CHESTER, Vt. – Ava Anderson, 14, of Chester is a dedicated ski racer. She is in eighth grade and attends Stratton Mountain School at Stratton Mountain Resort. Ava races as a U16 within the Vermont Alpine Racing Association. She had a very successful 2021-22 season, competing throughout the state and finishing most of her races in the top 15, a few in the top 5, and she has even been on the top of the podium twice. Vermont State Championships were a big success as she finished 14th overall in the state. That finish qualified her for U16 Eastern Championships where she competed against the best skiers in the East at Burke Mountain. At the completion of the Eastern Championship series, Ava was ranked 12th overall in the East. She finished 12th in the Super G and 6th in Giant Slalom. As a result, she has qualified for U16 National Championships at Sugarloaf, Maine. Nationals will be held April 2-6, 2022, where she will compete against the best U16 girls in the nation. Ava is one of the youngest skiers in the age group, competing as a first year U16.
Ava has been skiing since age two at Stratton Mountain, where her dad, Michael is the Assistant Ski Patrol director. She made the decision to race at age eight and has been achieving her goals since she started. Stratton Mountain School is an independent boarding and day school that focuses on college preparatory academics and competitive winter sports. Located at the base of Stratton Mountain, SMS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. Since 1972, SMS has had 51 Olympians and 119 National team athletes.