Congratulations to all of our student-athletes on an incredible 2021-2022 Winter Season! It was another winter full of logistical challenges, and as Head of School, I’ll be totally honest that most days I felt like Sisyphus, the character from Greek mythology punished by Zeus for cheating death and damned to an eternity of pushing a giant boulder up a hill. However, sitting here now at the end of the season and reflecting up on it all, it is clear that all of that struggling, by not just me but by all of us here, to push that boulder up the hill, was completely worth it! We have had an amazing winter of success – there are so many amazing stories of athletic, academic, and personal accomplishments. I invite you to read on and learn more about our student-athletes, and in particular the seniors to whom we bid farewell! I look forward to following their success in the years to come
Academic Excellence Awards
Greatest Gains: Tommy Okesson
“Tommy has been working hard all year, which is very evident in his academic improvements. In snowboarding, he dreams big and works towards every goal he sets out to achieve. It has been so much fun watching Tommy grow as a student, athlete, and young man!” - Ashley Belcher
“Tommy is a dedicated student-athlete. He uses his class-time wisely and has been building a solid academic foundation this year. It's been so enjoyable to see him develop as both a teammate and a student! You can’t help but smile when you are around Tommy.” - Ericka Priestley
Excellence in English: Graham Stein
“Graham is an extremely dedicated young man that meets challenges head-on with a tenacity and sophistication far beyond his years. Graham lets nothing get in the way of his academics, in English he continuously comes to class ready to learn and always has a positive disposition. Graham has written quality literary analysis essays, his writing skills are unparalleled and his work consistently impresses me. Not only is his writing superb, he is quite thoughtful in the discussions we have. Graham is always trying to expand his perspective and put himself in the shoes of others in order to make sense of texts we read and make deeper connections. His work ethic is above reproach, this year he has put in immense effort into all of his assignments and it has truly paid off.” - Ayanna Johnson
“Consistent, diligent, willing and hard working are a few words to describe Graham. In addition to being rock solid in all aspects of English, he also unleashes surprises with his ability to be original and creative.” - John Rushing
Excellence in History: Bobby Eilers
“I discovered almost immediately that Bobby is a conversationalist par excellence. In this course, we talked about an impossible subject: the historical development of the soul and self. “This is so great!” Bobby would say, as he applied equal measures of joy, curiosity, insight, and skepticism to chew on readings like The Philosophical Baby: What Children's Minds Tell Us About Truth, Love and the Meaning of Life. To imagine the status of the soul and self in 2021, we turned to a recent article by novelist Ruth Ozeki who observed, “Our features have been obscured by masks, or viewed on screens, for months. We may never look at ourselves in the same way again.” “I love it!” Bobby exclaimed. Needless to say, we forgot when the period ended for almost every class. Bobby will tell you that there is no better way to learn than a combo of close reading and good conversation, and he may be right. Congratulations Bobby on this award for excellence in history, which is so well deserved.” -OMS History Department
Excellence in Foreign Language: Tad D’Andrea
“Tad is a hard working student who loves the Spanish language. He also has that special motivation required to improve in every step he takes, because succeeding at school does not mean never making mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes; that’s how we learn and grow. It’s avoiding making the same mistake that gets you closer to your goals.” - Horacio Travaglini
Excellence in Science: Brady Spenlinhauer
“Brady has been a student on a mission in physics! Determined, driven, organized and inquisitive, Brady got all of his work done while mastering the material and always with a positive attitude. His tower constructed with wooden sticks held a heavy textbook for many weeks, and his series of energy transfers exhibited imagination, fun and creativity. Keep having fun in college, Brady!!” - Steve Severson
“Brady is an example of a student who has developed passion, leadership and excellence in academics that matches the passion he has for his sport and for life. Brady is deserving of The Excellence in Science award due to his hard work and willingness to do his best.” - Wendy Hayward
Excellence in Mathematics: Sumner Orr
