around the country, such as overcrowding and lack of parking. The UOP has none of these issues, making it truly a private training facility. We also continue to benefit from our freeskiing at local resorts of Park City, Canyons, Deer Valley, Snowbird, Alta, Solitude, and Brighton.

And of course, a huge shout-out to our amazing coaching staff! Their professionalism and dedication to character development are clearly evident in the success and admiration they receive from the athletes. It’s wonderful to see such a strong team supporting the growth and achievements of our program. Thank you, Matt, Hans, Tyler, Sydney, TJ, Penny, Charley, Andrea, Megan, Zach, Hayley, and Wendy. Here's to more seasons filled with growth, success, and passion for skiing!

Competition Highlights

Over the course of the season, our goal is to be at our peak during March and April. This all starts with our dryland training in the fall, on-snow training in the winter, and our sports psychology sessions. Everything builds as we move through the season with qualifiers as we prepare for the championships and critical races in the closing of our season. Below are competition highlights of current Rowmarkers during the last months of the season.

U14 Regionals, Grand Targhee, WY
Our U14 Academy Prep program had five athletes qualify for 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 journey. Congratulations to Finley Taptitch, Alessa Lattanzi, Cree Gilmour, Asher Kinsman, and Jake Snyder, who all qualified. At the series, Asher Kinsman earned the Bibo Hard Charger Award in Slalom, where he started with bib #54 and ended up with a 7th-place finish! His best finish was a 5th place in Giant Slalom. And to top that off, Cree Gilmour came home with a silver medal in Super G and a gold medal in the Giant Slalom, which made him the series overall winner and qualified him for the Whistler Cup race series.

The Whistler Cup, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
The Whistler Cup is an elite international junior race series where the best junior racers in the world compete. At the Whistler Cup, Cree Gilmour did an exceptional job, finishing 4th in the Slalom, 1st American, and 4th in the team overall event. Congratulations, Cree!

Grand Targhee IMD U14 SG Qualifier, Grand Targhee, WY
Hannah Hijjawi had a very strong showing at the Speed series in Grand Targhee, WY, where she led the Rowmark ladies with three top-15 finishes. The rest of her teammates did an excellent job navigating their way down the challenging Super G course, with a 100% finish rate.

Tri-Divisional Championships, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl, MT
This event provides an additional tier for our U14 and U16 athletes as they compete alongside Northern and Alaska divisions. Congratulations to Elle Hanlon, Will Hanlon, Mei Mei Morgan, Chet Rhodes, Rohan Pani, and Asher Williams, who all qualified and competed in the Tri-Divisional Championships.

IMD Championships, Tamarack, ID
Rowmark U12 All Stars who were all new to the program this year—Brittan Corcoran, Josey Huang-Kim, Lucas Szoka, and Ari Kinsman—had a great season and really represented all the traits of a great Rowmarker. Ari placed second in the Slalom event. Both Brittan and Josey also did an excellent job in their first year of competitive racing.

YSL Finals, Snowbasin, UT
This is the premier event for our U10 All-Mountain Rippers. The YSL Finals brings all the programs across the state of Utah together. Rowmark’s All-Mountain Ripper team excelled at the Utah Youth Ski League races, which culminated at the Snowbasin YSL Finals in March. Our team captains, Beck King and Mila Patel, excelled as leaders from dryland training in September to the YSL Finals in March. Our strongest performers on the racecourse consisted of: Charlotte Fiore, Beck King, Jinnun Kim (Most Improved Male), Noa Kinsman, Max Matlin, William Nguyen, Sophia Shojai, Lilla Sneen, Easton Walker, and Alessandra Waters (Most Improved Female).

Spring Fling, Grand Targhee, WY
Alessa Lattanzi, Elle Wucetich, Evie Chen, Stella Copeland, Dylan Kinkead, Aaron Chen, and Owen Donigan just returned from an exciting end-of-season race called Spring Fling, held in Grand Targhee, WY. They all finished out the season strong, and Alessa was on the podium twice in second place in both Slalom and Giant Slalom!

