TeamAVSC Blog

We are grateful that our athletes had an awesome winter full of fun, challenge, and success despite the collective challenges that this winter presented. While each discipline met and celebrated as a smaller group, we wanted to take the time to recognize our club-wide award winners here, as we are so proud of all that they’ve accomplished. Please join us in celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our athletes!

Club-wide Award Winners:

City of Aspen – Community Partner
Our 2021 Community Partner Award goes to the City of Aspen!

“It truly takes a village. The City of Aspen has impacted AVSC in a multitude of ways and continues to be a truly integral part of our success.  From grooming cross country trails, helping to fund AVSC’s scholarship program, and helping us coordinate our events, the City of Aspen’s commitment to the AVSC Community and youth is an incredible asset.  We have so many important partners and throughout this last year it has become obvious that the City of Aspen believes in the importance of mentorship in the outdoors.  Thank you City of Aspen.” – Miah Wheeler, AVSC Development Director 

AVSC’s Community Partner Award is given annually to a community partner who has made an extraordinary impact on our athletes in that particular season.  

Eva McDonough – Willoughby Award
Our 2021 Willoughby Award goes to Nordic Skier Eva McDonough! 

“Eva is the unique athlete who can balance excellence in the class room and on the hill. Her hard work in both has lead to an opportunity to ski for Bates College next season.” – August Teague, AVSC Nordic Program Director

The Willoughby Award is given to an athlete demonstrating outstanding achievement in athletics and academics. AVSC recognizes the vital importance of academics and the incredible challenge it is for an individual to excel in both. Frank Willoughby was one of the founding fathers of AVSC and of skiing in Aspen.  He served two terms as President of the AVSC Board of Directors, in the late 30s and again the mid-40s. From the Mindnight Mine, Frank operated the first snow-cat on Aspen Mountain.  

Jake Morgan – Samuel Ryan Coffey Memorial Award
Our 2021 Sam Coffey Memorial Award goes to Jake Morgan! 

"Jake’s passion for skiing and the dedication he showed to the sport this season was commendable.  An example that comes to mind was when he qualified into a Colorado Ski Cup race from the previous Devo race. It was dumping snow – one of the better powder days we had at home – and he had to wake up at 5am and go to a race in Vail.  He was pumped he made it into that race, but was a little bummed that he couldn’t go powder skiing with his buddies. We saw him out the next day shredding pow with his friends at Highlands; he had to be tired but needed to get out and free ski!" - Torey Greenwood, AVSC FIS Coach

The Samuel Ryan Coffey Memorial Award was created to honor @scramuelcoffey’s memory and help FIS-level alpine athletes seeking summer training opportunities. Athletes must demonstrate AVSC’s core values of commitment, teamwork, and integrity as well as embody Sam’s passion for skiing and the Aspen community. 

Sean Connelly – Snowboard Pursuit of Excellence
Our 2021 Pursuit of Excellence Snowboard Program Award goes to Sean Connelly! 

“The pursuit of excellence not only shows an athlete’s drive to reach the highest level in their sport, but also to be a supportive and positive member of our community.  Sean has been in the program longer than any other Snowboard athlete, growing through our pre-devo program all the way to our Team 2 program.  He has competed at almost every level of contest, had great success at the highest levels, and seen multiple podiums in his career in the program.  On top of that, he always wants to reach out and spend time snowboarding with the younger athletes in the program.  Through Sean’s actions on and off the snow I am really excited to see where the next chapter takes him.” – Jason Cook, AVSC Snowboard Program Director 

About the Pursuit of Excellence Award: AVSC encourages athletes to expect excellence from themselves. This award is presented to an athlete from each discipline who has demonstrated the drive to excel in their sport, while at the same time embodying our core values of commitment, teamwork, and integrity.

Ben Oldham – Nordic Pursuit of Excellence
Our 2021 Pursuit of Excellence Nordic Program Award goes to Ben Oldham! 

