By Mariel Meringolo, Head of School
I am pleased to announce a new partnership with Castleton University's Exercise Science Program that we are piloting this winter. This partnership will provide OMS an assistant strength and conditioning coach each winter who is a recent graduate or a current upperclassmen student intern. This coach will work under Jet Robbins, OMS Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Chris Hurka, Alpine Program Director. The coach will work with all ages and disciplines during each mid-week conditioning period. He or she will assist all coaches with the implementation of our strength and conditioning program. Not only will the intern coach be able to provide additional supervision and assistance to our student-athletes, they also will bring with them the most up-to-date academic information in the area of exercise science. We believe that this partnership will create better conditioning outcomes for our student-athletes.
“I am so excited to get to meet and work with all of the athletes at Okemo Mountain School! I can’t wait to share my knowledge about fitness and training with them while also getting to learn from them along the way as well.”
Our first intern, Maresa Bowen, will begin working with us in January following her December graduation. Maresa will be earning her bachelor's degree in Health and Exercise Science and has studied many relevant topics such as Kinesiology, Clinical Exercise Testing and Prescription, and Nutrient Metabolism and Athletic Performance. Maresa was born in Rutland, VT. Growing up in Vermont, she has always been an avid lover of the outdoors, enjoying hiking, running, snow-shoeing, and fishing. Maresa grew up playing and coaching basketball through high school and college, but has also become involved with other sports as she’s gotten older, such as tennis and snowboarding. She is a certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine, a fitness enthusiast, and loves to cook.