The Lowell Whiteman School

Our Olympians

Lowell Whiteman School Proud of Two Olympic Medalists

The LWS/SSWSC partnership can claim 17 Olympians and counting, including two medalists, Travis Mayer (2002 Olympic silver, Moguls) and Johnny Spillane (2010 Three Olympic silver medals, Nordic Combined). Seven alums made their bid for the 2010 Olympics in the trials (see list below.) Our congratulations to them and to Johnny for landing the first EVER U.S. Olympic medal in Nordic Combine- three medals total! Johnny and the U.S. team have shaken up the Nordic world. To learn more about him, check out Johnny Spillane, Nordic Combined.

US Olympic Trial Competitors

• Johnny Spillane — Class of 1999, Nordic Combined, Olympic Team 2010 – check out our Nordic pages.

• Ryan St.'Onge — Class of 2001, Freestyle Aerials,Olympic Team 2010

• Eliza Outtrim — Class of 2003, Freestyle Moguls

• Emiko Torito — Class of 1999, Freestyle Moguls

• Michelle Gorgone — Class of 2001, Alpine Snowboard, Olympic Team 2010

• Matt Ladley – Freestyle Snowboard, injured

Check out a New York Times video which shows spectators How to Watch Freestyle Aerials – Ryan St. Onge stars in this training video which breaks down a Double-Full-Full-Full trick, piece by piece in the air. You can see what the judges look for and what Ryan has to do with his body to achieve these fantastic tricks. The New York Times is also providing the same narration for How to Watch Superpipe.

Other Alums involved in the 2010 Olympics were: Dave Jarrett, class of ‘89 – 1994 and 1998 Olympian, served as the US Nordic Combined Coach. Michael Kennedy, who attended LWS in 1989-90, is currently the CEO of the Australian National Ski and Snowboarding Organization. He announced the games for Australia.

Lowell Whiteman Olympians

Johnny Spillane (‘99) 1998, 2002 & 2006 Olympic Team member, 2010 Olympic Triple Silver Medalist, inducted into the US Ski Jumping Hall of Fame in 2009. Johnny blew the Nordic world away when he won the first ever American Nordic Combined medal in the 1st week of the 2010 Olympics. He nearly got the gold, finishing a mere four-tenths of a second behind Jason Lamy Chappuis of France. He went on to earn two more silver medals in the Nordic Combined Team and Big Hill events working hard to help Billy Demong nail down the gold in the last competition. In January, he was the first American Nordic Combined World Champion, earning the gold. See Johnny’s Page for more details.

Michelle Gorgone — ('01), Snowboarding, Women’s Parallel Giant Slalom, 2006 Olympics Team member, 2010 Olympic Team.

Ryan St. Onge — ('01), Freestyle, Aerials – 2009 World Ski Championship Gold medalist, also won the 2007 FIS World Championships silver for dual moguls, World Cup Champion 2006, and 2009. 2005 US Freestyle Champion, Junior World Champion, 2006 & 2010 Olympian. Finished 4th in the 2010 Games, 6th in 2006 Games. Featured in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue as the “Old Spice Athlete of the Month.”
Travis Mayer — (photo at right) ('02) , Freestyle, 2002 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2006 Olympics. Travis said in an interview “I remember watching the Olympics in 1992 and wishing I was there.” He moved from Vermont to Steamboat to make it happen. He attended the Lowell Whiteman School and trained with Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.  The LWS program doesn’t just train athletes and help them achieve their dreams; it ensures there is a future after the Olympics or that big win. Travis has a degree from Cornell University and is completing his MBA at Harvard.

Ryan Heckman — ('93), Nordic Combined, 1992 & 1998, Olympics, recently inducted into the US Ski Jumping Hall of Fame – see interview below.

Caroline Lalive — ('97), Alpine Racing, three-time Olympian in 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Clint Jones — ('03), Nordic Ski Jumper, 2002 & 2006 Olympic competitor; youngest US Ski Jumping Champion in history at age 15.

Tommy Schwall — ('02), Nordic Ski Jumper, 2002 & 2006 Olympics.

Parker Schmidt — ('99), Freestyle Aerials, 2002 Olympic Team member.

Julien Castellini — Alpine Racing, 1994 Olympics.

Randy Weber - ('94), Nordic Ski Jumping, 1994 Olympics.

Linus Vaitkus — ('91), Alpine Racing, 1998 Olympics.