Snowcup Series, Snowbird, UT
This event invites the second-year U14s to race with older athletes, including our own Academy athletes. Congratulations to Asher Kinsman, with a 4th place finish, and Jake Snyder, with a 9th place finish, in the U14 age group in Slalom. On day two, Jake finished 11th for the U14 group in Giant Slalom.

Rowmark All Stars
The All Star Junior Program has wrapped up another fantastic season. The 21 athletes started this year's journey at Mammoth camp, learning great fundamental skills and creating a positive culture to encourage each other to keep learning all year. They worked hard at dryland and another camp at Big Sky to help prepare physically for the season to come. It was great to watch the athletes learn new carving skills and apply them to the course. The team performed better each race. Some standout second years (2012): Hadley Rhodes, 1st place on the season and winner of the overall at Champs. Ari Kingsman, 2nd on the season and 2nd place at Champs in SL. Aster Schillinger was third overall on the season and she put two runs together for the dual and got 4th. Walter Wucetich is a strong 2013, coming in 8th in season for his age group and staying constant at champs at 8th. He will be one to watch next year at the u12 level. Bergen Sneen made some great improvements from the start of season to end. He couldn’t put two runs together but we are excited to see how he keeps improving next year. Eliza Phyfe, Cecelia Quinn, and Pedro Huerta Strodthoff attended the YSL Champs at Snowbasin and had some great results, with 9th, 3rd, and 9th, respectively. Josephine Huang-Kim took her skiing to the next level joining Rowmark this year. She was an Alta freeskier and SL really clicked. She was 23 on the season and two top-15 finishes for SL. Keira Kinkead is another first year to look out for next year. She was consistently a top-20 finisher all season. With all the great results the team had a great time free skiing and having a fun time. Until next year…

Congratulations on a great season to all our Rowmark Junior athletes!

Rowmark Ski Academy athletes, winter 2024

By Todd Brickson, Program Director

It’s been a successful race season filled with many highs, lows, and learning moments. Our Academy Rowmarkers traveled all over the Western US for competitions, and many also had the opportunity to experience the Eastern US, Alaska, Canada, and Europe. The generally warm winter provided many challenges with training and race conditions, but this is the nature of our sport. The ever-changing snow conditions and weather, combined with the variety of race destinations, mean that no two days are the same. This is what makes ski racing so fascinating and keeps us always coming back for more!

Competition Highlights

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

U18 National Championships, Jackson, WY, March 2–8
The U18 National Championships is a prestigious event and Rowmark had six athletes qualify: Jack Hoffman, Karsten Schillinger, Brooke Brown, Maya Eisner (couldn't participate due to injury), Bea Martin, and Vivian Turner. The slalom (SL) and giant slalom (GS) races were held at Snow King, WY. Karsten had two outstanding races, vaulting onto the podium twice with 2nd place in SL and 5th in GS. Brooke also reached a milestone, ascending onto the podium in 3rd place in SL. Vivian was impressive with an 11th in SL, and Bea was solid returning from injury in 31st in SL. The downhill (DH) race was postponed three days in a row due to consecutive dumps of snow and was finally canceled in favor of the Super-G (SG), which they were able to squeeze in under soft snow conditions on the final day. Brooke backed up her 3rd place in SL earlier in the week with a 6th place in Super-G!

Western Region Junior Championships, Stevens Pass, WA, March 3–8
Many of the Rowmark boys FIS Team returned from the Western Region Junior Championships 2SL/2GS/2SG at Stevens Pass, WA, with excellent results. Jamison Oleksy started the series off with a podium finish in 3rd in the first SL! He finished every race in the top 13, with an 11th in the second SL, 8th and 10th in the GSs, and 9th and 13th in the Super-Gs. Leo Martin had several excellent races also, with a 6th and 13th in GS, 14th and 17th in SL, and 12th and 14th in SG. Jack Zipp was also consistently fast, with a 10th and 10th in SL, 18th and 24th in GS, and 11th and 16th in SG. Morgan Jacquin had four top-30 results, with 26th and 26th in GS, and 27th and 29th in SG. Milan Mickelson was 27th and 29th in SL, and 29th and 32nd in GS. Declan Morasch finished 28th in SL, 37th in GS, and 33rd in SG.

