overview

The following awards were given this winter by coaches recognizing individual players for their contribution to the team:

Varsity Girls Basketball
Coach’s Award: Anna Scribner
Dedication, Desire, Discipline: Kristen Cowens
Most Improved Player: Samantha Graves

JV Girls Basketball
Coach’s Award: Renee Garand
Most Improved: Kelsey Lee
Most Valuable Player: Samantha Knudsen

Gymnastics
Most Improved Gymnast: Ami Curtis
Unsung Hero Award: Jenny Sturgis
Coach's Award: Joellen Demers

Nordic Ski
Most Valuable Skiers: Sten Kaeding, Luke Hadden, Chelsea Evans, Kelcie Bean
Most Improved Skier: Toren Ballard
Coach's Award: AJ Fitch

Alpine Ski
Most Improved: Alison Howland
Coach's Awards: Ken Koonz, Melanie Hoermann

Boys Ice Hockey
Leadership/Dedication Award: Jordan Goodwin
Most Improved: Josh Mugford
Most Valuable Player: Steven Kreis

Girls Ice Hockey
Captain’s Award: Kelly Whitcomb
Leadership Award: Katie Joly
Coach's Award: Ashley Vincent

JV Boys Basketball
Most Valuable Player: Ryan Shea
Best Defensive Player: Ethan Byrd
Most Improved Player: John Helme

JVB Boys Basketball
Most Dedicated: John Kazor
Most Improved Player - Dylan Hatch

Cheerleading
Most Valuable: Nick Gray
Coach’s Awards: Aaron Estivill, Katie Reynolds

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alpine skiing
Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) evolved from cross-country skiing when ski lift infrastructure was developed at mountain resorts to tow skiers back to the top of slopes, thus making it possible to repeatedly enjoy skiing down steep, long slopes that would be otherwise too tiring to climb up.

Competitive skiing is broken up into two disciplines: Freestyle and Racing. Racing involves making fast turns around gates in an attempt to get the fastest overall time down a course. Slalom, GS, Super-G, and Downhill are the 4 racing disciplines, with Downhill being the fastest event and Slalom being the most technical. Freestyle skiing incorporates events such as Moguls, aerial acrobatics, and skiier cross.  A typical high school meet in Vermont combines Slalom and Giant Slalom (GS).

our team
U-32 Alpine Skiing was started 13 years ago by a team of parents who wanted their kids to experience high school ski racing. Peter & Mary Hood began the team as a club sport with expectations to grow in the future. Two years later they recruited the services of the Green Mountain Valley School at Mt. Ellen/Sugarbush to improve the quality of the on-hill training experience. Jerry & Mary Sklon were given control of the on hill program for GMVS and were also hired as volunteer U-32 coaches. Eleven years later the team has grown to 26 members and last year qualified for the VT Alpine State Championships.

Joe Ferrada has been added to the staff along with several parent volunteer coaches to help manage the on-hill training sessions. One of the wonderful things about high school Alpine Racing is that it is considered an individual sport but team involvement and team spirit are equally important. That spirit is evident by the support of parents and families and also by the volume from the cheering sections on the side of the hill at each race.

Our collective purpose is not only to teach student-athletes to ski and race safely but also to instruct them how to enjoy skiing and racing for the rest of their lives.

varsity schedule (PDF)

basketball
A Canadian, James Naismith, takes the credit for inventing the game of basketball. As a new faculty member at the YMCA's International Training School (later Springfield College) in Massachusetts, Naismith was challenged by his physical education director to develop a new recreational game "that would provide relief from all the calisthenics and drills." He was set on using a ball and didn't want the players just to run with it. Then he thought it would be more fun if the goals were raised. Eventually, Naismith came up with 13 basic rules, hung peach baskets up in the gym and hoped his students would play. He wasn't disappointed. Hundreds joined in. He didn't make a penny from his invention, but he got to see his new game introduced as a new Olympic sport in 1936 (Berlin) just three years before he passed away. Today basketball is arguably one of the most popular sports. It has grown to become a game not for a specific culture or nation or ethnic group, but for an entire planet to share and enjoy.

boys' basketball schedule | girls' basketball scheule | freshman boys' schedule | freshman girls' schedule

middle school boys' basketball schedule A | middle school boys' schedule B | middle school girls' schedule A | middle school girls' schedule B

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cheerleading
Contrary to popular lore, cheerleading is not a product of the deep South. Even though the most famous cheerleading squad of all time belongs to the Dallas Cowboys, and the sport's perennial national high school champions are from Kentucky, cheerleading has purebred New England roots. In the 1870’s, Princeton organized the first pep club, and in the 1880’s, the first organized yell was recorded at Princeton.

In 1884, a Princeton graduate brought the yell and the sport of football to the University of Minnesota. It was in the cold Midwest that crowds first took a keen interest in hopping around and shouting. From there, cheerleading took off.

