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tgs Alumni Pursue XC Ski Racing

Left to right: Gage Fichter, Megan Killigrew, Brayton Osgood, Parker Tyler, Sverre Caldwell, Kevin Cutts, Bridger Tyler, Patrick O’Brien

The Grammar School alumni continue to be involved in high level national, collegiate, and junior XC ski racing throughout the United States. This winter 19 former Grammar School students are participating in XC ski competitions, from the US XC Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska, to NorAm races in Valcartier, Quebec, to junior, high school, and college meets in New England. Five of these TGS alumni also have been captains of their school ski teams.

Competing in Alaska during the first week in January were Dartmouth skiers Megan Killigrew (TGS ’05) and Patrick O’Brien (TGS ’02, captain of the Dartmouth Ski Team), Parker Tyler (TGS ’04) of the University of Utah, Kevin Cutts (TGS ’02) of Northern Michigan University, Brayton Osgood (TGS ’95, Dartmouth Ski Team captain '03)) of Bend, Oregon, and Stratton Mountain School racers Gage Fichter (TGS’06) and Bridger Tyler (TGS ’07, who also qualified for the Scandinavian Cup team), with head Stratton Coach Sverre Caldwell (TGS’69).

Skiers Heather Mooney, Issy Pelletier, and Cam McDermott, all former TGS and current Stratton Mountain School students, posted impressive results in Quebec cross country races in early January. Former TGS skiers now living in Peru, VT, Brooke (also currently at SMS) and Scott Mooney (now attending Flood Brook School), have raced with fellow TGS skiers throughout New England. Jesse Kosiba (TGS’02, captain of the UVM Ski Team) and Kvehl McDermott (TGS ’05, UNH ’13)) have been training and racing for their college cross country ski teams. Bridget Shea-Gander (TGS’06, BUHS ski team captain) and Emma Straus (TGS ’08) are both on the BUHS XC ski team. Miles Schelling (TGS'08) is captain of the Northfield Mount Hermon XC ski team.

Many of these racers, and other top skiers in the US, had their skis tuned by Zach Caldwell, TGS ’84, who operates a prestigious ski grinding business in Boulder, Colorado.

The skiers got an early start at The Grammar School, where XC skiing has been the basis of the winter sports program since the school was founded in 1960. Gage Fichter remembered that “highly competitive games of sharks and minnows were major highlights, and the skis up by the orchard were also favorite days,” and Kevin Cutts recalled “that building jumps on the hills on the lower fields was some of the most fun I had skiing at TGS.” Megan Killigrew added, “I have so many memories of TGS skiing. I was skiing with Kvehl and Parker over the December break and talking about how awesome it was that we got Oreos after BKL practice. I think the coolest part about skiing at TGS was that so many of us did it and XC skiing became the normal recess and after school activity. It was great how we could start so young!"

All K-8 students XC ski during physical education classes, and also have the option to join the XC Tuesday school program as well the Bill Koch League on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Cam McDermott summed it up: “We all just loved being there everyday so much that it got us hooked on skiing for life. There's definitely no program out there that matches the start to skiing that I got at TGS.”

Patrick and Brayton ski stride for stride in the Nationals Classic Sprint