Dear CVA Community,

As we reach the peak of the winter term, I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to the Sugarloaf Competition Department and their incredible competition volunteers. Your unwavering commitment to our athletes and their development is truly inspiring.

Competition events—especially those of the caliber hosted at Sugarloaf—require tremendous effort, coordination, and dedication. The passion and hard work of the staff and volunteers at the Sugarloaf Competition Center are unmatched, creating opportunities for our young athletes to progress from weekend competitions to the international stage. This level of excellence would not be possible without the incredible support of our community.

With many exciting competitions and events still ahead this season, I encourage everyone in our community to consider volunteering. Just a few hours of your time can make a significant impact on our athletes' experiences and the overall success of these events. Your participation helps foster the supportive and high-achieving environment that defines CVA.

Thank you to everyone who contributes to making the CVA experience so extraordinary. Your enthusiasm, dedication, and generosity continue to inspire and create lifelong memories for our athletes and their families.

With appreciation,

Alex Godomsky '91

CVA Head of School

Congratulations to the CVA Student Spotlight award winners for January! Each month CVA teachers and staff nominate students who exemplify what being a Big Dog is all about in each of the three foundational pillars of our mission: academics, athletics, and community.

Thank you to D'Ellie's Bakery & Deli for sponsoring our Student Spotlight award recipients.

Recently, while on a family vacation, Graem and Berk saw a swimmer struggling in a rip tide. Without hesitation, these brothers sprang into action, rescuing not one, but two people from drowning that day. CVA strives to instill our Big Dogs with the skills and values to be positive members of their community. We are so proud of these two for saving the day. Great job, guys!

Josh’s coach has remarked on how much he has progressed as an athlete during his time at CVA. Pushing himself to be the best he can be, Josh will often train independently, and always wants to be the first to arrive and the last to leave group training sessions. Josh has also stepped into a leadership role within the team, taking younger and newer athletes under his wing. Keep up the good work, Josh!

Lilly Mae’s teachers all agree - she is crushing it in her classes this year! Her history teacher has noted her positive attitude and enthusiasm in class, and considers her one of her best students. Lilly Mae also crushed her Pre-Calculus test and scored the highest grade in the class on a recent Spanish quiz. Keep up the great work, Lilly Mae!

The Big Dog community looks forward to hosting our friends from Special Olympics Maine each year. This year did not disappoint, serving up a day of sports, smiles, and shared experiences! It was a reminder that teamwork, encouragement, and determination know no boundaries.

This annual on-snow training day at Sugarloaf matches CVA students, coaches, and teachers to Special Olympic athletes, providing a day of alpine and snowshoe training. Under the organizational leadership of the CVA National Honor Society, CVA volunteers set up racecourses, provided timing, served up hot cocoa and cookies, ran the ceremony, and gave lots of encouragement to the Special Olympians. Thank you to the National Honor Society for their help in organizing this special day.

For more than 30 years, CVA's involvement with Special Olympics Maine has been one of our most meaningful traditions. Many hands and hearts made for a smooth, enriching, fun, and safe day. Thank you to everyone who was a part of this special event!

CVA’s 8th-grade science students recently took a thrilling dive into the physics behind amusement park rides, exploring key concepts like gravity, energy, and friction through the study of swings and roller coasters.

With swings, students examined how gravity pulls the ride down from its highest point, while inertia pushes it back up, creating a continuous motion—unless an external force, like air resistance or friction, slows it down.

Roller coasters provided an exciting example of how potential energy transforms into kinetic energy. As the coaster climbs, it builds potential energy, which converts into speed and motion as it drops. Every loop, turn, and drop is a real-world physics lesson, demonstrating the interplay of forces that make these rides both fun and functional.

This hands-on approach to learning helped students see science in action, making complex concepts more engaging and memorable!

FIS

Speed Week, a series of thrilling Super G and Downhill races on the legendary Narrow Gauge trail was held in late January. The Men’s FIS team shined on their home turf, taking the podium in all 4 events and Women’s FIS gave standout performances and impressive debuts.

Bodhi Boschen ’24 won the top spot on the podium both days of the Downhill races, capturing a 2nd place and 4th place finish in the Super G events. Caleb Stefanakos ’24 racked up impressive 7th and 5th place finishes in Downhill, then snagged 1st place in the Webber Cup Super G and a 2nd place finish in the Super G the following day.

Mia Bruno ’25 gained notice in the Super G, earning impressive 11th and 8th place finishes. First-year FIS student-athletes, Lucia Littlefield ’26 and Madeline Brugier ’26, and Lily-Jane Sparkes ’25 all hit the top 30.

U16

The CVA U16 Alpine team recently brought it all to Sunday River’s GS and SG races - speed, precision, and podium finishes! Big Dog, Ethan Godomsky ’27, swept the podium, earning Gold in the GS and both SG events. Also on the podium were Nick Klemperer ’27 (Silver and Bronze in SG) and Ashlyn Poirier ’27 (Gold in SG).

Other top-10 finishes include: Wynn Stern ’28, Rosa Farmer ’27, Luise Rueter ’27, Fynn Murray ’28, and Maddy Cannan ’28.