“Precalculus is arguably the most difficult step in all K-12 mathematics. Excellence in this course requires true mastery of all preceding algebraic concepts (order of operations, graphing functions, solving systems of equations, manipulating fractions, as well as quadratic, exponential, and rational functions, among others). Students must recall and deploy methods often not seen since elementary education. It is quite a Jenga tower—Forget one basic concept and whole problems quickly become overwhelming. In all cases, I support students’ aspirations to build on their (by now quite significant) math repertoire while continuously reinforcing the most essential foundations. I am thrilled to say that, in the face of these significant challenges, Sumner has vastly exceeded expectations for a student of his grade level. His insatiable curiosity and willingness to practice in and outside of class have led him to routinely attempt—and often to overcome—math questions normally reserved for intermediate calculus courses at the 12th grade or college level. He absorbs problem-solving strategies with admirable speed and accuracy to the point he can often teach them to other students. On especially gloomy days with Vermont rain and problems to make your head spin, that is, when I might reasonably expect frustration, Sumner returns calm positivity and level-headed determination. Sumner has fully earned the pride and self-confidence this award should instill in him. I ask that he press on with his study of math and not let grade-level recommendations constrain his progress, and I wish him all the best for the very bright future ahead of him.” - Andreas Gilpin-Falk
“This is a great example of a student that has developed a passion, to succeed academically. He made a commitment to work hard and be successful, while learning to balance his studies, his sport and his personal life. Sumner is deserving of The Excellence in Math award for his willingness to work independently, ask questions and produce quality work.” - Wendy Hayward
Excellence in Art: Sam Doolittle
“Sam Doolittle brings great energy, a willingness to thoughtfully explore a project, and creativity to the Art Room. To achieve excellence in art one does not have to be a just great artist or solely academically focused. Whether offering an idea, showing a classmate a technique or sharing a tool, he is very thoughtful and helpful to his fellow classmates. Sam brings to mind the image of what an OMS student represents and is a leader among his peers.” - Betsey Johnson
Head of School Awards
These awards are given to one middle school and one high school student-athlete who embody the qualities we most value in a student-athlete at Okemo Mountain School – hard-working, driven, self-motivated, disciplined, and kind. These student-athletes display a strong sense of personal responsibility and are valuable contributors to the school community - on the hill, in the classroom, and around the community. Each year the recipients of this award are nominated and voted upon by the OMS faculty and staff.
Middle School Head of School: Matthew Burns
“Matt is a fantastic student. He is charismatic and inclusive. He always comes to class excited and ready to learn! He is a very hard worker and puts effort into every assignment. He is a great example for his peers.” - Christina Roberts
“Matthew is the nicest person to peers, teachers, and coaches. He goes out of his way to make sure he says ‘hello’ every time he passes you in the hallway. He is the kind of kid that always brings a smile to your face!” - Ashley Belcher
“Matt is positive, kind, and approachable! He wants the best for his peers and cheers them on in dryland and on the hill! He is the best role model.” -Claire Isherwood
“Matt is one the most thoughtful kids I have met. He is always putting others first and wanting everyone to feel included. He also works so hard in the classroom and on the hill. He loves to learn and is always looking forward to learning something new. We are so lucky to have him as part of the OMS team!” -Marissa Foote
High School Head of School: Sam Hambsch
“I have had the opportunity to work with Sam Hambsch for several years now. Sam came to us from the small (but mighty) ski resort nearby called Suicide Six that he lives close to. Sam first skied with us at the OMS Mount Hood Summer Camp. It was immediately obvious that he was a skilled skier and a great athlete. He took to the OMS crew right away and quickly became one of the group. During that camp it became apparent that he had a tremendous work ethic and strived to improve his skiing. Over the last several years Sam has proven himself to be an extremely hard worker, a great teammate to his friends and a great skier. I have seen Sam go through highs and lows in his skiing but he has always maintained a positive attitude. I feel in the last year Sam has developed a healthy philosophy of what it means to be an athlete that pursues lofty goals with all the ups and downs that accompany that along the way. I am very proud of Sam for the athletic accomplishments that he has made in the past year but I am certainly more proud of the way he has learned to approach competition with a long term growth mindset and also how he supports his fellow teammates. Sam is the kind of kid that makes the entire team better. In short he is a true leader. I look forward to watching Sam pursue his goals in skiing and beyond in the years to come.” -Chris Hurka