Western Region U16 Championships, Alyeska, AK, March 19–22
Congratulations to 11 of our Rowmark U16s for qualifying and competing in the 2024 U16 Western Region Championships in Alyeska, AK! They are: Finn Copeland, Andrew Hanrahan, Sophia Hijjawi, Luke Kanarowski, Adrian Marquart, Lukas Postnieks, Ruby Rosh, Jax Salinas, Rhys Schillinger, Teo Shamah, and AJ Socolean. Our top performers were Ruby Rosh with a 7th and 11th in Super-G; Teo Shamah, 9th in GS; Sophia Hijjawi, 11th in SL and 20th in GS; Luke Kanarowski, 14th in SL and 21st in GS; AJ Socolean, 15th in SL, 16th and 25th in SG; Andrew Hanrahan, 15th in SG; Lukas Postnieks, 19th in SL; Adrian Marquart, 23rd and 27th in SG; Finn Copeland, 23rd in GS; and Rhys Schillinger, 27th in GS. Congratulations to all and to Ruby and Sophia for qualifying for U16 Nationals in Vail, CO.

IMD Tri-Divisional Championships, Big Sky and Bridger Bowl, MT, March 21–24
Five of our Rowmark U16s qualified for and competed in the 2024 Tri-Divisional Championships at Big Sky and Bridger Bowl, MT. They were: Paulina Ize-Cedillo, Alden Rhodes, Darshan Pani, Tallulah Proulx, and Wyatt Williams. Tallulah was consistently fast, with 2nd place finishes in all three races, and she captured the overall series title. Alden was equally impressive in winning both the Super-G and GS races by large margins. Wyatt captured his first podium of the season with 5th in the SL. Paulina had a solid SL in 24th. Darshan had his best finish of the year with 26th in SL.

US National Championships, Sun Valley, ID, March 21–24
Three of our current FIS Rowmarkers competed in the US National Championships at Sun Valley with impressive results. Brooke Brown was 13th in Super-G (3rd for U18s) and 21st in SL (5th for U18s). Vivian Turer was 33rd in the GS (11th for U18s). For the boys, Karsten Schillinger continued his impressive season with a 26th in GS (1st for U18s) and 23rd in SL (2nd for U18s).

U16 National Championships, Vail, CO, March 31–April 4
Sophia Hijjawi and Ruby Rosh both competed in the prestigious U16 Nationals at Vail, CO, this week. Ruby had a strong GS race in 19th, and Sophia was solid with a 31st in GS and 33rd in SL.

IMD Snow Cup, Snowbird, UT, April 6–9
The U16s raced in their final series of the season at the IMD Snowbird Snow Cup 2SL/2GS. For the girls, Ruby Rosh continued her podium string with 2nd and 3rd in the SLs, as well as a 5th and 7th in GS. Sophia Hijjawi was also fast with a 4th in SL, 10th and 15th in GS. Tallulah Proulx was 23rd in SL and 16th in GS. Paulina Ize-Cedillo cracked into the top 30 with a 29th in the final GS. The Rowmark boys filled up the top 20 each day, led by Luke Kanarowski with a 7th and 8th in SL, 8th and onto the podium with a 2nd in the final GS. Finn Copeland skied to an 11th in SL, and then really stepped up with a podium 3rd and 4th in GS. AJ Socolean was 4th and 7th in SL, 5th in GS. Teo Shamah was 6th in SL, 7th and 8th in GS. Lukas Postnieks was 9th and 10th in SL, 18th and 9th in GS. Rhys Schillinger also scored a top 10, with a 10th in GS, as well as a 16th in SL. Andrew Hanrahan had a pair of 14ths in SL, and 12th and 16th in GS. Alden Rhodes was 20th in SL, 13th and 14th in GS. Adrian Marquart was 15th in SL, 13th in GS.

