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ski team JUN E 2013 N ewsletter
SKIING into our 80th Season Welcome to the inaugural newsletter of Berkshire School’s Ski Team (BSST). In an effort to reach out to our extended ski family of alumni, parents and friends, we will be publishing this digest bi-annually to provide up-to-date season news. BSST is proud to be attracting a competitive and international breed of skiers, many of whom come to us from ski academies. These skiers are yearning for a more diverse and rigorous curriculum where they have the opportunity to take AP classes and compete in other sports, while at the same time continue their skiing career by competing in school and USSA competitions. Recently, BSST has recreated our USSA Club Program, allowing our skiers to be fully supported as they compete in nationally sanctioned competitions. In addition, our experienced coaches have created a teaching plan utilizing an on-snow daily progression that targets individual development. In the past four years, BSST
INSIDE
2
2 2013 Boys and Girls Varsity & Junior Varsity Rosters
3
2013 Season Highlights
3
Coaches Corner
4
Wish List and Contact Us
Message from the Captains
has won the New England Class B Championships, twice; the Brigham Ski League GS and SL Championships, six times; and helped qualify our skiers into the Eastern USSA J3 Junior Olympics, Eastern U16 Championships, U16 AM-CAN (top 60 girls in the U.S.), the Eastern USSA U21/U18 Finals, the Eastern FIS Championships and the Elite FIS Spring Series! BSST is proud to be heading into its 80th season. As we continue to match the levels of interest and the growing numbers of our program, we need your support! We have included a Wish List for our program on page 4, as well as a return envelope. Thank you in advance for any support you can provide. Your gifts will greatly enhance our continued endeavors to maintain a strong, competitive team. Go Bears! Coach John Borwick ’81, Coach Evan Clary, and Coach Maura MacKenzie
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An Honorary Coach – Bob Brigham Bob Brigham joined Berkshire School in the fall of 1968 during which he taught chemistry, was a referee for the school’s club soccer team, and all the while maintained order in Eipper dorm. In this time, he was also tasked with assisting at Berkshire’s own ski hill behind Berkshire Hall, where he helped run the lift system. Bitten by the skiing bug, he eventually was named Head Ski Coach in the fall of
Mr. Robert H. Brigham, III in 1977 • Chairman of Science Dept., Chemistry Parent of Christopher ‘84 and Iona Michelle Smith ‘87
1971 and entered his team in the private school race league, appropriately named the Berkshire Ski League. The league was created by the triumvirate of private school skiing powers at the time: the head coaches from Suffield (David Rockwell), Salisbury (Carl Williams) and Hotchkiss (Jim Marks). As Bob explains, he was “taken under their wing,” taught ski racing, and ultimately became their president in
1977. Bob extols the beauty and purity of ski racing at the time, when races were held at the schools instead of a commercial ski hill. Along with Berkshire, Millbrook, Salisbury, Darrow and the Cranwell Schools all maintained their own ski hills. Nowadays, only Dartmouth, Middlebury, Proctor Academy and Eaglebrook School run their own ski race hills on campus. In his time at Berkshire, Bob coached continued on page 2
New England Clas
s A Team
FROM THE CAPTAINS Greetings from the Berkshire School Ski Team! This past season, we acquired several new, skilled racers who worked well together with the veterans of the team. After competing at the Class A level for the first time, the athletes, coaches, and supporters of Berkshire Ski Team look forward to improving ourselves. Currently, we are getting ready to attend summer camps and training sessions at Mt. Hood in Oregon. With several opportunities to train year round and new additions to the team next year, our athletes will undoubtedly enhance their techniques and face the next season with confidence and determination. Although the ski season has ended, we are already anticipating and preparing for another exceptional year! - Swetha Kodali ’13 and Jackson vanZon-Borwick ’13
ter
Boys Varsity Apline Skiing Ros Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Troy Bernier Bryan Bohaty *George Frick III Corey Gary *Nathaniel MacKenzie *Ian Rasmussen *Bryce Schuler *Jackson vanZon-Borwick David Watkins
2014 2013 2014 2013 2014 2014 2015 2013 2013
Wachussetts (MA) OMARA/Okemo (VT) OMARA/Okemo (VT) Park City (UT) Butternut Ski Team (MA) Stratton Mountain School (VT) Bousquet Ski Team (MA) Stratton Mountain School (VT) Stratton Training Center (VT)
Front row from left: Jackson vanZon-Borwick ’13, George Frick III ’14 Center row from left: Coach Borwick, Elise Chauvel ’15, Eliza Stichter ’16, Annette Key ’16, Julia Slyer ’14 and Katherine Frick ’16 Back row from left: Coach Govertsen, Coach MacKenzie, Coach Frick, Bryce Schuler ’15, Ian Rasmussen ’14, Nate MacKenzie ’14 and Coach Clary
In 1980, the Boys’ Varsity Ski Team accomplished something that no other Berkshire Ski Team has ever done, they went undefeated, with a record of 17-0. Along with this undefeated season, they were tops in the league, and in the end captured the Kenver Cup.
