Silverthorne Storm gymnasts Eloise Hood, right, and Mia Norden, center, pose for a photo after placing third and first, respectively in the compulsory 4 older division floor competition at the Foothills Flairs gymnastic meet on Saturday, May 20.
Claudine Norden/Courtesy photo

The Silverthorne Storm gymnastics team has reached its 2023 competition season, and local gymnasts have been working hard to qualify to state as things get underway.

For those who may not be familiar, the Silverthorne Storm is a youth gymnastics team that is hosted out of the Silverthorne Recreation Center. Without a middle school or high school gymnastics program in the county, Silverthorne Storm allows student athletes to explore the sport while competing at a high level.

The Silverthorne Storm is made up of local Summit County middle school and elementary school students, and the team competes in the Colorado Association of Recreation Athletics gymnastics meets from May through July. 

“The mission of the Storm is to provide children with the ability to participate in gymnastics at a higher level than classes,” head coach Ben Way said. “Participation in gymnastics helps with so many things — from body awareness, strength, focus, flexibility, self-confidence and more. These are all things that will help them throughout their lives. We want to provide the space for those who want to be more involved with the sport and take it to another level by competing at a recreational level.”

During the competition season, Way — who has coached at the Silverthorne Recreation Center for 25 years — works with the team to perfect its members’ skills they have already learned. But during the fall and winter, the team focuses on learning new skills to foster progression.

Beyond the team placing highly at its first meet of the season, the Storm was able to qualify the majority of the team to the state gymnastics meet, which will take place in July.

“I would say it was a successful first meet,” Way said. “We qualified 22 out of 26 girls for the state meet  with eight of them in all around.” 

The Silverthorne Storm will now prepare to travel to the Broomfield Flyers gymnastics competition, which will take place on Saturday, June 3, at the Paul Derda Recreation Center in Broomfield.

Following the Broomfield competition, the Storm will then host a home meet at the Silverthorne Recreation Center on June 24 and will then close out the season with a meet on July 8 and the state meet from July 22-23. 

I expect more polished routines, more state qualifiers and plenty of trips to the podium,” Way said of the coming weeks.

Members of the Silverthorne Storm gymnastics team pose for a photo before competing in the Compulsory 4 competition. Eloise Hood of The Peak School first from the back for The Silverthorne Storm.
Claudine Norden/Courtesy photo.

Story originally submitted on June 2, 2023 in The Summit Daily. Written by Cody Jones. For the full story click here.

Cain Steinweg and Nina Schamberger, left, begin the second Summit Trail Running Series race on Wednesday, May 31. Schamberger was the first female athlete to cross the finish line in the short course race.
Cody Jones/Summit Daily News

As cars started to stream into the B&B trailhead parking lot off French Gulch Road in Breckenridge, thunder started to boom and rain started to steadily pour down from the sky.

While many people peeled out of the parking lot after a jaunt on their bike, others exited the warmth of the interior of their cars in order to compete in the second of six scheduled Summit Trail Running Series races on Wednesday, May 31.

Part of the town of Breckenridge Recreation Department, the Summit Trail Running Series and the Summit Mountain Challenge strives to get people together in the community to challenge their fitness on local trails via trail running or mountain biking.

After hosting the first race in the series in Dillon on May 17, the French Gulch race consisted of both a short course and a long course on the trail system surrounding the B&B trailhead.

The French Gulch short course race was advertised as a 3.43-mile race with over 459 feet of elevation gain, while the long course race was marked for 5.34 miles with 652 feet of total elevation gain.

The short course race ended up being marked short of the prescribed mileage with the race being closer to 2.5 miles with 350 feet of elevation gain.

At the front of the short course race field were several standout Summit High School and Summit Middle School distance runners who were willing to brave the cold rain and slippery course.

Leading the pack was incoming sophomore Cain Steinweg, who completed the course in 18 minutes, 17 seconds in order to win his second 2023 Summit Trail Running Series race.

Steinweg was followed by his new Summit High School cross-country teammates Jay McDonald and Lukas Remeikis, who tied for second place with a time of 18:40.

The Peak School graduate and University of Utah commit Nina Schamberger was the next athlete to cross the finish line. Schamberger showed off her aerobic engine from Nordic skiing by completing the short course in 19:17, earning fourth place.

Originally posted in the Summit Daily on January 5th, 2023. Written by Cody Jones. Read the full article here.