“Sam is a thoughtful and courteous young man with a solid work ethic, always caring that his work is done well and that he has developed an excellent understanding of material covered. Working with Sam is a true pleasure!” - Alison Deslauriers
“Academically, Sam always strives to do his best. He works hard to achieve good grades and takes pride in his work. In terms of his general attitude and personality, he strikes me as a very mature, down to earth, and responsible young man. I wonder if his Vermont roots give him a bit of a 'home advantage' in terms of confidence and level-headedness. He seems to have a good rapport with his peers and I have really enjoyed working in class with him!” - Uli Donohue
“I really appreciate Sam's positive attitude and funny humor he brings to class every day. Sam is a bright student and is always keen to contribute his ideas to class discussions. I have truly enjoyed being his teacher this Year.” - Aude Stengel
Athletic Achievement Awards
Snowboarding Awards
Most Improved Male Rider: Henry Bonang
“In his first year at OMS, this rookie rider has improved immensely on all aspects of his riding and has podiumed in all 5 disciplines. He is also not afraid to go full send in the park and pipe regardless of conditions and has taken some hard falls throughout the year as a result.” - Luke Bonang
Most Improved Female Rider: Elizabeth Thompson
“In her first year at OMS, this young athlete has made HUGE strides since her first day with the school on January 27th. She learned to ollie in her first week with us and can now be seen sending the medium jumps in the OMS park. She is also fresh off from a couple of podiums in her first two banked slalom events held at Killington and Stratton!” - Luke Bonang
Stylemaster: Sumner Orr
“The stylemaster award goes to the rider who makes everything look effortless, awesome and simply put, just plain oozes style. This rider is very fun to watch and is now taking his style to bigger tricks in both the park and halfpipe.” - Luke Bonang
Coaches’ Award: Colin O’Brien
“This athlete listens well, puts in his best effort each day, and is very coachable. His riding has come a long way since he started in January and is highly deserved of this award.” - Luke Bonang
Rider of the Year: Tommy Okesson
“This athlete has continued to push the progression envelope day in and day out and has established a rather extensive bag of tricks this year. He is a very hard worker, very coachable, adds comedy to our daily routine, and has a drive like no other. His tenacity and love for snowboarding has landed him in the rankings at #1 in the halfpipe and #2 in slopestyle, Nationally. We are proud to give the rider of the year award to Tommy “T-bone” Okesson.” - Luke Bonang
Freeski Awards
Most Improved Athlete: Ocean Einhorn
“Ocean had a great season competing in USASA Slopestyle, Halfpipe, Ski Cross and IFSA Freeride events. She was continually progressing and pushing herself to the next level. It will be exciting to see her progress next season.” -Mike Bruno
Coaches’ Award: Ciaran de Buy Wenniger
“Ciaran loves the sport of skiing. Whether he is training, skiing powder, a groomer or in the trees he always has a positive attitude. His passion for the sport will lead him to success in his future years as a competitor. He has some strong results this year as well.” - Mike Bruno
Male Skier of the Year: Ethan Rosenberg
“Ethan had a great season becoming more confident in the park on jumps and rails. He had a few top finishes in USASA events and IFSA freeride events in a competitive age group. He enjoys the competitive aspect and the joy to freeski as well.” - Mike Bruno
Female Skier of the Year: Emily Ahlcrona
“Emily had a great competition season in USASA events. She had multiple first place finishes in all three disciplines. She progressed and learned new tricks in both the park and halfpipe taking her skiing to the next level.” - Mike Bruno
U12 Alpine Awards
Female Most Improved Athlete: Kira Smith
“Kira has improved a tremendous amount this season. Her feel for the snow is great and she skis with such efficiency. There is very little wasted movements in her skiing. She is extremely precise especially in slalom. She has a strong understanding of line and tactics. Kira likes to send it and has a bright future ahead as a U14 and beyond!” - Mike Cronin
Male Most Improved Athlete: Cole Spenlinhauer
“I am very glad that Cole got to spend so much time on snow this season. He is finishing the season miles ahead of where he started. Cole made major gains in his edge angle and has progressed a ton in both SL and GS. Cole is always quick with a “Dad joke” or riddle to keep the chairlift rides entertaining.” - Mike Cronin
Female Coaches’ Award: Lucy Robinson