Nordic Program Director, August Teague, shared, “Ben’s hard work and determination last summer and throughout this season led to his phenomenal jump both in results and process this year. Ben had some incredible results this season (Soldier Hollow Super JNQ 2nd Classic Sprint; 2nd 5km Skate; Raoul Wille Memorial Ski Race 3rd 5km Classic; Spring Gulch Open 1st 5km classic, 1st 5km skate; Western Junior Championships 3rd Skate Sprint, 5th 5km Classic, 2nd 5km Skate; Tour de Sun Valley 1st Skate Sprint, 1st 5km Classic; 2nd 15km Skate). He has the unique ability to make things fun but also get down to business. I am excited to see what the future brings for him as he continues to challenge himself and his teammates!”

 About the Pursuit of Excellence Award: AVSC encourages athletes to expect excellence from themselves. This award is presented to an athlete from each discipline who has demonstrated the drive to excel in their sport, while at the same time embodying our core values of commitment, teamwork, and integrity.

Hanna Faulhaber – Freestyle Pursuit of Excellence
Our 2021 Pursuit of Excellence Freestyle Program Award goes to Hanna Faulhaber! 

“Hanna continued to progress her freeski career this winter with her biggest competition start to date: World Champs.  It took a lot more focus on the mental challenges of high-level sport. Hanna managed it all, from not being sure of she was going to be selected to compete, to learning a new trick right before the competition. She was able to overcome it all to make it to the finals, ultimately placing fourth, the highest placed finisher for the US women. Also just last week, Hanna was named to the US Women's Halfpipe Pro Team (she moved up from Rookie Team)." – Greg Ruppel, AVSC Park + Pipe Coach

 About the Pursuit of Excellence Award: AVSC encourages athletes to expect excellence from themselves. This award is presented to an athlete from each discipline who has demonstrated the drive to excel in their sport, while at the same time embodying our core values of commitment, teamwork, and integrity.

Chase Kelly – Alpine Pursuit of Excellence
Our 2021 Pursuit of Excellence Alpine Program Award goes to Chase Kelly! 

“Chase Kelly is one of the hardest working athletes I have ever worked with. He dedicates himself to sport and strives for perfection. He has been one of the fastest men in the region for a long time, but was faced with defeat at our first races of the year. He spent the rest of the winter working his tail off to get back on top.  By the end of the season he proved he was again capable of skiing as fast as any of his competitors.  He was crowned the State CHASSA champion, and Finished 4th overall and 2nd in the SL at Junior Championships in Steamboat. His focus at training was contagious and the athletes around him learned how to had to step up their game. If you want to be the best, you are first going to have to out work Chase Kelly… and that is a tall order!” – Willie Volkhausen, U16 Coach

About the Pursuit of Excellence Award: AVSC encourages athletes to expect excellence from themselves. This award is presented to an athlete from each discipline who has demonstrated the drive to excel in their sport, while at the same time embodying our core values of commitment, teamwork, and integrity.

Hanna Faulhaber – Andy Mill Award
For the second year in a row, our Andy Mill Award goes to Freestyle skier Hanna Faulhaber!

“Hanna returned after an incredible season in 2019-2020 hungrier and more determined than ever to take the next step.  It’s hard to top 3^rd place at Junior Worlds but 4^th Place at FIS Freeski World Championships against the top women Halfpipe skiers on the planet did just that.  Hanna has trained and put in the work for years and the hard work is paying off.  Hanna is ranked 15^th in the World and 3^rd in the US.” – Eric Knight, AVSC Freestyle Program Director 

About the Andy Mill Award: We choose this recipient from among the Pursuit of Excellence winners.  This award is given to an athlete who has achieved outstanding National and/or International results.  Andy is an Aspen local who grew up skiing with AVSC. Throughout the 70’s, he was America’s premier downhill racer.  In 1988, Mill was presented with the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award in recognition for overcoming adversity in the 1976 Olympic Games, where he placed sixth in the downhill, even though injured.  His lower right leg was so badly bruised from a training injury that he could not stand without pain the day before the race.  In order to compete, he froze his leg in the snow minutes before entering the starting gate.  Andy is a generous supporter of AVSC and has been for years.  As he says, it’s important for him to give back to the organization that has given so much to him.  

Congratulations to all of our 2020-2021 AVSC Award Winners!