Ski Team Besties for Life

Do you remember being a freshman in college? You are on a new campus, living on your own for the first time, and maybe away from your friends. Perhaps you were like me, and wandered around the quad on Activities Day looking to join a club. As I was walking around, I found a group of people yelling and waving jump skis around (oh wait, maybe that was me every other year of college). As a freshman, I found the ski team, and, coincidentally, some of my best friends for life (see photo featuring Alex Krejcie and Kara Builta).

As it turns out, I wasn’t the only person to find life long friends from being a part of the NCWSA.  Many of you also found your besties on ski team!

Mike Testa and Steve Walczak

I met my best friend Steve Walczak the first weekend of freshman year – we were headed to the first tournament of the year, and the first of dozens together. Turns out Steve didn’t even like me till later in our collegiate careers, but thankfully he warmed up to my ways. Shortly afterwards, we were roomies working together at Coble Ski School, the most epic Pres/VP known to man, training partners, roomies post-grad life, and now spend time together as often as possible, even though we live 1,159 miles apart. We spend our time apart maintaining “secret” albums on our phones titled “For The Wedding” that contain photos that may not be released until our weddings. I’m at 175 right now, where are you, Steve??

Mike Testa

Stacey Shelton and Emilia Twelmyer (Greeve)

I met my best friend at a ski team meeting. I didn’t get to know her much until the team drove down to Bennett’s to train for a week. We skiied together all summer and became instant best friends. From being the maid of honor in her waterski wedding, to driving two hours just to hang out on a regular basis, we don’t let the distance (including when I lived in South Africa) keep us apart. MCWSA brought us together and I’m so thankful for that! You can usually spot us floating on the unicorn with her dog in between ski sets.

Stacey Shelton

Devin Cassidy and Tyler Thompson

I love how Tyler and I became franz….I thought he was on our team!

Devin Cassidy

Tyler actually founded the Illinois State University team, but spent a lot of his time with team Illinois, because we were awesome.

Team Illinois

At my first tournament, Devin (Cassidy) convince me, KK (Feid), and Brett (Mommer) that we were almost there because we were at the McDonald’s right by the Walmart. This was pre-smart phone era, and our McDonald’s receipt revealed that we were, in fact, in the wrong state. Now, I think we have one doctorate and ~3.5 masters degrees between the 4 of us. Who knew? Now? All four are educated and besties for life.


Trina Seerup
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Kathleen Nolan

I graduated from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012. From the fall of 2016 through spring 2018 I was the primary alumni correspondent for NCWSA.com. I currently work in Chicago, IL.