“Lucy, although her spirit animal is a cow, she loves to ski fast. Lucy put in the effort this year to make some huge gains in her technical abilities. She battled through retraining her muscles to eliminate a big tip lead issue. The result was much higher edge angle and pressure on the outside foot. She has even started sending the jumps in the terrain park. Let’s see a cow do that!” - Mike Cronin
Male Coaches’ Award: Matthew Burns
“Matthew is a dedicated teammate and athlete. He is always listening and striving to improve his game. Matt had a season with many challenges that kept him off snow several times for different reasons. Matt kept his positive attitude throughout and never let anything break his character. This kid is resilient. His drive for improvement and care for his teammates is infectious.” - Mike Cronin
Female Skier of the Year: Chloe Blount
“Chloe has been working very hard on her fundamental movement pattern for the last two years. From a hip dump to stacking, from counter rotation to square, and eliminating a big tip lead, Chloe has been putting in the work to build a movement pattern to be successful for many years. As she was able to make these corrections her race results were there waiting for her. She is really skiing fast!” - Mike Cronin
Male Skier of the Year: Ryan Boyle
“Ryan was the guy with the top results for our team this year. But there are more valuable traits to Ryan. He is driven to do his best at all times and he doesn’t accept any less from himself. His constant need to succeed is something that will yield results both on and off the snow. Ryan has worked to improve his technical abilities at training and his tactics on race day. He is on a great track!” - Mike Cronin
U14 Alpine Awards
Coaches’ Award: Cami Blount
“Cami is a fun loving and dedicated athlete. She is always willing to lend a hand to help coaches and her teammates. She asks questions and looks to have a deeper understanding of what she needs to do to improve. She is often the first to speak up and ask questions, when others in the group are not. This helps the whole U14 group grow in understanding and knowledge. Cami had some of her best Slalom results at State Championships, earning her a spot to Eastern Championships. Cami has been at OMS since November, at times being the only athlete with two coaches. We are sad to see Cami graduate to U16's, but excited to see her improvements as she moves into the next age group.” - Jet Robbins
Male Skier of the Year: Ryan Visnic
“Ryan is an athlete that loves to ski. He can be found free skiing and enjoying the mountain anytime he is not training. We love Ryan's aggressive and athletic skiing ability. He is always in full send mode and has some of the best crashes, with some footage featured in the Slalom Tokyo Drift Instagram. He is always quick to get up from a fall and go again. He has great agility and can make some amazing saves. As a first year U14 he has qualified for Eastern Championships. He has many top 10 finishes and is capable of skiing at the top of his birth year in any Championship event. We are excited to work with Ryan again as a U14 next year and watch him grow into an elite athlete.” -Jet Robbins
Female Skier of the Year: Emma van Heyst
“Emma is a talented and hard working athlete with the ability to race at the very top of her age group. She is a great teammate and pushes her peers to become the best they can be. We have seen Emma make some incredible recoveries throughout the season, which speaks to her high level of athleticism. As a second year U14 she has demonstrated a thirst to improve her skiing and has a great understanding of what she needs to do to become faster. Emma won the MVC Council this season and also has a number of podiums at Tri-council and Championship events. We are excited to see where Emma takes the sport in the future!” - Jet Robbins
U16 Alpine Awards
Female Most Improved Athlete: Katie Boyle
“Katie has truly earned the award of Most Improved Skier this season! She has put in the hard work day in and day out and it truly paid off for her. She’s continulously trying new drills and putting the time in on snow that’s required to make gains in her technical development as a Ski Racer. It’s been awesome working with Katie this season and watching all the hard work pay off. She has changed her technique, improved with race day tactics and the overall mental approach to race day. I look forward to working with Katie and continuing to progress her Alpine Development. She should continue to work hard this off season, have a dedicated work out routine and continue training with on-snow/off season camps.” - Bobby Jones
Female Skier of the Year: Riley Keane
