SMS – FasterSkier

Elite Team Preview: SMS T2

Gavin KentchNovember 18, 2021

Team name and location: SMS T2 Team; Stratton Mountain, Vermont Coach: Patrick O’Brien Current roster: Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Katharine Ogden, Alayna Sonnesyn, Lina Sutro (women); Ian Torchia, Bill Harmeyer, Ben Ogden, Will Koch (men) Who’s new: Lina Sutro, coming from the University of Vermont ski team Who’s moved on: Sophie Caldwell Hamilton and Simi Hamilton, who celebrated their second wedding anniversary earlier this year, retired from pro skiing last spring and are beginning a new life...

Interviews News

Sverre Caldwell: The Soul of Nordic Programs at SMS, Set to Retire

Peter MindeMay 13, 2019

“I am not making them great. They are making themselves great.” – Sverre Caldwell Long-time Stratton Mountain School (SMS) coach Sverre Caldwell will step down at the end of this school year. According to an article in the Bennington Banner, during Caldwell’s tenure, SMS sent 15 cross-country skiers to the Winter Olympics. SMS also had at least one Junior National champion and one World Junior team member for 24 consecutive years. Caldwell was U.S. Ski...

Stratton Mountain School Seeks Nordic Coach

FasterSkierApril 27, 2019

Stratton Mountain School is seeking a Nordic Coach for the 2019-20 season and beyond. This is a full time career based coaching position. Candidates should have experience in most aspects of junior cross country ski racing. Preferred start date between June 15th and August 10th. School Philosophy: Stratton Mountain School provides a unique environment that offers each student the opportunity to pursue excellence in competitive winter sports and college preparatory academics while developing strong...

Collegiate Continental Cup General Juniors Lifestyle Racing Resources Training US Ski Team

The College Conflict: Part 2

FasterSkierSeptember 24, 2018

The following was written by Alayna Sonnesyn, a new member of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) T2 Team who graduated from the University of Vermont (UVM) this past spring. Originally from Plymouth, Minnesota, Sonnesyn, 22, raced on the UVM Ski Team for four years and qualified for four NCAA Skiing Championships teams. She placed second and third in two races at 2017 NCAA Championships, and in her senior season, won the first five Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association...

Collegiate Continental Cup General Juniors Lifestyle Racing Resources US Ski Team

The College Conflict: Part 1

FasterSkierSeptember 10, 2018

General Interviews News US Ski Team

Kaeding on Shepherding the U.S. D-Team and Crunching Data

Jason AlbertAugust 9, 2018

The newest hire to the U.S. Ski Team (USST) coaching ranks is 34-year-old Gus Kaeding. Kaeding is a newly minted MBA as of 2017 and is fresh off a gig with the U.S. Olympic Committee based out of Colorado Springs. Kaeding was a junior skier at the Stratton Mountain School (SMS), skied collegiately at Northern Michigan University, and coached at Central Cross Country and went on to become head coach of the SMST2 Team prior...

Continental Cup General Interviews News Racing

Back in Bozeman, Flowers Switches Gears

Gabby NaranjaJuly 20, 2018

It wasn’t until recently that Erika Flowers learned the meaning of her middle name. At the time of her birth, her father had been cutting around Montana’s mountain slopes on Elan alpine skis. Though the brand’s company is based out of Slovenia, the definition of élan, according to Webster’s dictionary, is a vigorous spirit or enthusiasm. Whether Flower’s father, Pat, had researched the word’s meaning or whether the name had simply struck him, the skis...

News Team nominations US Ski Team

U.S. Ski Team’s 2018/2019 Nominations

FasterSkierMay 24, 2018

last year’s World Cup squad are retirees Andy Newell (the latter of which isn’t exactly retiring), and Rosie Brennan. Simi Hamilton leads the men’s team as its lone A-team member, while Sadie Bjornsen, Sophie Caldwell, Jessie Diggins, and Ida Sargent are all back on the A-team. The B-team includes three returners — Erik Bjornsen, Paddy Caldwell and Scott Patterson — as well as 25-year-old rookie Kevin Bolger, out of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation...

General Interviews News US Ski Team

The Andy Newell Anti-Retirement Story

Alex KochonApril 6, 2018

When Andy Newell took to social media about a week and a half ago to announce that he was parting ways with the U.S. Ski Team (USST) after 16 years, some people might have assumed that he was leaving the sport. They would be wrong. Newell, a 34-year-old Shaftsbury, Vermont, native and USST A-team member for the last 12 seasons, was quick to clarify that he’s not retiring from racing. After four Olympics and 16...