Nick Cleaver — ('90), Freestyle, 1992 & 1994 Olympics.

Dave Jarrett – ('89), Nordic Combined, 19984 and 1998 Olympics, 2002 U.S. Ski Team Coach, and current U.S. Ski Team Head Nordic Combined Coach.

Annie Kakela — ('88), Women’s Rowing, 1996 Olympic, current U.S. Team Rowing Coach, coached the 2008 Gold Medal Olympic Team.

Marie Quintana — ('84,) Freestyle, Inverted Aerials, 1998 Olympics.

We just can’t resist this video of Johnny Spillane – Morgan Freeman narrating in a Visa commercial.

XGamers – Extreme Skiers

Brett Buckles — Class of 2001 – Freeskier- #1 woman skiercross competitor in North America, Jeep King of the Mountain tour, X-Games, US Freeskiing Tour, SX World Cup. Brett is an ex-Alpine racer – once a purist Brett “crossed over.”   She took 1st (Gold Medal) in the SkierCross, Gravity Games in 2005, a 2nd in the US SkierCross and a 1st in the NA FreeSkiing Championships. She placed 15th in the X-Games 2005.  She is now a Coach.

Pep Fujas — Class of 2001- Pep has been featured on the cover of both Axis and Powder magazines and in Matchstick Productions and Poor Boyz films. He was awarded the 2004 “Best Breakthrough Performance” at Powder Video Awards and placed second behind best friend, and fellow All-Star, Tanner Hall, in the 2003 X-Games Slopestyle competition.

Gina Gmeiner – Class of 2000 – A former Midwestern mogul skier, Gina’s laidback style does well for her in SuperPipe. Gina finished 3rd in the 2007 Vermont Freeski Open, the only woman attempting switch tricks in her run. She was selected as one of the top 12 female halfpipe freeskiers in the world in 2008.

How the Whiteman Program Helps Produce Great Athletes

LWS proudly claims seventeen Olympians to date, two medal winners, one multiple medal winner. While they are proof that our unique program really works, you don’t have to be on the Olympic track to be a successful and happy competitor at LWS. Many students find the program adjusts to their level of experience.

There are schools and academies out there who try to do what we do, but we were among the first to produce such a program and make it work consistently. Our history of helping students compete, prepare for college, and succeed in college tells its own story -our college placement record is 98%. Our faculty, many of whom can claim 20-40 years at LWS, maintain a consistent program and an environment of learning. It also helps to have a world-class ski resort, some of the best snow in the world, and an abundance of training facilities and excellent coaches for all disciplines right in our backyard.

What some of our Olympian Alums have said….

Johnny Spillane -1998, 2002, 2010 US Olympian Triple Silver Medalist, Nordic Combined

“Training was hard and so was school but it was worth it. Whiteman helped make it happen, and they were really patient with whatever it took to get my work done when I got back from training or comps.” Johnny has now attended three Olympic Games.

Caroline Lalive – 1998, 2002, 2006 US Olympian, US Ski Team member

“This is the first opportunity I’ve had where skiing and school coincide. The students are from all walks of life, and the teachers respect the commitments and responsibilities of the athlete. With the classroom setting and the amount of work we do, this is truly a college-prep school.”

Ryan St. Onge – 2006, 2010 Olympian – World Champion - “I have known since I was young that school is important, but it always compromised some other form of education that I had available. That is, until, I went to the Lowell Whiteman School. The Lowell Whiteman school provided me with the opportunity to be educated and pursue my dreams in skiing. The teachers and the environment instilled in me a deep love of learning. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience in skiing and school.”

Ryan Heckman - 1992 and 1998 Olympian & US Nordic Combined Ski Team member “Without my education, I wouldn’t have gotten into the Hall of Fame,” explains Heckman, who went on to graduate summa cum laude with a BS in Business Administration and a minor in Economics from the University of Colorado following his tour with the U.S. Ski Team. “The Lowell Whiteman School allowed me to get a world-class education while pursuing my athletic dreams.”

Now retired from skiing, Ryan is remembered for helping turn around a lagging U.S. team from nearly last place in 1992 to third in the world by 1995. His successful run with the U.S. Ski Team earned him two National titles (including one as the youngest National Champion at age 16), 9^th place in the World Championships and 10^th place in World Cup standings in 1995. He was a member of four World Championship team, and competed in two winter Olympics. He now lives with his wife and family in Denver and is a private equity investor for Excellere Partners.

To learn more, check out……