“Riley has a very natural touch on the snow and is a very hard working, detail oriented Ski Racer. She’s eager to hear technical feedback and always applies it in her following freeruns, drill run’s or training runs. She is truly a student of the sport; always pushing to learn more, trying new techniques, looking to get faster and always pushing the limits. She embraces challenges and is driven to find new drills which will help with line, turn shape, edge angle and other adjustments to make her a better Ski Racer. As a first year U16 athlete she has had multiple top 10’s, top 5’s and a podium finish in the Vermont Cup circuit. After the State Championships Riley ended up ranking 28th in the State of Vermont. After qualifying for the U16 Eastern Championships out of the VT State Championships Riley skied her way to a 36th overall ranking out of 78 athletes from all over the Northeast. And that’s as a first year U16. I’m looking forward to what the future holds for Riley, with more hard work, dedication to working out and on-snow/off season camps she should enter the 2022/23 season at the top of her game.” - Bobby Jones
Male Most Improved Athlete: Carter Robinson
“It has been really rewarding to watch Carters progress this year. Carter exemplifies the ideal of having a positive outlook on things. He is always thinking of constructive ways to frame the day and trying to find the lesson from the training session or a race, whether it went the way he wanted or not. Carter is a great athlete but he has improved because he is an extremely hard worker and has a great attitude! Carter really found another gear toward the end of the season which was noticed in practice and also placing 10th in the GS and 11th in the SG at Vermont State Championships. It has been awesome to work with him over the last several seasons. I look forward to watching him race FIS next season!” - Chris Hurka
Male Coaches’ Award: Sam Rotermund
“Sam Rotermund is one of the most diligent, hard working and focused kids I have ever met. He always is out there putting the time in, paying attention to feedback and trying to implement the concepts that he is learning. Sam is also a great teammate to his friends and willing to help anyone out. It has been great to watch his steady progress throughout the season and I really look forward to watching his progress next year!” - Chris Hurka
Male Skier of the Year: Graham Stein
“This was a very hard category to choose. We had three athletes, Tad D’Andrea, Sam Hambsch and Graham Stein who all had the ability to win any given race at any given day. I'm very proud of all of them. At the time when I was choosing this award Graham had just come off an amazing run at Vermont States where he won the SG (by 1/100), 13th in the GS (winning second run), 7th in the SL to end up 2d overall. In addition to this Graham was a familiar face on the podium each week all season. Graham is a really fast skier and also a great teammate to his peers. Even though Easterns didn't go the way he wanted I see a bright and fast future for Graham!” - Chris Hurka
U18 Alpine Awards
Female Most Improved Athlete: Tia Spenlinhauer
“Tia came into the season after a summer of hard work in the gym. She continued to work hard in training and was eager to learn. Tia's attendance and number of runs at each practice early in the season was impressive. Although Tia has had difficulty finding the finish line, her skiing has greatly improved and with continued focus and work things will click and improvements will continue.” - John Tyler
Female Skier of the Year: Merina Visnic
“Merina is having an incredible season. Starting with some really fast skiing, Merina had some great single runs early in the season but did not put two together. Switching gears we headed to Sugarloaf to take on speedweek. In her first DH race ever Merina finished in 6th in both races and was top 3 in the east. Fired up from this experience we headed to Stratton for FIS GS were from Bib 87, the last starter she won two runs, winning her first FIS race. The second race of the series, she skied another top 5 run and ended up 12 for the day. The Sugarloaf and Stratton race results scored her a spot at the U8 Nationals at Vail CO. In Vail, Merina continued her impressive streak and was 5th overall and the top Eastern Downhiller. Her current ranking in DH is 49th overall in the Nation; The 8th ranked Downhiller in the 2005 birth year in the nation and the 1st in the east. Merina was invited to the NORAM Cup Finals and SR National Championship at Sugarloaf, as well.” - John Tyler
Male Most Improved Athlete: Owen Poodiack
“Owen's improvement this year was easy to spot on the training hill, especially when the camera was out. He really started putting the pieces of his technique and tactics together into a beautiful, fluid movement pattern with aggressive edge angle and upper body discipline at the gate. It was really a joy to see his hard work come to fruition with a victory at the Bromley Slalom race. Owen's year is evidence that the correlation between effort and results does not occur in a smooth, straight line, but the correlation is absolutely undeniable over the long run and really special when that quantum leap happens.” - Roger Kimball
Male Coaches’ Award: Josh Rosenberg