Minnesota pioneered innovations in the sport in the 1920’s, when women first became active cheerleaders. Some of the most famous male cheerleaders have included Dwight D. Eisenhower and Jimmy Stewart.

It was not until the middle of the Twentieth Century that pom-poms were developed as a vital prop. Cheerleaders incorporated tumbling and gymnastics into their routines around the same time. In 1978 CBS first televised the National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships, and universities began offering scholarships, college credit, and four-year letter programs in the sport. Today, cheerleading pervades all American athletics, from football to professional athletics.

The U-32 cheerleading program continues to grow and develop a group of very skilled athletes to inject the school community with plenty of pride and spirit as well as some fun entertainment.  Cheerleading is open to all students, with teams at the middle school, JV, and varsity levels.  Our varsity team recently earned the title of state finalists in Division II at the 2007 state cheerleading competition.  Congratulations Raiders!

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gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings and handstands. It developed from fitness exercises used by ancient Greek soldiers, including skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and circus performance skills. It is often considered a dangerous sport, as the difficult acrobatic maneuvers often performed on equipment high above the ground puts the athlete at risk of injury.

Girl Gymnasts in Vermont compete on Floor, Uneven Bars, Vault, and Beam. Though routines performed on each event may be short, they are physically exhausting and push the gymnast's strength, flexibility, endurance, and awareness to the limit. Vault: Gymnasts sprint down a runway, usually about 75 feet long, before leaping on a springboard and holding their bodies straight while punching (blocking using only a shoulder movement) the vault and flipping over to a standing position. In advanced gymnastics, twists are added before landing. Uneven Bars: Women competing on this event must hold themselves in a series of dares while leaping and even flying between two bars. Beam: The balance beam is an event which pushes balance, awareness especially. The beam itself is about 125cm high, 5m long and 10cm wide. Routines include tumbling, turns, upside down feats and a leap series. Floor: The floor is a carpeted area, 12m x 12m, usually springed. Gymnasts perform a series of tumbling and dance moves to music in a routine that lasts between 60-90 seconds.

our teams
Gymnastics is a sport that involves balance, strength, concentration, confidence, persistence and dedication. The U-32 junior high and varsity teams practice at the North Stars gym in Berlin, VT. Both teams are coached by Bob Baker and Amy Scribner. This team has continued to improve each year!

This season we had a small group of Varsity girls consisting of 1 freshman: Sarah Corp, 3 sophomores: Ami Curtis, Ellie Raymond and Jenny Sturgis (Captain), and 3 juniors: Joellen Demers, Julie Bigelow and Joanna Corp (Captain)

The U-32 varsity gymnasts continued to improve this season and prove that they are a strong team. Two years ago U-32 won their first meet in at least 4 years. Last season they won two meets throughout the season! This season they won 4 meets! The state of Vermont has a very competitive gymnastics league. The strongest teams have girls that compete in gymnastics year round. To qualify for the state meet you have to be one of the top five teams in the state. This year U-32 was seeded 6th in the state. This is the closest this team has ever come to qualifying! However 4 out of 7 of the girls on our team qualified and went to the state meet and competed as individuals and we also had one qualify as an alternate on two events!

U-32 has a strong group of young gymnasts. We know that you will continue to see great things from this group in the future. They work very hard and are full of potential. If you are interested in joining this team, sign up next year and give it a try!

high school gymnastics schedule | middle school gymnastics schedule

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ice hockey
The history of ice hockey is one of the most contested in all of sports. The city of Montreal had been traditionally credited with being the birthplace of hockey, but early paintings contest this claim; a 16th-century Dutch painting shows a number of townsfolk playing a hockey-like game on a frozen canal. The origin of the word hockey is officially unknown, but may derive from the Old French word hoquet, shepherd's crook.

The rules of modern ice hockey were devised by Canadian J.G.A. Creighton. In 1875, the first game of ice hockey with Creighton's rules was played in Montreal, Canada. Today, ice hockey is an Olympic sport and the most popular team sport played on ice. Ice hockey is played with two opposing teams wearing ice skates. Unless there is a penalty, each team has six players on the ice at a time. The aim of the game is to knock the hockey puck into the opposing team's net. The net is guarded by a player called the goalie.

Ice hockey is one of the fastest growing women's sports in the world, with the number of participants increasing 400% in the last 10 years. The chief difference between women's and men's ice hockey is that bodychecking is not allowed in women's ice hockey. One woman, Manon Rhéaume, appeared as a goaltender for the Tampa Bay Lightning in a preseason game hosting the St. Louis Blues, and in 2003 Hayley Wickenheiser made history by becoming the first woman skater to play in a men's ice hockey league when she signed with a team in the Finnish league.

our teams
boy's hockey
Ask any member of the U-32 Boy's Ice Hockey team what their goal is this year and you will hear a resounding “Get to the Gut!” For those of you who don’t know what the “Gut” is, it’s short for Gutterson Field House. Gutterson Field House is located at the University of Vermont and is the host site for the division semi-finals and finals. It’s a lofty goal that will be an uphill battle; however, these Raiders are up to the task.