Team Summit's Nina Schamberger, center, celebrates her ninth place overall finish at the 2023 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships in Michigan on Monday, Jan. 2 Schamberger's finish currently ranks her as the top ranked junior level skier in the country.
Team Summit/Courtesy photo

Team Summit athletes were busy competing at Copper Mountain Resort’s New Year’s Eve Rail Jam on Saturday, Dec. 31, while Nina Schamberger competed in Michigan on Monday, Jan. 2. 

At Copper Mountain Resort, Team Summit earned 12 podium finishes. 

In the freeski competition, Lainey Steen, Andrew Thisted, David Asher Cockrell and Evan Wischmeyer all placed first overall in their age divisions. 

Naomi Lyman, Avery Thisted and Alex Swedenborg placed second while Forrest Woodard placed third. 

In the snowboard rail jam competition, Madeline Morton, Elijah Stroker and Caleb Dhawornvej placed first overall in their divisions. Lily Dhawornvej placed second behind Morton in the girls 11- to 14-year-old division.

Meanwhile, Schamberger — a recent University of Utah commit — traveled to Houghton, Michigan, to compete at the 2023 U.S. Cross Country Ski Championships. Schamberger competed in the 10-kilometer, freestyle-interval-start women’s race among collegiate level competition.

Schamberger hung tough to place ninth overall in a time of 29 minutes, 17.3 seconds. The race was won by 2022 Olympian Hailey Swirbul in 27:32.5. 

The finish from Schamberger currently ranks her No. 1 in the country among junior-level skiers. The accomplishment marks the first time a Summit Nordic skier has ever ranked so high. 

At the Holiday Classic giant slalom in Steamboat Springs on Dec. 20, Stella Buchheister placed first overall in the U18 women’s giant slalom while Ella Snyder placed second.

Snyder doubled up her winnings by placing second in the U18 women’s slalom competition. Snyder finished behind teammate Skylar Sheppard, who placed first in the event. Stanley Buzek took home gold in the U18 men’s slalom competition.

Rounding out the Alpine skiing results for Team Summit, Jevin Palmquist skied to a first-place finish in the slalom and the giant slalom competition at Loveland Ski Area on Dec. 20.

Originally written by Cody Jones for the Summit Daily on November 11, 2022

Read the full article here.

Nina Schamberger signs a letter of intent to attend the University of Utah on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at The Peak School in Frisco.

For the first time in the history of The Peak School, a student athlete has signed a national letter of intent to further pursue their education and athletic career. 

Nina Schamberger signed her letter of intent to attend the University of Utah in Salt Lake City as a member of the university’s nationally acclaimed Nordic skiing team.

Over the last few years, the senior has risen to the top of the national Nordic skiing ranks. 

Schamberger — who has been skiing with Olof Hedberg and the Summit Nordic Ski Club since she was about 8 years old — has progressed from a skier who barely knew anything about the sport to an elite-level high school athlete.

“I actually remember her first race for us,” Hedberg said at Schamberger’s official signing. “She did not win. She was not the best skier in the club, but I remember at that race that this one little girl showed a lot of fierceness, grit and the ability to push herself. I made a little mental note that day and wondered where this was going to lead.”

Schamberger has carved her way to several feats over the years, including several noteworthy finishes during the 2021-22 season. 

In 2022, Schamberger competed at the 2022 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Lygna, Norway, the  Junior National Cross-Country Ski Championships and a recent competitive rollerski race in Utah. 

At all three competitions, Schamberger elevated herself to the top of the competition. At the Junior World Ski Championships, Schamberger played a huge role in securing a fifth-place finish for the women’s U.S. relay team.

“She was the fastest 16-year-old last year,” Hedberg said. “She beat several people who went to the Olympics for their country, she represented the U.S. at the junior world championships and she is now signing with the most-competitive, highest-level ski program in NCAA history.”

The University of Utah ski program has won the national NCAA ski championship three years in a row. The team consistently produces elite-level athletes who go on to compete for their countries at the international level and in the Olympics. 

Olof Hedberg speaks at Nina Schamberger’s signing day on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022, at The Peak School in Frisco. After being coached by Hedberg at the Summit Nordic Ski Club, Schamberger decided to attend the University of Utah to pursue academics and Nordic skiing at the collegiate level.

Schamberger will look to add to the rich history of success at Utah when she steps foot on campus next fall. 

She said she has been dreaming of signing with a university for the better part of the last six years.