*New England Class A Team
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Boys J.V. Alpine Skiing Ros Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Christopher Bower Charles Kellogg Benjamin Lang William MacClarence Benjamin Nadler Samuel Rusoff
2015 2016 2015 2015 2016 2015
Eaglebrook School (MA) Vail (CO) Catamount Race Team (MA) NYSEF/Gore (NY)
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Girls Varsity Alpine Skiing Ros Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Emily Barclay *Elise Chauvel *Katherine Frick Krissy Govertsen *Annette Key Swetha Kodali Samantha Reagan Caroline Slyer *Julia Slyer *Eliza Stichter
2015 2015 2016 2015 2016 2013 2016 2016 2014 2016
Toggenburg Race Team (NY) Val d ‘Isere (FR) OMARA/Okemo (VT) Jiminy Peak Ski Team (MA) Stratton Training Center (VT) Blue Mountain Race Team (PA) Mt Snow Training Center (VT) Jiminy Peak Ski Team (MA) Jiminy Peak Ski Team (MA) Stratton Mountain School (VT)
*New England Class A Team
Girls J.V. Alpine Skiing Roster Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Emily Hubbard Bryn Kenny Hadley Laskowski Eloise Morrow Julia Reger
2014 2014 2014 2014 2013
Indian Mountain School (CT) Sugarbush (VT) Indian Mountain School (CT) Spain
Front row: Dellavan; F. Kennedy; A. VanZon; I. VanZon; Stelle; Gobillot; MacKenzie. Second row: Mr. Anderson; Boehland; Draizen; Babson; Eidmann; Borwick; Parker; E. VanZon; Sandrew; Harwood; Mr. Brigham
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the ski team until 1989. The team won a record of 10 league championships in a row. Bob since went on to teach and lead the Thetford School (VT), the Episcopal School (NC) and Rabun School (GA), before retiring to the Berkshires in 2009. Bob returned to Berkshire in 2010 to coach with the program and continues to provide officiating services at USSA events. Bob was honored with the Burkett-Dodge Award, bestowed by the USSA Eastern Alpine Officials Committee for outstanding contribution to alpine officiating. In the fall of 2012, the Berkshire Ski League renamed the league the Brigham Ski League in honor of Bob’s commitment to scholastic alpine ski racing. And in keeping with tradition, the Boys Varsity won the BSL Slalom, BSL Giant Slalom and Overall Brigham Ski League Championships. Bob lives in Sheffield with his wife, Iona, and continues to provide his support for the ski team and the school.
2013 Highlights
The Bears’ 2013 ski season was, in short, an amazing experience. Both the Boys and Girls Varsity teams went undefeated in the league competition. In addition, all of our USSA skiers distinguished themselves in both the Tri-state and Eastern events.
