UNH Skiing announces 2014 recruiting class

Incoming Wildcat Chris Steinke at the Nov. 2013 Loveland NorAm. GEPA/Andreas Pranter

DURHAM, N.H. – University of New Hampshire ski coordinator and Nordic head coach Cory Schwartz and alpine head coach Brian Blank announced their incoming class for the 2014-15 academic year. The class features three male Nordic skiers, four female Nordic skiers, five male alpine racers and one female alpine skier.

“We are excited to add these 13 student-athletes to the UNH skiing family,” Schwartz said. “Each season the team strives to represent the University and our alumni to the highest ideals. Adding this incoming class to our returners makes us improved in every discipline, and we look forward to vying for a carnival win in 2015.”

Nordic

Raleigh Goessling (Esko, Minn. / Maine Winter Sports) joins the Wildcats following a four-year tenure on the Maine Winter Sports Center Olympic Development Biathlon Team. He is a two-time United States biathlon champion in sprint and mass start.

Peter Holmes (Tahoe City, Calif. / Unleashed Coaching) heads to Durham following a successful career competing at Unleashed Coaching. The native of Tahoe City, Calif., is a two-time Junior National U18 champion and won last year’s state championship for North Tahoe High School.

Tyler Quinn Smith (Park City, Utah / Park City Nordic Ski Club) placed 10^th in the 2014 National Combined Olympic Trials and was the 2014 Nordic combined Canadian national champion. He joins the ‘Cats after competing for the prestigious Park City Nordic Ski Club in Utah.

Anna Izzo (Lake Placid, N.Y. / NYSEF) follows in the footsteps of older sister and former Wildcat Nordic co-captain Elizabeth Izzo, and she spent nine years under the tutelage of UNH alumnae Margaret Maher on the New York Ski Educational Foundation Nordic ski team. The Saranac Lake High School product was a member of the Mid-Atlantic Junior National Team in Stowe, Vt., and a member of the NENSA Eastern High School Championship team.

Annavitte Rand (Richmond, Vt. / Green Mountain Valley School), daughter of UNH alums Matt Rand and Pennie (McEdward) Rand, competed for Mount Mansfield Union High School and Green Mountain Valley School. She earned a pair of top-20 finishes in the 10K skate at the Waterville Valley Eastern Cup (17^th place) and the 10K Holderness Eastern Cup (19^th) this past season. In 2013, she was named the MMU high school female athlete of the year and received the Coaches Award for both varsity Nordic skiing and field hockey.

Hannah Peterson (Durango, Colo. / Durango Nordic Ski Club) will also compete for the UNH women’s cross-country team, and she raced for Durango Nordic Ski Club and Durango High School. In 2014, she earned a berth on the All-State Cross-Country team, qualified for nationals and captured four All-America Nordic awards.

Madalyn Pfeifer (Andover, N.H. / University of Alaska Fairbanks) was a member of the University of Alaska Fairbanks ski team and cross-country team last season, and she now returns to her home state in 2014-15. The four-time 2014 Junior National All-American and three-time 2013 Junior National All-American previously competed for Andover Outing Club and Proctor Academy. 

Alpine

Chris Steinke (Ottawa, Ontario / Canadian National Team) qualified and raced for the Canadian National Development Team last season; he took third place in slalom at nationals. Steinke previously raced for the Provincial Team and the Canadian prospect group.

Colin Martens (East Aurora, N.Y. / Park City Ski Team) comes to Durham from East Aurora, N.Y. He spent a post-graduate year competing for the Park City Ski Team and previously skied for the National Sports Academy.

Peter Martens (East Aurora, N.Y. / Park City Ski Team), twin brother of Colin, was the Park City Ski Team 2014 Skier of the Year, the MVP of the National Sports Academy in 2013 and received the University of Rochester George Eastman Young Leaders Award in ‘13.

Philippe Rivet (Saint-Lambert, Quebec / University of Montreal) was the University of Montreal Rookie of the Year in 2014 when he earned a top-10 finish at nationals. Rivet previously was a member of the Quebec Provincial Team.

Bryan Cookson (Vernon, British Columbia / Rowmark Ski Academy) joins the men’s alpine team after attending Rowland Hall-St. Mark’s School and competing for Rowmark Ski Academy in Salt Lake City, Utah. He also competed for coach Florian Jagodic and spent time with the Vernon Ski Club in British Columbia, Canada.

Lisa Wedsjö (Saltsjöbaden, Sweden / Saltsjöbadens SLK) finished second in the Swedish Cup and notched numerous top-3 finishes in FIS races last season.

Release courtesy of UNH Athletics