“When I was 11 or 12, I decided I wanted to ski for a college, but I had no clue what college it would be,” Schamberger said. “Starting two or three years ago, I started thinking about Utah being a main option.”

With lots of hard work, dedication and sacrifice, Schamberger made her childhood dream a reality and put pen to paper in front of her classmates, teammates, mentors, coaches and family.

Minutes after signing the letter of intent, the moment still had not fully soaked in for the 17-year-old. 

“I can’t believe it’s happening,” Schamberger said. “It is really exciting. For a long time, it felt like I had so much time before this decision. I am so grateful for everything my coaches and parents have done for me over the years to help me get here.”

With the pressures of finding a school now behind her, Schamberger said she plans on soaking up her final season with the Summit Nordic Ski Club, which will be starting shortly. 

Originally posted in the Utah Utes News on November 9th, 2022

Read the full article here.

SALT LAKE CITY – University of Utah head Nordic skiing coach Miles Havlick announced on Wednesday the signing of Nina Schamberger with the program. One of the top junior Nordic skiers in the United States, Schamberger is a native of Leadville, Colorado, and will join the Utes beginning in the 2024 collegiate season.

"Nina has been tearing up the junior racing scene for many years both domestically and internationally," said Havlick. "She will be an immediate asset on the women's team with her strong work ethic, desire for excellence and contagious energy. On and off the skis, she will be a great ambassador of the sport and the University of Utah. We couldn't be more excited to have her sign on as a Ute!"

Schamberger currently skis with Summit Nordic Ski Club in her home state of Colorado, most recently appearing on the international scene at the 2022 Junior World Championships in Lygna, Norway. She raced in three events during the championships, including as part of a fifth-place United States relay team that also included current Ute Sydney Palmer-Leger.

She qualified for the Junior World Championships during the 2022 U.S. National Championships which were held at Soldier Hollow in Midway, Utah. Her U.S. Junior Nationals debut came in 2019, when Schamberger raced in Anchorage, Alaska.

"I chose the University of Utah because I have goals to be a professional skier in the future and to me, the U was the best stepping stone to this," Schamberger said. "I think this is a place where I can thrive, surrounded by dedicated, like-minded student-athletes all while enjoying the process. There is so much I can learn from this ski team!"

A rundown of Schamberger's racing history is available on her FIS profile.

Follow the Utes on social media (@utahskiteam).

As published in The Summit Daily on Tuesday, January 11th

Written by Cody Jones

Summit Nordic Ski Club's Nina Schamberger races in March 2021 during the Western United States Regional Junior Nordic Ski Championship at Soldier Hollow in Utah. Earlier this month, she was named to the Junior World Ski Championships team.
Summit Nordic Ski Club/Courtesy photo

From Jan. 2-7, a group of four Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers represented Summit County as they competed at the U.S. National Cross-Country Skiing Championships in Midway, Utah.

The national meet is the highest level of ski racing in the U.S., and this year served as the Olympic trials for the Nordic skiing discipline.

The fields at the meet included 231 men and 171 women. Among them were Summit’s Nina Schamberger, Aubree Confer, Sam Thebeau and Zander Bertonneau.

Day 1 of competition Jan. 2 featured the freestyle sprint races. Schamberger, who is a junior at The Peak School in Frisco, was able to qualify for the quarterfinal sprint heat by finishing in 18th place.

In the quarterfinal later that day, Schamberger was neck and neck with the rest of the field but ended up crossing skis with another competitor and did not advance to the finals, finishing in 3 minutes and 46.68 seconds.

Confer placed 102nd out of 165 skiers, missing out on the junior heats, while Thebeau and Bertonneau placed 187th and 205th, respectively, in the men’s field.

The second day of racing featured the distance freestyle races, in which senior women skiers raced 20 kilometers and men raced 30 kilometers. Skiers younger than 20 raced 7.5 kilometers for the women and 10 kilometers for the men.

In the distance freestyle races, all of the Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers finished above where they were ranked prior to competition.

Thebeau placed 55th while being ranked 71st, and Bertonneau placed 86th after being ranked 102nd.

Confer improved her ranking from 75th to 60th with her distance freestyle race, finishing in 24:00.4.

Schamberger, meanwhile, was at the front of the pack from the start of the women’s 7.5 kilometer race and hung on to finish in 20:18.8, good enough for third place and a spot on the Junior World Ski Championships team that will travel to Norway.