“Josh has suffered through a couple of seasons of personal frustration and relative obscurity due to nagging injury. It has been a joy to welcome him back to live action this season and watch him do what he loves to do ... and what he's pretty damn good at. His attention to strength, conditioning, flexibility and mobility have been tremendous. To maintain a positive mindset through all of these ups and downs has taken a lot of resolve. In his first year on the FIS circuit, despite the setbacks, he has already re-established himself as one of the nation's best without missing a beat. From start positions at the back of the pack he has skied with skill and grit that portend a bright future. He already has several impressive results, but one that showcases his talent best may be winning the second run of a FIS Slalom at Suicide 6 recently in a field that include guys on the Dartmouth carnival team. That's just the beginning. What makes the Coaches Award so fitting for Josh is how he exemplifies on a daily basis the character and culture that we prize here at Okemo Mountain School. He comes to training eager to learn, eager to get in as much volume as he can. He's truly thoughtful about every run he takes, every turn he makes. He communicates respectfully with coaches and has the maturity to make training and racing decisions based on a sound athletic development plan regardless of what his peers may be doing or thinking. At the same time he knows how to share a good laugh with his friends and is always supportive of the team.” - Roger Kimball
Male Skier of the Year: Ryan Thomson
“Coming off a pretty spectacular first year of FIS last year, Ryan put in more hard work during the prep period from June through September at training camps at Hood and in Saas Fee and Stelvio. This laid the groundwork for another strong season. Unfortunately during the fall he was not able to train as much due to a couple of minor injuries and a focus on academics. But the road of progress often travels through periods of challenge and uncertainty. Once he was healthy again and able to get in some consistent training volume his form and his confidence steadily increased. As we approach the end of the 2022 season Ryan has already pushed the standard even further. A solid block of speed week at Sugarloaf set the stage for his first taste of the Nor-Am circuit. Despite a stacked field and tough course conditions he was able to earn Nor-Am points by finishing 27th in the Alpine Combined in a field including guys competing actively on the World Cup. Ryan not only qualified for U18 Nationals but landed in 3rd place on the Downhill podium. On the basis of this performance he has been invited to US Nationals / Nor-Am Finals to compete in the speed events. What's more, to the coach's eye it's clear that his pace in tech events is continuing to push the limits, even if the speed disciplines are where he has achieved the most obvious glory this year.” - Roger Kimball
Staff Appreciation Awards
Teacher of the Year: Ayanna Johnson
“Ayanna makes learning fun, even in classes that I don't usually enjoy. She helps make classes more interesting and connects with her students.” - Drew Visnic
“Ayanna is a really chill teacher and makes positive connections with her students.” - Cole Firstbrook
“Ayanna goes above and beyond for her students! She is caring and passionate, and wants students to succeed both academically and emotionally. She continuously pushes students to complete work in a timely manner and engages them in meaningful, thought-provoking conversations.” - Ericka Priestley
Coach of the Year: Eddie Johnson
“Coach Eddie is always straightforward about my riding, which helps me improve.” -Tommy Okesson
“Coach Eddie (Mr. Johnson) always brings the vibe up and makes me feel good about my riding.” - Caleb Kampf
“Eddie is very passionate and supportive of his athletes.” - Sumner Orr
“I've been coaching with Eddie for nine years now and I cannot say enough about Eddie. He is a team player, is well-respected by the athletes, and knows the game inside out. He is also very understanding with the athletes, communicates well with the parents, and is always up for the task at hand- whatever it may be. Eddie is a tremendous asset to our program and I am looking forward to working with Eddie for years to come.” - Luke Bonang
OMS 2022 Graduating Seniors
It is with great pleasure that we present to you our seven graduating seniors. These incredible student-athletes represent a myriad of accomplishments. Collectively, they have spent a total of 30 years at OMS. This fact is quite fitting as this is OMS's 30th year in operation! Not only have they been leaders in their respective athletic disciplines, but they also follow impressive academic paths and I know they will each make their mark on the world in meaningful, purposeful ways.
Seniors, you are following in an increasingly long line of impressive OMS student-athletes – the intellect, hard work, and dedication you all display is outstanding! Keep up the hard work as you venture out into life beyond OMS!