The year-end 2024 Bryce Astle IMD Cup Awards were given out at the conclusion of the Snow Cup. U16 Rowmarkers earned three of the prestigious cumulative awards from the best four SL, best four GS, and best two Super-G race finishes of the 2024 IMD Cup season: AJ Socolean (1st place Super-G), Ruby Rosh (1st place SL), and Teo Shamah (2nd place SL).

FIS Spring Series, Mammoth and Palisades Tahoe, CA, April 8–18
Our Rowmark FIS Team finished their competition season in the Far West Spring FIS Series with many great performances. Three of our boys attended the speed series at Mammoth and the rest of our boys and girls came in to join them at the tech series at Palisades Tahoe. At Mammoth, Jamison Oleksy was consistently fast with 21st and 22nd in DH and 18th in Super-G, while Declan Morasch was 39th, 42nd in DH, and 37th in SG. Morgan Jacquin was 44th in both DHs and 40th in SG.

At Palisades, Karsten Schillinger was 10th in SL (2nd for U18s), 23rd in GS (3rd for U18s). Jamison Oleksy was 25th, 38th in GS. Jack Hoffman was 29th in SL, 38th in GS. Jack Zipp was 34th in SL. For the girls, Vivian Turner was 7th and 12th in SL (1st and 2nd for U18s). Brooke Brown was 7th (1st for U18s) and 18th in SL, 14 in GS. Lili Honey was 22nd and 34th in GS, 29th in SL. Bea Martin was 26th and 27th in SL, Hayden Mengason was 37th and 43rd in SL, Hayden Kaufman Schiller was 41st in GS, and Kiri Mannelin was 47th in SL.

At the end of the series, Brooke Brown was awarded the Western Region Overall title as well as 1st in the Junior SL and SG standings. Vivian Turner was 6th in the Junior Overall and 3rd in the Junior SL standings. For the boys, Karsten Schillinger was 3rd in the WR Overall and 1st in Junior SL standings.  

News from Rowmarkers on US Ski Team and NCAA Teams

World Junior Championships, Portes Du Soleil, France, January 28–February 3  
Rowmarkers and US Ski Team members Elisabeth Bocock ’23 and Mary Bocock ’22 competed in the World Junior Championships in Portes Du Soleil, France, in early February with great success! Elisabeth was 3rd in the Team Parallel event, 5th in the GS, 9th in the Women's Team event, 14th in the SL, and 24th in the SG. She was the top American finisher in both the GS and SL!  Mary was 9th in the Women's Team event, 20th in the SG, and 20th in the DH.

NCAA National Championships, Steamboat Springs, CO, March 6–9
In defense of her NCAA SL and GS Championships from 2023, Madi Hoffman ’18 of the University of Utah climbed the podium again, this time in 2nd place in both SL and GS, helping to propel the U to second place in the nation.

US National Championships, Sun Valley, ID, March 21–24
Elisabeth Bocock ’23 won the Super-G and was 2nd in GS (1st for U21s) and 5th in SL (1st for U21s). Madi Hoffman ’18 was 3rd in GS and won the SL. These were the first US National Championship titles for both. Mary Bocock ’22 was 6th in both the Super-G and GS.

Congratulations to all the Rowmarkers for their effort, teamwork, determination, and resilience, and for their resulting strong finishes to the competition season!

Rowmark Ski Academy athletes participating in dryland training, summer 2023.

By Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director

Rowmark Summer and Fall Highlights

Our Academy and Junior Program 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 an excellent June ski camp at Mammoth Mountain, CA, where the snow conditions were still fantastic due to a season of record snowfall in the Sierras.