General Interviews Juniors Other Racing

Under 23 Questions: Ben Ogden

FasterSkierJanuary 30, 2018

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2018 Nordic Junior/U23 World Championships in Goms, Switzerland, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 17-year-old Ben Ogden, (younger brother of Katharine Ogden) of the Stratton Mountain School, who’s representing the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds. On Tuesday, Ogden raced to

Continental Cup General News Racing US Nationals

Reese Hanneman Wins Qualifier, Second Sprint Title of Week at Nationals

Gavin KentchJanuary 9, 2018

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — No two races are exactly alike, the saying goes, and there’s a lot of truth to this cliché. But if you step back just a little bit, two race days can start to look awfully similar to one another. For example, for the second time this week, a Hanneman brother won the sprint qualifier, Reese Hanneman won the final, and Alaska Pacific University (APU) put three athletes in the final and two on...

General News Racing US Nationals

Two-for-Two: Patterson Wins Second-Straight Race at U.S. Nationals; Hart Takes Qualifier

Gabby NaranjaJanuary 6, 2018

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — For the throng of spectators who lined up along the colorfully flagged sprint course at Kincaid Park on Friday, Mother Nature had donned a new look: an earl-gray sky and a rising sun, making the white snow-dusted base of the state’s Tordrillo Mountains (known locally as the “Ghost Range”) if ever so faintly distinguishable to the southwest. Less than 48 hours had passed since the opening race of the 2018 U.S. Cross...

Job Postings

SMS Seeks Winter Term Coach

FasterSkierSeptember 15, 2017

Stratton Mountain School (SMS) in Stratton, Vt., is looking for a coach to help with their junior program this winter. Coach will work with SMS Nordic staff and junior team. Job will start in early November and run through late March. We are looking for an energetic person who enjoys working with high school age skiers. We have the flexibility to tweak the job to fit applicants strengths. Attitude, knowledge of sport and waxing are...

Biathlon Biathlon Canada Canadian National Ski Team General Juniors News Racing US Ski Team

FasterSkier’s Juniors of the Year: Katharine Ogden and Léo Grandbois

FasterSkierApril 3, 2017

With the 2016/2017 season officially in the rearview, FasterSkier is excited to unveil its annual award winners for this past winter. Votes stem from the FS staff, scattered across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and while not scientific, they are intended to reflect a broader sense of the season in review. This set of honors goes to outstanding North American junior athletes across all nordic disciplines. *** Katharine Ogden, Stratton Mountain School/U.S. Ski Team Yes, Stratton’s...

News Other Racing

Caldwell Cracks Top 10 in Third U23 Worlds, 9th in 15 k Skate

Alex KochonFebruary 3, 2017

(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from Paddy Caldwell.) Three years ago, American Patrick “Paddy” Caldwell made his debut at Junior World Championships, racing to classic sprint. Then, on Thursday in the men’s 15 k freestyle, he cracked the top 10 for the first time in his U23/Junior Worlds career. “I was really excited going into today’s race,” Caldwell wrote in an email on Friday morning. “15km FS is one of my...

General Interviews Juniors Racing

Under 23 Questions with Kam Husain

FasterSkierJanuary 30, 2017

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at this week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. Here we have 19-year-old Kam Husain, of the Stratton Mountain School, who’s representing the U.S. at his first Junior Worlds. *** “My full name is Kamran...

General Interviews Juniors Racing

Under 23 Questions with Katharine Ogden

FasterSkierJanuary 27, 2017

In an effort to showcase the North Americans competing at next week’s International Ski Federation (FIS) 2017 USANA Nordic Junior World Championships and U23 Cross Country World Championships at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah, we asked those qualifying athletes several questions about themselves — actually, we had them fill in the blanks. First up, 19-year-old Katharine Ogden, of the Stratton Mountain School and U.S. Ski Team D-team, who’s representing the U.S. at her third Junior Worlds. *** “My full...

Other News

SMS Elite Team Hosting Two Clinics: Aug. 21 and Sept. 25

BrainspiralAugust 15, 2016

The Stratton Mountain School Elite Team is hosting 2 clinics Sunday August 21 at Stratton Mountain School Sunday September 25 in Hanover, NH Come rub shoulders with Olympic athletes and celebrate cross-country skiing! Both clinics start with instruction and training and end with a video presentation and a question and answer period with the team. Everyone should bring running clothes, bounding poles and a change of clothes. Clinics will run from 2:30-4:30 pm. There is...

General Lifestyle

What SMS Elite Skiers Eat for Breakfast

BrainspiralJune 10, 2016

Now that you know the eating habits of some of APU's top skiers in Anchorage, Alaska, we posed the question to Stratton Mountain School skiers based in southern Vermont. Their responses (and accompanying photos) will make your taste buds tingle.

Job Postings

Stratton Mountain School Seeks Assistant Coach

BrainspiralMay 13, 2016

The Stratton Mountain School is looking for an assistant nordic coach for the 2016-2017 season. The position will be either during the winter only (4-5 months) or for the entire school year, depending on the availability and qualifications of the applicant.

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