Six Aspen High School senior athletes recognized at college signing ceremony
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Aspen High School recognized six graduating senior athletes on Thursday with a signing ceremony inside the AHS gymnasium.
Elsie Weiss, Nate Thomas, Eske Roennau, Riley MacArthur, Michaela Kenny and Gavin Gianneschi all put pen to paper — it was mostly symbolic as official letters had likely long been signed — next to family members, coaches and a portion of the AHS student body.
Led by athletic director John Castrese, the roughly 45-minute event allowed the students to share stories from their journey through high school to becoming a college athlete.
Here is a quick look at each of the six athletes and where they are going:
Elsie Weiss
Weiss is headed to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for cross-country skiing. Her older brother, Anders Weiss, skis for Montana State. Elsie Weiss has long been a standout skier for both AHS and the Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club.
Nate Thomas
Thomas will attend Colorado School of Mines where he will join its Division II football program. A multi-sport standout since his freshman season, Thomas really excelled in football, where he was at least the part-time starting quarterback much of his AHS career.
Eske Roennau
Another cross-country skier, Roennau will race for Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. Much like Weiss, he’s long been a standout for both AHS and AVSC and was also a runner for the Skiers.
Riley MacArthur
MacArthur is headed to San Diego State University for dancing. Like so many of her teammates, she leaves AHS with an unmatched resume as the Skiers won two state championships and this past season a national championship during her tenure.
Michaela Kenny
After originally planning to play lacrosse in college, Kenny finds herself headed to Fairfield University in Connecticut to run cross country. Also a talented cross-country skier, Kenny is following in the footsteps of her older sister, Kylie Kenny, who plays collegiate lacrosse at Duke after transferring from University of Denver.
Gavin Gianneschi
Despite tearing his knee ahead of his senior season, Gianneschi healed up and did enough on the field that he will head to Howard Community College in Maryland to play lacrosse.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Police took tremendous care to be thorough in investigation versus priest who eventually was cleared
Aspen Police this week released a redacted report detailing the 500 hours of investigation, including interviews of 86 witness and assistance from the FBI, of an ex-altar boy’s accusations from prison in 2021 of sexual abuse by a priest who had served at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in the mid-2000s.