Then in August, our FIS Team had plans to travel to New Zealand for their second ski camp, but poor snow conditions there forced a sudden pivot to Saas Fee, Switzerland, instead. This turned out to be a good decision as they had an excellent camp where they were greeted with excellent weather, snow, and training conditions on a glacier deep in the Swiss Alps. The camp also provided a dynamic experience of Swiss culture.

At the same time in August, our U16s and U14s had a productive camp at Mt. Hood, OR. Many people are surprised to learn that there is year-round skiing at Mt. Hood, but there is! With that said, we did have to endure a couple of days of record heat during the camp. Despite this, the snow held up well for our training as the coaches prepared the snow each day by spreading a thin layer of salt on the snow surface. (This works because the salt melts the first inch of snow, which then causes it to refreeze into ice above the next snow layer, thereby creating a hard, durable surface for each training session.)

In early September, our academy team headed north to Bear Lake, UT, for our annual Academy Fall Orientation Weekend. Here we challenged the Rowmarkers’ teamwork and leadership skills with a series of social and physical challenges, including a mountain bike/road bike/hike triathlon, speedball and volleyball tournaments, beach and water relays, slacklining, and tug-of-war.

As I write this, our Rowmark Academy team is now in Colorado for an eight-day SL (slalom) and GS (giant slalom) camp at Aspen Highlands, while our U14s and U12s are headed to Big Sky, MT, for five days on snow there prior to Thanksgiving break. These camps also challenge the Rowmarkers’ academic and organizational abilities as they miss several days of school for these fall camps and work to keep up with school during nightly study halls proctored by the coaches.

In between all these camps, our teams have been busy with daily after-school dryland conditioning, which includes strength training, core, cardio, agility, coordination, and games, as well as periodic mental training sessions as we finally get on snow full time here in Utah to prepare for the fast-approaching competition season!

Rowmark Staff Updates

This summer we welcomed Andy Hare to Rowmark as our new Junior Program director. Andy brings with him a combined 40 years of ski racing, ski industry, coaching, and program directing experience. Andy started his ski racing career at Ski Butternut in Massachusetts, and then attended Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, where he won several Junior Olympic titles. 

After graduating from Stratton Mountain School, Andy qualified for the US Development Ski Team and spent a year training and racing around the world. He then attended the University of Utah, where won the 1996 NCAA GS National Championship title, was a three-time NCAA All-American, and was the recipient of the Alf Engen Sportsmanship Award. While at the U, Andy also coached FIS level athletes at Snowbird and worked as an intern with Rowmark.

After college, Andy began working at Nordica as the western race service manager. During his 23-year tenure at Nordica, he filled many roles ranging from race service, athlete (he competed in the 2000 X-Games in skier cross), product manager, marketing manager, and director of marketing. During this time Andy worked with a local ski area, Whaleback Mountain, restructuring the race program and as a member of the Board of Directors. Andy and his family then moved back to where he grew up and he was hired as the Ski Butternut program director where he worked for three years redeveloping the program, which grew to 230 athletes and 20 coaches.

Four years ago, Andy and his family had an opportunity to move to Utah, which had been a goal of his since the day he graduated from the U of U. Here, Andy has continued to consult for Nordica and has worked closely with US Ski and Snowboard, Professional Ski Instructors of America, and National Ski Patrol. Andy and his wife, Wendy, our Rowmark team manager, have two children, Parker and Emma, who both attend Rowland Hall. In his free time, Andy likes to ski, ride motorcycles, mountain bike, and spend time with his family.

We would also like to welcome the following new coaches to our programs:

  • Jimena Carlin, FIS (U18 and older) assistant Academy coach
  • Tyler Utendorfer, U14 Academy Prep assistant coach
  • Sydney Weaver, U14 Academy Prep assistant coach
  • Andrea Fiore, U12 All-Star assistant coach
  • TJ Weaver, U10 All-Mountain Ripper assistant coach
  • Hayley Trockman, U8 Love to Ski head coach

Alumni Updates

We are thrilled to announce that US Ski Team members and sisters Mary Bocock ’22 and Elisabeth Bocock ’23 each earned their first World Cup starts on October 28 in the giant slalom at Sölden, Austria.