Schamberger will be joined by her coach Olof Hedberg, who is the head coach of the Summit Nordic Ski Club and was named to the Junior World team as a junior team coach.

Day 3 of the U.S. cross-county championships featured the individual start classic race, with skiers taking off by themselves at 30-second intervals.

“With this time-trial format, skiers must go hard without knowing how other skiers are faring out on the course,” Hedberg explained in an email about the race format.

Despite not knowing how their competition fared, the Summit Nordic Ski Club skiers raced well, with Confer placing 110th, Thebeau placing 117th and Bertonneau finishing 168th after having a hard downhill crash.

Schamberger made sure she firmly secured her spot on the Junior World team by working hard on the course to finish 10th overall and second in the junior field.

Schamberger was only 25 seconds behind first-place junior skier Sydney Palmer-Leger, who is a sophomore at the University of Utah and a two-time NCAA National Champion.

“I’m really excited to go,” Schamberger wrote in an email about Junior Worlds. “I feel like all the hard work my coaches, and I have invested is paying off. And I am so glad that my coach, Olof Hedberg, will be there to coach me in these races. It couldn’t be better.”

The Junior World Ski Championships take place from Feb. 22-27 in Lygna, Norway.

Elli VanDeYacht
Courtesy of Elli VanDeYacht / Special to the Daily

Originally published in the Summit Daily on May 30, 2019. Read the original article here.

The Peak School in Frisco, Summit’s only private secondary school, will be seeing off the eight members of its 2019 graduating class Friday. The small class size is a hallmark of the prep school in the mountains, where curriculums are built around students who are given freedom to be themselves and pursue their dreams.

Students at Peak School come from a variety of backgrounds and tend to have unique circumstances requiring a different kind of education. Two of Peak’s graduates, Elli VanDeYacht and Cassidy Citron, benefited from Peak’s flexible approach to secondary education.

VanDeYacht has been figure skating for more than 14 years. The demands of her training schedule meant she had to find a school that could work around it while giving her a full education.

“I transitioned to a different coach in Vail, which meant I was driving over there five times a week in the mornings and afternoons,” VanDeYacht said. “School had to be flexible, both for me and Peak.”

While the flexible scheduling helped, VanDeYacht was responsible for being on top of the academic routine, which instilled a clockwork mentality and put her in more control of the direction of her education.

“Because of how demanding my schedule is, it meant I had to be thoroughly on top of my academics,” VanDeYacht said. “Peak allowed me to have more control over my schedule, but I was also talking to teachers and making sure I was getting my assignments and not missing important information. It made me a more proactive with academics.”

VanDeYacht is now a single U.S. Figure Skating gold medalist, which requires a grueling series of trials before passing the senior, or “gold” test, in one of several skating disciplines. She is one test away from becoming a double gold medalist, with an ambition to become a triple or quadruple gold medalist later on.

VanDeYacht also has played hockey with Summit Hockey as part of its under 19 women’s squad, although a history of concussions is making her reconsider whether it’s something she’d want to do competitively again.

Cassidy Citron
Courtesy of Cassidy Citron / Special to the Daily

As for her future, VanDeYacht will be attending and skating at the University of Denver, where she’s on the fence between pursuing psychology or business and accounting.

As for Citron, dancing has been her passion for 14 years. But for her, it wasn’t just Peak’s willingness to accommodate her dancing that made it the right fit.

“When I was in grade school, I was a little accelerated,” Citron said. “My parents decided to move me to Peak School in the sixth grade since it’s a school for people who were a little different, and I’ve been there ever since.”

After graduation, Citron will take a gap year before attending the University of Puget Sound in Washington state. She will spend the first half of the year working in Summit and the second half in a program doing service work and homestays in the Pacific Islands with Adventures Cross Country.

Citron is excited about the next chapter of her life and believes that Peak’s environment helped her get where she wants to go. She believes Peak is an ideal place for Summit kids like her, who have unique needs and need more room to thrive.

“Summit County has a lot of people who are just a little bit different; it’s the reason why they came up here,” Citron said. “Peak has a really nurturing environment that allows them to grow in any way they can.”

The Peak School's Ren Bittner (Class of '21) took first place this year in the USASA halfpipe skiing national championships.

We're honored to have top-notch student-athletes like Ren at The Peak School, and proud that we can support those students who wish to have the flexibility in their schedules to dedicate time to training and competing.