ON the rise athletes
The World Cup Dreams Foundation is honored to support the 34 On The Rise grant recipients for the 2022/2023 season. The On The Rise grant will inspire our youngest dreamers, who have demonstrated potential and are at the top of their age class in the nation, exemplifying the ability to reach the next level of elite racing. The grant money given to these athletes is used to help pay for season expenses and competition. WCDF's goal in selecting these athletes is to propel them to achieve their World Cup Dream. Learn more about our On The Rise grant recipients below, and be sure to follow along as they continue to pursue their dreams!
Cailin Apple
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Burke Mountain Academy
HOMETOWN: Morristown, VT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: U18 Nationals qualifier 2022
Top 15 in first Eastern Cup Slalom Race 12/2021
3-Time VARA Team Member
GOALS: "compete at U18 Junior Nationals"
Tatum Akers
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Team Palisades Tahoe
HOMETOWN: Truckee, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 1st overall for Far West U16 '21-'22,
2022 Western Regions U16 Junior Championships
1st Place Super G
2nd Place GS
3rd Place SL
2nd Place Overall
GOALS: "place top 20-25 in FIS elite races"
Tess Arnone
BIRTH YEAR: 2003
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
HOMETOWN: Steamboat Springs, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 18th at Junior Worlds (Zakapone) 2022, 28th at World Championships 2021 (Obersdorf), and 30th in Ramsau World Cup 2020.
GOALS: "get a top 15 at Junior World Ski Championships."
finegan bailey
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: X Country
TEAM: Stratton Mountain School
HOMETOWN: Peru, VT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 3 gold medals at Junior Nationals 2022(classic sprint, classic distance, relay)
2022-2023 member of national training group
GOALS: "To qualify for World Juniors for cross country skiing and hopefully have some good performances at that event."
Garret Butts
BIRTH YEAR: 2001
DISCIPLINE: X Country
TEAM: APU Nordic Ski Center
HOMETOWN: Gunnison, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
8th place overall (2nd u23) 30km skate mass start US National Championships 2022
- Tour de SkiMeister u20 Overall winner 2021
- 4th place overall (1st u20) Tour of Anchorage 2021
GOALS: "Have a long and consistent season of racing in the top 5 and podiums on the super tour circuit, especially in the distance events."
Benny Brown
BIRTH YEAR: 2003
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Burke Mountain Academy
HOMETOWN: Park City, UT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2021 Italian GS Junior Champ
Winning a race on my hometown slope in Park City last year.
Going from bib 87 to finishing 16th at Pano Norams
GOALS: "Top 15 Noram event rank in one tech and one speed discipline"
STANLEY
BUZEK
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Summit Colorado
HOMETOWN: Boulder, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Top 10 Aspen Spring Series Slalom, First FIS Slalom win
GOALS: "drop my points below 40 in slalom"
EMILY CHARLESTON
BIRTH YEAR: 2004
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Proctor Academy
HOMETOWN: Belmont, NH
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "Score EISA points and get into the top 30 at EISA Carnivals"
Charlie Koenig
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Carrabassett Valley Academy
HOMETOWN: Coplin Plantation, ME
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
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10th in SL at U16 nationals (2022)
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11th in SG at U16 nationals (2022)
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5th in SG at U16 Eastern Championships (2022)
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4th in Sugarloaf RPS SG (2022)
GOALS: "lower both of my slalom and GS points to sub 100"
Jeremy Nolting
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
HOMETOWN: Steamboat Springs, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: 3rd overall at U18 Nationals, 2nd Downhill U18 Nationals
Joshua nelson
BIRTH YEAR: 2004
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Buck Hill Ski Racing
HOMETOWN: Wayzata, MN
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Being first in the US for YOB for slalom points.
Making it on to the nation development group
Scoring a 39 in slalom
Winning my first FIS race
GOALS: "Be top 60 in overall and/or slalom Nor-am points."
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Ski and Snowboard Club Vail
HOMETOWN: Edwards, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
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Winning overall at U18 Nationals.
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1st Overall DH points in the country for the 2005 birth year.
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3rd Overall GS Points 2005 birth year
GOALS: "win the overall at U18 Nationals again"
Hunter salani
topher davenport
BIRTH YEAR: 2003
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Colby College Ski Team
HOMETOWN: Snowmass, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "achieve lower scores and challenge for FIS podiums and wins."
BIRTH YEAR: 2001
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Dartmouth Ski Team
HOMETOWN: San Francisco, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 1st place 2020 NPS GS Finals
Consistent top 5 national rank in GS and SL for the past 4 seasons
GOALS: "top 20 NorAm rank in SL and GS"
Preston O'Brien
lucas mcdermott
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Burke Mountain Academy
HOMETOWN: Glenwood Springs, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
5th in the Slalom at U16 Nationals last year
3rd in the Slalom at U16 Eastern Championships
GOALS: "Get my FIS points from 999 to low 70s to 60s"
gavin ebert
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: NYSEF
HOMETOWN: Clifton Park, NY
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
'22 Nationally Ranked #1 for YOB in Super G
1st place for Super G at U16 Easterns Junior Championship
2nd overall at U16 Easterns Junior Championship
GOALS: "be part of the National Development Group."
