Athletes

Tyne Beckwith

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

Tyne is from San Jose, California. Tyne started skiing, as a Mountain Ranger, on the Alpine Meadows Ski Team when she was 4 years old. One of her most memorable moments on snow took place over the summer when she went to New Zealand and experienced a T-Bar for the first time. Having never used a T-Bar, she and her teammate, having no clue what they were doing, held on to it with their hands and were dragged all the way up the hill like beginner skiers, giggling the entire time.

Julian Bennett

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

My name is Julian Bennett and I am 13 years old. I have been skiing on the Squaw Big Mountain Comp Team for three years but have been skiing in all for eleven. I live in Oakland so I have to drive up every weekend for the team. I haven’t missed a practice in three years. I am in 8th grade and am balancing my grades pretty well with skiing (I get A's and B’s).

"My favorite memory on snow is my first IFSA National Comp. My first year of team I qualified for the U12 championships in Grand Targhee, WY. I had an amazing time skiing around the mountain with new people in a different state and different terrain." –Julian Bennett

Tripp Boyer

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

My name is Tripp Boyer and I am 12 years old. I live on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. I ski on the Squaw Valley Big Mountain and Skier Cross teams. My favorite memories on snow are getting second place two times at the USASA Skier Cross National Championships at Copper Mountain Colorado. I also love memories of powder days since my favorite thing to do skiing.

“Thank you SAF for your continued support.” –Tripp Boyer

Turner Drummond

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

My name is Turner Drummond and I am a 16 year old freeride skier from Lake Tahoe, California. I love sending big lines and stomping huge airs all over the mountain. I ski, train and compete with the Alpine Meadows Big Mountain team, and over the last four seasons I have been competing in ski events around the country, progressing my skiing abilities. I will also be attending the Junior Freeride World Championships in Austria.

Marc Durant Bender

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

My name is Marc Durant Bender. I started skiing at Squaw as a shooting star when I was 4 years old. It is one of my favorite sports. I am 13 years old and an 8th grader at Alder Creek Middle School. My favorite memory on the snow was when I did my first 360.

Aiden England


2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

Born in Truckee, and has been on the Squaw Valley Ski Team since he was 4. Transitioned from Alpine to Skier Cross Racing last season, and raced to a 14th overall finish at the US Nationals.

"Participation in the Squaw Valley skier cross team means that I get to ride and train on the best terrain ever. I also get to meet new people, coaches and make new friends. When you succeed at squaw, it's special, and it gives you an extra push to drive for the win. At the end of the year, if you do well, you get the opportunity to go to the funnest competition in the world at The US Nationals at Copper Mountain, Colorado. That was my favorite ski day ever!!!" –Aiden England

West Lubin

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

I’ve been on the Squaw Valley Big Mountain team for 4 years now. Skiing with excellent coaches and making lifelong friends along the way; Squaw has provided me with some the best experiences of my life. Riding up the chair and gazing at the mesmerizing powder is a feeling that you can’t find anywhere else.

“Taking 4th chair on KT and sharing the best run of my life with friends and coaches is my favorite memory of snow.” –West Lubin

Ava Pekarek

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

Ava Pekarek is a fifteen year old sophomore at North Tahoe High School. She is second year U16 on the race team and has been skiing since she was two, and racing since she was eleven years old. Ava competes in the Far West division, but also skis for her high school team. She also enjoys rafting, kayaking, and many other outdoor activities.

"My favorite memory on snow is from when I went on a week-long trip to Utah with my family. We skied from open to close every day and found all of the steep, gnarly terrain that we could!" –Ava Pekarek

Esme Powell Roberts

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

Esme is honored to represent the SAF as a first year U12 athlete. Esme is the youngest of three Roberts’ and like her older siblings, learned to ski on the slopes of Squaw Valley at 2 years old. She officially joined the Squaw Valley Ski Team family as a shooting star, matriculated through Mighty Mites and graduated to Far West as a U10. She is currently in 5th grade at Creekside Charter where she is excited to be a part of a proactive learning environment that affords her the flexibility to hone her skills on the slopes mid-week while maintaining a high level of academics. She loves skiing best of all, but also enjoys her soccer team, her friends, reading, writing and creative pursuits, like baking and crafts.

"My favorite memory on snow is with my friend Stella Gajar. It was a stormy, snowy and powdery day and Stella and I asked our coaches if we could all ski through the trees. Our group headed over to Christmas Tree run on Red Dog and skied into and through the trees. The snow was so deep that we got stuck a few times and even had to click out of our skis. We also face planted in the powder. It was the BEST!!!" –Esme Powell Roberts

Madeleine Rowe Roberts

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

Madeleine is happiest when she is on her skis, whether it’s in the training gates or the racing gates. She is the oldest of three children, all racers, starting off as a Shooting Star moving to a Mighty Mite, on to Tahoe League and eventually ending up in Far West. She is currently a sophomore at North Tahoe High School, where she takes advantage of their dedicated Ski Academy program to hit the slopes mid-week while maintaining a high level of academics. When she’s not skiing, Madeleine enjoys reading, writing, cosmology, soccer and Wildflour Bakery’s most delicious cookies.

"Over the course of 14 years of skiing, I have made many amazing memories. However, the best has to be my first big powder day when I was four years old. That day I skied with my family and the powder was so deep, it felt like I was skiing through it rather than over it. It was snowing so hard, every run was untracked and we were covered in snow. We stopped for a hot chocolate at Gold Coast and made a snow man in the trees. I knew then that what I wanted more than anything else was to be a ski racer." –Madeleine Rowe Roberts

Matt Seline

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

I’ve been skiing on the Squaw Valley Big Mountain team for the last 4 years. I enjoy sending steep complicated lines and getting big air. One of my favorite moments skiing was hitting chimney chute on the palisades. I had my best big mountain comp finish last year with a 4th place at TJFS Mt. Rose.

Drew Wingard

2017/18 Athletic Scholarship Award Recipients

This is my 13th year as a Squaw Valley student athlete. Last year I was fortunate enough to represent the U.S in a junior ski race in Croatia and also to have represented Squaw Valley Ski Team at U16 National Championships in Sugarloaf Maine. I am a three-sport athlete at Truckee High School, I am a middle linebacker on the Varsity Football Team, I also play for the Truckee High School Baseball team as an outfielder. I work at Martis Camp Golf Club during the summer months. I am excited for my first season as a U19. My goal for this year is to make U19 Nationals.

"When looking back on my "Mighty Mite" years at Squaw/Alpine, my favorite memories are when my Gold Star coach Chad would take our group up the Palisades for lunch and we would ski down. I was so lucky to grow up at this mountain with these amazing coaches." –Drew Wingard