Bear Facts New England Class A Championships (87 Teams)
USSA and FIS
• Boys Varsity – 2nd Overall Class A Championships
• Girls Varsity – 4th Overall Class A Championships (1st Overall Slalom Team)
• New England Podium Medalists: Elise Chauvel ’15, Eliza Stichter ’16, and Jackson vanZon-Borwick ‘13
Berkshire School named all (8) of our U16 athletes to the USSA Tri-state U16 Championships; Elise Chauvel ’15, Katherine Frick ’15, Annette Key ’16, Ben Lang ’15, Samantha Reagan ’16, Bryce Schuler ’15, Caroline Slyer ’16, and Eliza Stichter ’16. The following Bear skiers qualified and competed in the:
Brigham Ski League (11 Teams)
• Boys Varsity – 1st Overall Team wining both Slalom and Giant Slalom Team Championships. The Boys are undefeated over the past three years!
• Girls Varsity – 3rd Overall Team in competing with the Boys and Co-ed teams and 1st Overall among the Girls teams.
• USSA U16 Eastern Championships: Elise Chauvel ‘15
• USSA U16 Eastern Finals: Annette Key ’16 and Bryce Schuler ‘15
• USSA U21/18 Eastern Finals: George Frick III ’14, Nate MacKenzie ’14, Ian Rasmussen ’14, and Julia Slyer ’14.
• Eastern FIS Championships and the Elite FIS Spring Series: Jackson vanZon-Borwick ‘13
Special mention to:
• Elise Chauvel ’15, who qualified into the Eastern U16 Championship and was named to the US U16 AM-CAN Team, a collection of the top 60 U16’s in the U.S.
• Jackson vanZon-Borwick ’13 will graduate with 6 New England Championships under his belt for skiing; two Team New England Championships and four Individual New England Championships (Two Overall Boy Champion and Two Slalom Boy Champion).
COACHES CORNER
Elise Chauvel ’15
Coach John Borwick ‘81
Coach Evan Clary grew
(parent of Jackson ’13 and Hunter ’16) is a former coach in the National Development System prior to coaching at the Stratton Mountain School (SMS). At SMS, Borwick worked under two former US Ski Team coaches Mike Morin and Eric Harlow and coached current USST athletes Brittany Lathrop, Libby Gibson and Nick Krause.
up racing in Colorado before setting his sights on his academics. At Berkshire, Clary chairs the English Department, which ensures that our racers are both fast and grammatically correct. Clary is a licensed USSA Club Coach.
Coach Maura MacKenzie (parent of Nate ’14) was the former Berkshire School Ski Team Head Coach and assists the current program.
Jackson vanZon-Borwick ’13
For the 2013 season, Berkshire brought on three weekend club coaches to assist in our USSA Program. Coach George Frick (parent of George ’14 and Kathrine ’16) brought with him fifteen years of coaching experience with the Okemo Mountain Alpine Race Association. Coaches John Slyer (parent of Julia ’14 and Caroline ’16) and Scott Govertsen (parent of Krissy ’15) are new to coaching and provided needed race support.
245 North Undermountain Road Sheffield, MA 01257 Address Service Requested
Julia Slyer ‘14
We NEEd YOU! Support our Ski Team by making a donation today! To donate online, scan this QR code with your mobile device or go to alumni.berkshireschool.org/donate. Please be sure to designate your gift to the Ski Team. For any questions, contact Myra Riiska at 413-229-1225 or email mriiska@berkshireschool.org. As we all know, skiing can be an expensive sport. While we are fortunate to have the support of our athletic department to cover some of our basic costs, we continue to depend on the generosity of our supporters to meet the full needs of the program and its continued growth. In each issue of this newsletter, we will be including a Wish List of items that the program needs. We appreciate your support and every gift makes a difference! For more information, please contact John Borwick ‘81 at johnborwick@berkshireschool.org.
Wish List Item
TOTAL
Beyond X Speed Suits Assistant Coaches (3) SPM 30mm Olympic Club Gates Motorola Radio SPM 30mm Gate Shafts SPM Shaft Protection Sleeve Swix Ski Vices Bushnell Laser Range Finder Makita Cordless Drill WCS Course Tape Student Fee - $718/student *USSA Fee - $400/student
$3,250 $2,500 $1,455 $315 $300 $272 $258 $180 $99 $19 ~$22,258 ~$6,000
*Additional fee for those wishing to compete in USSA as well as school races
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