The 2005/2006 squad will boast 16 returning players, 50% of which hail from the junior class. These returning veterans are seasoned and ready to bring their game to the next level. Defense will be stingy this year with senior goaltender Max Semler leading the way between the pipes. In front of Max is a solid defensive core led by juniors Chet Larrow and Cody Pratt. Up front you should expect to see the “finishing touches” of juniors Anders Ostrum, Mike Moran and Brennan Cayia. Combine the above ingredients with utility player “Big” Silas Dowen and the Raiders should be making their first semi-final appearance since the 2001 – 2002 season.

Tylor Bigras, Owen Bogart, Jeff Deforge, Josh Doe, Tayler Gerrish, Jordan Goodwin, Dustin Jones, Steven Kreis, Josh Mugford, Todd Murphy, Alex Ostrum, Shaun Sarracco, Sam Shepler and Tyler Whalen round out this team that exemplifies commitment. Dedication, diligence and integrity have been seared into the hearts of these young men. Opponents beware as the Raiders are on a quest!

boys' hockey schedule

girl's hockey
The Girl's Varsity Ice Hockey team of 2006-2007 was just that - a TEAM! The roster was small but the girls played big. Gritty would be the best word to describe the team and the players individually. The "Big Blue" was TKO'd in the quarter finals but buzzed the opponents goal until the last second. They still had a record of 11-10 -1 which is clearly a winning season. Every opponent the team played this year was very competitive and the girls had to play as a unit to have success. The camaraderie was evident on and off the ice which made for a fun winter.

This edition of "Big Blue" hockey is a wonderful example for future teams to follow.

girls' hockey schedule

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nordic skiing
Nordic skiing (also known as cross country skiing) is a winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields. There are two basic techniques practiced in high school nordic skiing.

classical
Cross-country skiers use a running-like action to move when on level ground or uphill. When full bodyweight is placed on the ski to flatten it against the snow, the center section of a classic ski will either have "fish scales," or ski wax that will stick to the snow. This gives the skier grip with which they can propel themselves forward. Skiers also use poles to assist with balance and propulsion, in varying amounts depending on terrain, fatigue and speed. The arm opposite the leading foot is reached forward and the pole is planted. During races in the classic technique, flat and very slight uphill terrain will be double poled, where the skier keeps their legs together and pushes simultaneously with both poles. At intermediate speeds, a "kick-double-pole" technique is sometimes used when the skier is still moving too quickly to diagonal stride, but is having difficulty double poling. Some long races in reasonably flat terrain will see racers double poling almost exclusively for the majority of the race. The classical style is often performed on prepared trails that have pairs of parallel grooves cut into the snow, one for each ski, and consequently a special long, narrow and light ski is usually used.

free
Free technique, or skating, involves the skier pushing one ski outward with the ski angled, so that the inner edge of the ski is driven against the snow, much like an ice skater. It is also important to balance on one ski to be efficient. Skis tend to be shorter than those used in classical technique, and poles longer. There is also no fish scale or sticky wax applied and no kick area. There are various combinations of ski and pole movements to suit the terrain and conditions. The technique is only suitable for use on prepared trails or those with firm, smooth snow. In some places where the snow melts slightly at the beginning of spring a person can ski on the crust. The distinction between Classic technique and Free technique is made in competition. In the case of the former only those propulsion techniques that are considered 'classic' are allowed whereas in the latter the competitors are free to use any technique although the majority of competitors will opt to skate since it is marginally faster than the traditional classic technique.

our teams
Last year we had a senior-laden team that did very well at the Division II State Meet, where our boys took fourth and our girls finished third. For the girls, this was the second best team finish in school history; especially given that it was a year with very stiff competition (the two teams ahead of us were the first and fourth best teams in Divisions 1 and 2 combined). Given the graduation of most of our scoring skiers, this year will be a rebuilding one for both boys and girls. We have some very talented returning individuals, including three (Will Curchin, Katie Loignon and Courtney Phillips) who qualified for the New England J2 Championship Meet (meaning that they were among the best younger skiers in both divisions in Vermont). But the success of the team will depend heavily on the development of their teammates over the course of the season.

Congratulations to the following Nordic Ski team members for making the All-State Nordic Ski Teams!
Courtney Phillips made the D-II All State Team by finishing 10th overall.
Katie Loignon was 14th and got honorable mention.
Will Curchin was 11th overall and got honorable mention.

high school nordic ski schedule | middle school nordic ski schedule

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coaches

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