Carson
Hume
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Ski and Snowboard Club Vail
HOMETOWN: Frisco, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1st place Aspen Speed Series Super G
Colorado All Star Team
3rd place Vail U18 Nationals SG
GOALS: "to qualify for US Nationals"
Kaden
Theriault
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Carrabassett Valley Academy
HOMETOWN: Fort Kent, ME
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "I want to finish in the top spot overall for my age group in Maine and qualify for the post season with positive results."
Rhett Lindsey
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Team Palisades Tahoe
HOMETOWN: Kings Beach, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "earn a spot at U18 Nationals and the Nationals at Sugar Loaf."
kai subith
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation
HOMETOWN: Minden, NV
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "lower my points to sub 600 world rank in both SL and GS."
Prince Ilano
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM:
HOMETOWN: Tahoe City, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "make the flip in all of my races"
Sophia tozzi
BIRTH YEAR: 2003
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club
HOMETOWN: Jackson, WY
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 3rd place for juniors at US National’s Alpine Combined
Top 18 in the NorAm Overall Standings
Winning an Elite Tech GS race in Sun Valley.
GOALS: "work my way up in the NorAm rankings"
Everett Dooley
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
HOMETOWN: Avon, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
3rd in the country for SG in 2005 YOB
11th in the country for GS in 2005 YOB
GOALS: "requalify for U18 Nationals."
David Morken
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Team Palisades Tahoe
HOMETOWN: Truckee, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 3 podium finishes at the Western Regional Spring Series, top 10 finish in the Super G at U18 Nationals in Vail, Qualifying 3rd for the West Team.
GOALS: "get my points down into the 40s"
Asher Weinberg
BIRTH YEAR: 2004
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club
HOMETOWN: Aspen, CO
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
6th place at the OPA Cup as a second year U16
Competing in Lake Louise SuperG and Downhill NorAms
2021 US Nationals top 25 in Downhill
Wilder Dwight Speed series in Aspen: DH 1st, Super G-2nd
GOALS: "Back to snow program"
Bobbi jo griffin
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Team Palisades Tahoe
HOMETOWN: Sierraville, CA
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
2022 Us Nationals and Noram Finals in Sugarloft
2nd place Schwester Downhill
Far West Academic Team-4.21 gpa
GOALS: "Win DH Title at U18 Nationals"
BIRTH YEAR: 2002
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: RC Elite Racing
HOMETOWN: Gorham, ME
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Qualifying for 2022 U.S Nationals
Placing Top 30 at 2022 Canadian Nationals SL
Ranked 7th in the Australian/New Zealand Cup SG Ranking
GOALS: "I also want to start in my first downhill!"
Lilyann Fisher
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: NYSEF
HOMETOWN: Lake Placid, NY
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: 2019 NYSSRA U14 State Champ, 2021 NYSSRA U16 State Champ, 1st Gore Mtn U16-19 SG.
GOALS: "lower my points as much as possible to earn myself a better starting position in races."
Lexi Ordway
Sam claussen
BIRTH YEAR: 2004
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club
HOMETOWN: Victor, ID
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Top ten for U18s at Big Sky
Top 25 in the end of season GS standing for U18s in the Western region
GOALS: "I would like to drop my gs points down to 50 and my sl down to 60"
Joshua Rosenberg
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Okemo Mountain School
HOMETOWN: Ridgewood, NJ
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Vara Team Member 2019, 2020, 2021
U18 Eastern Cup Finals Winner
U14 Eastern Champion
GOALS: "Make the US Ski Team"
Madison Kaiserman
BIRTH YEAR: 2004
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Park City Ski and Snowboard
HOMETOWN: Park City, UT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS: Age World Rank of 20th in GS
2 FIS Wins: PC Elite Series GS, Vail GS
GOALS: "I have a goal to be a consistent top 15-20 finisher."
Charles howe
BIRTH YEAR: 2006
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: NYSEF
HOMETOWN: Holland Patent, NY
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
GOALS: "top ten at U18 Nationals"
Carly Elsinger
BIRTH YEAR: 2003
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Dartmouth Ski Team
HOMETOWN: Jericho, VT
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1st overall U16 Burke NPS (National Performance Series) GS
3rd Overall U16 Breckenridge, CO Nationals SG
1st U19 UNH SL Carnival 2022
GOALS: "to finish among the the top 10 in each collegiate carnival race"
aksel kitt
BIRTH YEAR: 2005
DISCIPLINE: Alpine
TEAM: Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
HOMETOWN: Hood River, OR
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
1st for U18s in GS at Canada Spring Finals
- 7th at Canadian Nationals for U18s in GS
GOALS: "Win a FIS race for U18s."