At the same time, congratulations to Madi Hoffman ’18, Australian National Team and University of Utah two-time NCAA champion. On November 11, skiing with bib 36, the 23-year-old scored her first career World Cup points in her third World Cup start, finishing 25th in Levi, Finland!

These are huge milestones in these athletes’ young careers, and we are very proud of their impressive accomplishments on the world stage at the highest level of our sport.

Members of Rowmark Ski Academy gather at the West Peak expansion event, March 1, 2023.

On March 1, the Spencer F. Eccles Olympic Mountain Center at Utah Olympic Park formally opened for training. This event, the culmination of the second phase of mountain expansion on the park’s west peak, upgraded the park’s training capabilities, which will benefit Rowmark Ski Academy as well as Park City Ski and Snowboard Club and the University of Utah Ski Team, the venue’s three founding clubs.

A 1,200-vertical-foot, full-length super-G, giant slalom, and slalom venue, complete with a high-speed quad chairlift, snowmaking, and lights, West Peak is a state-of-the-art training facility that will long benefit Rowmark Ski Academy and Rowmark Junior athletes.

KCPW: West Peak expansion formally opens at the Utah Olympic Park

Deseret News: New Olympic training and competition ski runs unveiled at the Spencer F. Eccles Mountain Center

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Members of the Rowmark Junior Program, 2022–2023

By Troy Price, Rowmark Junior Program Director

The Rowmark Junior program has wrapped up another successful season. This year, we welcomed a record number of new families to our community. I’m pleased with the skill development of these new members; however, I’m very proud of the growth in personal character within the athletes as the coaches reinforced our team values every week. I will recognize our 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 where we all placed priority in our core values. By keeping the development of the whole athlete as a paramount, we were able to find the balance in academics and athletics. Moreso, 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 positive character traits in trust and perseverance. Meanwhile, there was always a balance between team pride and sportsmanship. Our Rowmark parents were supportive to all competitors and thankful to the volunteers at each race. I’m very pleased with our team culture and look forward to building upon our successes moving forward.

During the season, we celebrated our increasing diversity at our family day at the Utah Olympic Park with a flag ceremony and ski race for all. With the generosity of a donor, we have established the Trailblazer Scholarship to help support our efforts in bringing more diversity into our program.

We enhanced our introduction level, known as Love to Ski, under the leadership of Tiffany Flygare. Tiffany created a lesson plan each week that kept the young athletes engaged and always looking forward to the following week.

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, Jackson Hole, WY

Callie Lipson, Andrew Hanrahan, Luke Kanarowski, and Rhys Schillinger

U14 Tri-Divisionals, Grand Targhee, WY

Paulina Ize-Cedillo, Finley Taptich, Darshan Pani, Jake Snyder, Niklas Tognina, and Wyatt Williams

U12 IMD Championships, Snowbird, UT

Asher Williams, Chet Rhodes, Dylan Kinkead, Elle Wucetich, Elle Hanlon, Hadley Rhodes, Mei Mei Morgan, Nate Snyder, Stella Copeland, and Will Hanlon

U12 IMD Finals, Park City, UT

Dylan Galen, Iris Fisher, Wyatt Daniels, Aaron Chen, Chandler Corcoran, Emmie Walker, Evie Chen, Owen Donigan, Rohan Pani, Zach Mazur, Arya Martinez, Beck King, Bergen Sneen, Cece Quinn, Ceri Pihl, Easton Walker, Eliza Phyfe, Emily Melman, Hunter Stamps, Hunter Fiore, Johnson Philips, Krishna Siripurapu, Lasher O’Connell, Lilla Sneen, Mahadev Siripurapu, Mila Patel, Pedro Huerta Strodthoff, Talia Brylawski, Victoria Hall, Walter Wucetich, and Will Wucetich

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

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