Boston, Mass. - The Harvard Ski Team held its annual banquet recently at the Main Club House of the Harvard Club. More than 80 skiers, parents, friends and coaches turned out for the gala.
Among the evening’s festivities, captains for the 2007-08 season were announced. Among the Nordic captains, rising junior Anna Schulz has been named as the women’s cross-country captain. Schulz, a native of Johnson, Vt., replaces graduating four-year star Jennifer Harlow in the role.
On the men’s side, co-captains were selected as rising seniors Oliver Burruss (Sherborn, Mass.) and Christopher Nabel (Washington, D.C.) both earned the honor. Burruss has been one of the team’s most consistent performers in recent years while Nabel is a former walk-on candidate turned three-year varsity member.
“It is always tough when you graduate a captain, star and general leader like Jennifer Harlow,” commented Head Nordic Coach, Peter Graves. “I am sad to see her go but I am also so pleased with the leadership she gave us – something that will be handed down. We have a trio of energetic, determined captains who will help lead Harvard Nordic skiing for next year.”
For the Alpine teams, rising senior Matthew Basilico, a native of Brookline, Mass. will lead the men’s team. Rising senior Alexandra Teng (Kensington, Calif.) will captain the women’s team.
“I am looking forward to having a full year with this group of skiers,” commented Head Alpine Coach, Tim Mitchell. “Matthew (Basilico) and Alexandra (Teng) have been among our strongest skiers and I am confident in their leadership abilities.”
For the Alpine awards given out during the evening, senior Katie Connors (Waltham, Mass.) earned the Van Gerbig Award for leadership; Daniel Tsai (Yorktown Heights, N.Y.) earned the Charlie Gibson Cup for outstanding performance; and Samuel Harrison (Acton, Mass.) earned the Freshman Award.
Nordic awards were also handed with Jennifer Harlow easily taking honors as the Harvard Nordic Skier of the Year Award. The Graham Taylor Outstanding Freshman of the Year Award, named for former Harvard skier, coach and Olympic official Mr. Taylor, was awarded to Freshman Audrey Mangan (Honeoye Falls, N.Y.). The Rand Cup for Inspirational Nordic Skiing Performance was awarded by Harvard skiing alum, Mr. David Rand and awarded to Jennifer Esch (Bethesda, Md.).
The program and its coaches would like all of those who attended the event as well as those who make Harvard Skiing possible. We also honor the memory of Nick Rhinelander ’88, who served as the Friends Chair for Harvard Skiing.
A wet, slippery road tragically took the life of Rhinelander on Monday, April 16, 2007, as he was making his way home from a late season ski trip in Vermont.
Nick was on the sailing and ski teams at Harvard, but he made his biggest impact on the ski program well after his days as a student when he answered the call to serve as the Friends Chair for Harvard Skiing. He wasted no time breathing life into the program, bringing the same infectious personality, organization, and persistence that made him a wonderful husband, father, and businessman to Harvard Skiing. In the words of Alpine Coach Tim Mitchell, Nick “was Harvard Skiing. Nick was certainly the leader of this program. Never in my life have I seen anyone give so much of himself and expect nothing in return, but prefer to remain out of the spotlight. For Nick, the program and the athletes always came first. This will forever be Nick’s team.”
Nick’s peers and all of us at the Varsity Club and the Department of Athletics noticed his sincerity and unique ability as well. He was rightly named the “2007 Friend of the Year” by HRFWA (Harvard-Radcliffe Foundation for Women’s Athletics), a few short months before his accident.
An energetic father and loving husband, Nick’s true passion in life was his family. He leaves behind his beloved wife, Emily Hewitt Rhinelander and his two children, Elizabeth Hamilton Rhinelander (8) and James Denison Shaw Rhinelander (6), who learned first hand from their fun-loving father of his passion for skiing, hockey, the outdoors, art and music.
Nick’s service filled the All Saints’ Church in Belmont, Mass.; at the request of his family, in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, PO Box 648, Blue Hill, Maine.