U14

CVA U14 Academy and Weekend Program athletes were on fire at the Pleasant Mountain Slalom Eastern Qualifier! The athletes gave it their all while having a blast on the hill!

For the men, Big Dogs Charlie Lord ‘29 (1st place), Preston Ponitz DP (2nd place), and Robbie Servidio ‘30 (3rd place) claimed the top podium spots. Luke Holman ‘29, Henry Brochu WP, Finn Hildebrand ‘30, and Joey Mannisto ‘30 all claimed top-10 spots.

Minna Geothart WP earned a spot on the podium for the women, with a 3rd-place finish. Elsie Hamilton ‘29, Kendall Hill WP, Claire Thomson ‘29, and Morgan Barnhorst WP all achieved top-10 finishes. Notable performances were given by Camille Cannan ‘30, who threw down an incredible 1st run, finishing 2nd, and Helene Rueter ’29, who crushed her 2nd run, placing 2nd.

The CVA Backcountry team made the most of its time in Japan. From avalanche training to endless powder turns, the team explored some of the most incredible terrain in the world. Beyond the slopes, they had the chance to tour the country and immerse themselves in Japan’s culture and breathtaking landscapes. It was an unforgettable experience both on and off the mountains!

The CVA Freestyle Moguls team took on Stratton Mountain at the Rod Baird Mogul Challenge. Jack Egan ‘24 took 1st place for the men in the single and dual moguls events. Jack is having a great season, consistently earning a spot on the podium in Eastern Freestyle competitions and impressive results in NorAm and FIS events. It's great to see his hard work paying off.

The CVA Weekend Program Freestyle team brought their A-game to to the B-level Sunday River Eastern Throwdown moguls competition, landing top spots across the board! Athletes Annah Rothe, Atticus Ray, Owen Blaisdell, Brooks Savage, Kaya Gunduz, Sarah Wilkerson, Walter Siegal, Max Tullman, Graham Piper, and Owen Newman all earned podium spots for their age groups, with many other Big Dogs filling in the top-10. Congratulations to all!

CVA Freeski and Snowboard athletes showcased their skills at the Saddleback Slopestyle and Rail Jam events. Park riders bring the creativity, style, and fearless energy that make every competition exciting and our athletes did just that!

In the Freeski Slopestyle competition, Big Dog Ossian Prime-Spivak '28 and alumni, Nattee McKenzie ’24, won gold and Shire Cosby ’25 earned a 3rd place finish. Snowboard Slopestyle saw three Big Dogs on top of the podium: Josh Paquette ’26, Mikey Lord ’27, and Carson Flannery ’29.

Shire Cosby '25 won gold in the Freeski Rail Jam competition and snowboarder, Carson Flannery '29 claimed the top spot in her division as well. Snowboarders Josh Paquette ‘26 (2nd place) and Mikey Lord ‘27 (3rd place) also took coveted podium spots in their divisions.

CVA Snowboard Cross and Ski Cross teams traveled to Steamboat, Colorado for an action-packed Holeshot Tour - a key stepping stone for SBX athletes, helping them progress to the World Cup stage. The Big Dogs put down impressive performances in a large field of athletes!

Ski Cross athletes Sully Butler ’24 (2nd place NorAm Cup) and Jamie Hering ’26 (3rd place FIS) earned podium spots. For Snowboard Cross, two Big Dogs reached the top 10: Nick Westerman (3rd place finish in the FIS race, and 8th place in the SBX NorAm Cup) and Boden Gerry ’24 (6th place SBX NorAm Cup). Walker Wolf ’26 achieved personal bests with 13th place (NorAm Cup) and 12th place (FIS) finishes!

Other SBX highlights included an impressive debut from Lily Mae Awamleh ’26, who earned19th place in her first NorAm competition and 17th in her first FIS race, and August Enos ’27, who earned 22nd and 20th place finishes in NorAms and 18th place in FIS.

CVA Athletes Shine on the Europa Cup Stage! Morgan Shute ‘25 and Maggie Swain ‘24 competed in their first SX World Cup in Val di Fassa, Italy. Morgan and Maggie are the top two SX women competing for the United States, and they crushed it on the world stage.

Morgan earned her first Europa Cup podium, placing 2nd on Day 1. She kept the momentum going with an impressive 6th place finish on Day 2.

Maggie Swain ‘23 put down two strong performances, securing 19th place on both days!

The Europa Cup is a key proving ground for the World Cup, and we couldn’t be prouder of these two athletes representing the Carrabassett Valley Academy and the United States on the international stage. Way to go, Morgan and Maggie!

The Sugarloaf Ski Club has published an 88-page publication in celebration of their 75th Anniversary. If you haven't had a chance to give it a read yet, click here or on the cover image to read it online. This is a great resource on the history of Sugarloaf, the Ski Club, and CVA.

Don't forget to renew your membership to the Sugarloaf Ski Club! The mission of the Sugarloaf Ski Club is to provide the opportunity for all youth to participate and excel in skiing and snowboarding, promote community-building events, support competition, and preserve the history and heritage of the mountain.

To become a member, or to renew your membership, click the link below.