mogul team, the coaches proudly
Parker Densmore, who not only was a jump-
award Bobby the Holderness team’s
ing veteran, but also arrived on campus with
Most Valuable Skier Award.
his own custom jumping suit. For his commitment and proselytizing efforts
by Nick Preston
on behalf of the program, Parker was the
Nordic skiing
recipient of the Coach’s Award. The Most Improved Award went to two jumpers, each
It was a banner year for the Nordic ski team.
following a different path to success: the fear-
Led by senior team captains
less high-flying Jeffrey Hauser, and a persist-
Haley Mahar and Reed Spearman, the
ent and determined Chris Daniell. Thanks to
Nordic team numbered in the mid-
all for another fun season.
thirties - the largest team in memory
by Doug Kendall
at Holderness. A vigorous mix of seasoned skiers and enthusiastic rookies, the team hunted with enthusiasm for
Snowboarding
early snow, practicing in thinly cov-
Despite some early season weather chal-
ered parking lots in Franconia Notch
lenges, the Holderness snowboard team con-
and rejoicing when snow finally cov-
tinued to excel in all levels of competition.
ered our home trails.
Zachary Harmon, Kevin Horner, Oliver
The boys’ team welcomed the arrival of Czech phenom Fabian Stocek, a junior who dominated the race courses in our league, winning
Johnson, Ben Grad, Nam Tran, Joey Casey,
FIS finalist Paul Pettengill ’12
virtually every race he entered. Rising
and Tyler Moffa all made great contributions in the boys’ Lakes Region competitions. The girls were anchored by Zoe Grant, Haley Michienzi, Rachel Huntley, Molly Tankersley,
star sophomore Drew Houx also had a break-out season, earning
Christina Raichle and Yazhi Li. Both teams finished near the top in
top-ten finishes consistently in our league. Other skiers were sen-
both Giant Slalom and Slopestyle competitions.
iors Brian Tierney and Thai Dao; juniors Axi Berman, Aiden
Six of the eight riders who qualified for the USASA
Kendall, G.P. Lee, Francis Miles, and Charlie Williams; and a pas-
Nationals traveled to Copper, CO, for that event. Leah Curtis,
sel of ninth- and tenth-graders.
Hannah Halsted, Peter Ferrante, Justin Simpkins, Ryan
Fabian and Drew both raced in the
Eastern High School Championships, and Fabian earned a third-
Rosencranz, and Paul Pettengill made Holderness proud with sev-
place finish at Junior Nationals in Park City, the best result for a
eral top-ten finishes.
Holderness skier in over a decade. On the girls’ side, Haley finished consistently at the top of
2012 was also a great year for our FIS Alpine Snowboarders. Ryan, Hannah and Paul often found themselves qualifying for
the result sheet, culminating her season with a stunning win in the
finals against some of the best racers in the US and Canada. Ryan
Lakes’ Region Championship race. Seniors Bee Crudgington,
then went on to compete in his second World Cup, which was held
Pippa Blau, and Maggie Caputi all had great seasons. Joining them
this year in Telluride, CO.
was a strong core of skiers including junior Emily Soderberg,
into uncharted territory by competing in the Freeflow Tour, where
sophomores Celeste Holland, Eliana Mallory, and Hannah Durnan,
he finished sixth in the Brighton, UT, Slopestyle.
and ninth-graders Lizzy Duffy and Cayla Penny. The girls ran
Peter Ferrante also brought Holderness
This year our Most Improved rider was Yazhi Li , and the
away with the Lakes Region title and look to be a powerhouse
Coach’s Awards went to Peter Ferrante and Ryan Rosencranz.
team for seasons to come. Haley, Celeste, and Hannah all repre-
by Alan Smarse
sented New Hampshire at the Eastern High School Championships. Most Improved Awards went to Cayla Penny and Qianyi Zhang on the girls’ side, and to Drew Houx on the boys’ team. Coach’s Awards honored team captains Haley Mahar and Reed Spearman. by Peter Durnan
Ski Jumping Despite the scarcity of natural snow this year, the ski jumps at Proctor, were kept in excellent condition, and the ski jumping team made a record number of visits to the hill. Adding to the attraction of fine facilities was the coaching expertise of Proctor’s Tim Norris (only nominally retired) and our own Walter Malmquist ’74, who continues to volunteer countless hours, deep knowledge, and boundless enthusiasm to Holderness jumpers. Many students tried out the sport this year, some just once, others over several trips. Veteran Steph Symecko was joined by some of her senior classmates who finally got around to trying the sport late in their Holderness careers: Brandon Marcus, Ian Ford, Josie Brownell, and Justin Simpkins. Juniors psyched to return next season include Macy Jones, Perry Kurker-Mraz, Fabian Stocek, and Aidan Kendall. Ninth-grader Gibson Chushman, with his powerful springs, showed much promise for success in the
Hannah Halsted ’12 also made the FIS finals.
years to come. Our most faithful participant was ninth-grader
Holderness School Today
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