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ski team SUMMER 2014 Newsletter
INSIDE
2
2 2014 Boys and Girls Varsity & Junior Varsity Rosters
2
Coaches Corner
3
2014 Season Highlights
4
Wish List
4
Contact Us
Message from the Captains
OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM —
SKI TEAMS DISPLAY COLLECTIVE STRENGTH Welcome to the latest Berkshire School Ski Team (BSST) newsletter which highlights the program’s great season, complete with the highs and lows of competitive skiing. Prior to the start of the 2013-2014 season, we interviewed over fifty potential applicants who expressed an interest in competitive ski racing at Berkshire. In the end, we welcomed six new skiers to the boys varsity squad, and four skiers to the junior varsity team. The girls ski team offered a young squad in which five of the eight skiers were beginning their second year at Berkshire. While in year’s past the teams had been filled with skiers of variant skills and interest, this year’s teams displayed similar
skill and passion levels that provided a seemingly symbiotic effect that worked to elevate their enjoyment, and accelerate their learning. The real beauty lay within the individuals coming together and supporting each other’s efforts and results, thus providing the true strength of team. As we head into our 81st season, the ski team asks for your continued support. Without you, our team is not availed the variables that help support our skiers, such as solid training, seasoned coaches and proper equipment. Thank you for any support. Go Bears! Coach John Borwick ’81, Coach Cency Middleton and Coach Patrick Donovan
THE TRIUMVIRATE OF TEAM A scant five years ago, three skiers arrived at Berkshire and began to define a process, providing a renewed interest and catalyst to drive their program to greater heights and a return to dominance. Thomas “Bray” Wilcock ’12 came to Berkshire and immediately fulfilled a leadership role, carving out the No. 1 spot on varsity his freshman year. Beguiling his young age, Bray provided leadership for the next four years, ultimately helping lead the school to its first ever NEPSAC New England Team Championship. Bray, of Darien, Conn., provided a selfless desire to finish a race, rather than go for individual glory. His team-first approach reflects his life philosophy, which serves
him, and his country well at the United States Naval Academy. Bray is currently a member of the Naval Academy Ski Team, competing in the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (Div. II). As the team grew, the school facilitated separate boys and girls varsity and junior varsity programs. Our second trium perfectum alumna provided the link between these teams, helping create a single unit focused on the enjoyment of the sport of skiing. Swetha Kodali ’13 evenly split her time between girls varsity and junior varsity, effectively leading both squads. Her level-minded leadership and quiet calmness placed many things in perspective, allowing the teams to do what
Swetha Kodali ‘13 and Bray Wilcock ‘12 competing at the USCSA Princeton University College Carnival at Hunter Mountain, NY
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Girls Varsity Apline Skiing Ros Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Emily Barclay Molly Coleman Katherine Frick Krissy Govertsen Annette Key Samantha Reagan Caroline Slyer Julia Slyer
2015 2016 2016 2015 2016 2016 2016 2014
Toggenburg Race Team, NY Butternutt Race Team, MA OMARA/OMS, VT Jiminy Peak Race, MA Stratton Mountain School, VT Mt Snow Training Center, VT Jiminy Peak Race, MA Jiminy Peak Race, MA
Berkshire’s girls team captured second place at New Englands, while the boys team finished in third place.
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FROM THE CAPTAINS Greetings from the Berkshire School Ski Team! This past season, with the addition of several strong newcomers to a solid returning roster, the team worked diligently throughout the season to continually improve. With excellent showings at the Class A New Englands from both varsity teams as well as the girls’ and boys’ titles in the Brigham Ski League, the season was a huge success. Currently, we are getting ready for summer training in Mt. Hood, Oregon, the first of many pre-season training opportunities. With several new additions to both the boys and girls teams for the upcoming season, BSST athletes will undoubtedly continue to improve and approach the 2015 season with confidence and determination. Although this ski season has ended, we are already preparing for another excellent year of competition! - Julia Slyer ’14 and Ian Rasmussen ’14
Boys Varsity Alpine Skiing Ros Name
Class
FORMER PROGRAM
Samuel Bannett Rawson Clough Wilfred Dyer Kloman George Frick III Ben Lang Nathaniel MacKenzie Michael Melvin Ian Rasmussen Tyler Smith Maarten van t’Wout
2017 2017 2017 2014 2015 2014 2017 2014 2016 2014/PG
CEVA La Moline, Spain Butternut Race Team/IMS, MA Green Mountain Valley School, VT OMARA/OMS, VT Catamount Race Team, MA Butternut Race Team, MA Sugarloaf/CVA, ME Stratton Mountain School, VT Stratton Mountain School, VT Netherlands
Junior Varsity (Co-Ed) Skiing
Roster
Name Class
Logan Bigall Alexandra Duryea Amir Ghani Bryn Kenny Stephen Matlock Ben Nadler
2017 2016 2017 2014 2017 2016
COACHES CORNER Coach John Borwick ‘81 is a former Head U16 Coach of the Holiday program in New York, before moving west to work as a U16 Coach with MART. Borwick was selected to work with the National Development System in USSA Rocky/Central before returning to take on the position of Alpine U16 Coach & Alpine Admissions with the Stratton Mountain School. While at SMS, Borwick worked under two former U.S. Ski Team coaches, Mike Morin and Eric Harlow, and coached USST athletes Brittany Lathrop, Libby Gibson and Nick Krause. Borwick is a USSA certified Alpine Coach, Alpine Official and former USSA Eastern Program Coach. Coach Cency Middleton is a former Williston Northampton School ski racer who competed in NEPSAC competitions. Cency attended Washington and Jefferson College where she helped lead her women’s soccer team to three straight Presidents Athletic Conference Championships and selections into the NCAA Div. III National Championship Tournament. Cency brings with her a wealth of skills, knowledge and passion to the ski race program. Coach Middleton is a licensed USSA Club Coach.
Coach Patrick Donovan grew up in the mountains of western Maine, where he spent the majority of his winter days skiing at Sunday River. He attended Gould Academy for his secondary education, where he competed at the USSA and FIS levels, and spent his senior year training and racing out of Megeve, France. Patrick matriculated from Gould to the University of New Hampshire, where he was a member of the NCAA Division I ski team for four years, and captained the team his senior year. After college Patrick coached USSA and FIS athletes at Killington Mountain School, Proctor Academy, and most recently Indian Mountain School. Coach Donovan brings a wealth of ski racing and coaching experience from around the world and can not wait to start up with the Berkshire Ski Team.
2014 Highlights Bear Facts New England Class A Championships (87 Teams)
• Girls Varsity – 2nd Overall (2nd Giant Slalom Team, 2nd Slalom Team)
• Boys Varsity – 3rd Overall (1st Giant Slalom Team, 4th Slalom Team)
• New England Podium Medalists: Annette Key ’16, Caroline Slyer ’16, Julia Slyer ’14, Nate MacKenzie ’14 and Ian Rasmussen ’14.
Rawson Clough ‘17
United States Ski Association (USSA)
Berkshire School named all (8) of our U16’s to the USSA Tristate Championships (Molly Coleman ’16, Annette Key ’16, Samantha Reagan ’16, Caroline Syler ’16 Samuel Bannet ’17, Rawson Clough ’17, Wilfred Dyer Kloman ’17 and Michael Melvin ’17). The following Bear skiers qualified and competed in the:
Brigham Ski League (11 Teams)
• USSA Eastern U16 Championships: Annette Key ‘16
• Boys Varsity – 1st Overall Team, 1st Overall Giant Slalom Team, 1st Overall Slalom Team. Boys Varsity remains undefeated in past four years of BSL competitions.
• USSA Eastern U16 Finals: Caroline Slyer ’16, Rawson Clough ’17 (1st Alt to U16 Champs) and Wilfred Dyer Kloman ’17 (Alternate Molly Coleman ’16)
• Girls Varsity – 3rd Overall Team (competing against all boys and co-ed teams).
• USSA Eastern U21/U18 Finals: Julia Slyer ’14, George Frick ’14 and Nate MacKenzie ’14 (Alternate Emily Barclay ’15)
Special mention to:
• Of the hundreds of racers competing in USSA Tristate (MA, CT, RI), within the U21 and U18 age class, Nate MacKenzie ’14 finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in all of USSA Tristate.
• Nate MacKenzie ’14 went on to place 2nd and 5th in the USSA Eastern U21/18 Finals in Slalom.
• Annette Key ’16, was named to the United States U16 Can-Am Team, a collection of the top 60 U16’s in the U.S.
Julia Slyer ‘14
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they do best: win. As a senior, Swetha was named the School’s Head Prefect, which perfectly demonstrated her standing among her peers and faculty with respect to her outstanding leadership abilities. Swetha rounded out her skiing career at Berkshire earning the Joel Coffin Memorial Award for Spirit in Alpine Skiing. She is currently a member of the Columbia University Alpine Ski Team, which also competes in the USCSA. A “native-transplant” of Madison, Wisconsin, Jackson vanZon-Borwick ‘13 cut his teeth training and racing on hills no larger than Buck Valley, yet moved east and attended the Stratton Mountain School. After two short years in Vermont and carrying a No. 7 ranking for his age, Jackson sought out Berkshire to balance his academic goals with his passion of ski racing and playing soccer at a high level. At the time of his graduation, Jackson had earned more New England Championships (team and individual) than anyone before him at Berkshire
and was ranked No. 31 in the U.S. for his age group. This fall, Jackson will attend and compete for Babson College. Based upon their passion, leadership and accomplishments both on and off the ski slopes, these three Berkshire alums continue to provide the catalyst for others seeking a more diverse and rigorous academic curriculum, while being afforded the opportunity to chase their goals and dreams on a ski race hill.
Jackson vanZon-Borwick ‘13 after winning an International FIS slalom at GMVS, Vermont.
245 North Undermountain Road Sheffield, MA 01257 Address Service Requested
Molly Coleman ’16
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!
Wish List Item TOTAL
Gates (26)
$ 1,280
Video camera
$ 399
Gate Shafts (20)
$ 399
Radio
$ 315
Whisker brushes (20)
$ 215
Gate Drill (plus accessories)
$ 189
For more information, please contact John Borwick ‘81 at johnborwick@berkshireschool.org.
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