YOUR AD HERE »

Steamboat Class of 2010 finishes remarkable year

Johnny B Good’s owner praises graduates for academics, athletics, character

Blythe Terrell
Mitch Lekarczyk hugs Steamboat Springs High School principal Kevin Taulman after receiving his diploma during Saturday’s ceremony.
Matt Stensland





Mitch Lekarczyk hugs Steamboat Springs High School principal Kevin Taulman after receiving his diploma during Saturday’s ceremony.
Matt Stensland

— When preparing for his speech, Steamboat Springs High School valedictorian Jeffrey Lambart presented a question to teachers and students at the school: What one word defines the Class of 2010?

A few said “ridiculous” or “crazy,” Lambart said, attributing that to either jealousy or recollections of an epic eighth-grade food fight. Others said “talented” or “passionate,” he said with approval.

“I also heard ‘ridiculously good-looking,’ which is not one word, but I let it go,” Lambart said during Saturday afternoon’s graduation ceremony at the high school.



He said the best word he heard for this year’s graduating class was “cohesive.”

“The Class of 2010 has always been very close,” Lambart said. “… After today, the only word to describe us will be ‘gone.’”



The 148 graduates of the Class of 2010 celebrated that impending departure with speeches from their peers, teachers, faculty members and Johnny B Good’s Diner owner Mike Diemer, who gave the main address.

Diemer described opening his diner nearly 17 years ago, a time frame that almost perfectly coincides with the graduates’ existence. To make himself more comfortable with

the pressure of delivering an important speech on their big day, Diemer brought in Brian Harvey and Tony Counts, with whom he co-hosts an ESPN radio show.

“Don’t be alar­med; I have no intention of turning this into some shameless plug for the radio show,” Diemer said, getting a big laugh as Harvey and Counts took off their jackets to reveal T-shirts promoting the show.

Diemer praised this year’s Sailors graduates for their achievements in academics, athletics and making the Yampa Valley a better place. Of the seniors, he said, 58 had a grade-point average of 3.5 or higher. Twenty-two had GPAs of 4.5, Diemer said.

“I didn’t even know you could go that high,” he said.

The class also received more than $671,000 in scholarships for the 2010-11 school year. Four members will go into the military. Superintendent Shalee Cunningham had Bryce Mayo stand; Mayo plans to enter the U.S. Navy. Cunningham also asked every veteran in the audience to stand in honor of Memorial Day on Monday. The group received thunderous applause.

Diemer also said he enjoyed his time as the radio announcer for Sailors football games. The team had a strong year, going 13-1, with the sole loss coming in the Class 3A state championship game.

The Steamboat athletes, in football and other sports, “set the standards for excellence” on the field and off, Diemer said.

He also reminded those present about the integrity of members of the Class of 2010. In March, four Steamboat students — three of them seniors — found an envelope containing nearly $800 on the slopes of Mount Werner. They turned the money over to the Routt County Sheriff’s Office, and deputies found the owner.

Diemer marveled about that display of ethics.

“I want you to know you made our town very, very proud,” he said, admitting that he wasn’t sure what he’d have done in a similar situation at age 17.

As its parting gift, the class will give Steamboat Springs High School two flat-screen televisions and a new sign to replace one that was blown down.

Diemer encouraged the graduates to go forth in their lives and take control of their decisions.

“Forever until your last days on earth, you will always be the Steamboat Springs High School Class of 2010,” Diemer said. “Don’t ever forget how awesome that is.”

The class motto is “you can’t be old and wise if you were never young and crazy.” As evidence, the seniors left one tasseled cap, hurled a little bit too high, tangled in the rafters of the Kelly Meek Gymnasium.


Steamboat Springs Class of 2010 scholarships

■ Jesse Allen

Frank Leonard Memorial Scholarship $825

Steve Maloney Memorial Fund $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Storm Peak Labatory Scholarship $500

■ Ian Anderson

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Travis Taber Memorial Scholarship $2,300

Denver University’s Pioneer scholarship $10,000

■ Andrew Aranyosi

Yampa Valley Charitable Stream Improvement Charitable Trust $1,000

Steamboat Springs Booster Club Pio Utu $500

Casper College’s Livestock Judging Scholarship $7,500

■ Skyler Barry

Children’s Diabetic Foundation $2,000

■ Sara Bearss

Joe Bonny Tennis Scholarship $500

■ Connor Birch

Twin Enviro Services $500

■ Emily Birch

Kitchen Perfection in Memory of Angela Dawn Haight $500

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $2,000

Steamboat Springs Booster Club Pio Utu $500

Travis Taber Memorial Scholarship $2,300

Hamilton’s Hamilton/Suda Travel $8,660

■ Genevieve Bradley

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp Scholarship Fund $1,000

Steamboat Springs Booster Club Pio Utu $500

University of Hawaii, Manoa’s Western Undergraduate Exchange $9,367

■ Kelsey Butler

Kiwanis/J Scott Wells Memorial Scholarship $1,000

Eckerd College’s Eckerd Merit Scholarship $20,500

■ Kyle Chapman

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

YES Chamber Ambassadors Scholarship $1,000

■ Matthew Dawes

Judge John Wilkinson $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Terry Sports Scholarship $2,000

University of Denver’s Merrit Pioneer Scholarship $10,000

■ Kathleen Dobell

Optimist Club “Teen of the Year” Scholarship $1,500

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Walmart $3,000

Dartmouth University’s Dartmouth General Scholarship $34,000

■ Matthia Duryea

Frank Leonard Memorial Scholarship $500

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Concordia Luthern University’s Regents/Presidential/Music $21,500

■ Courtney Garth

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Lake Forest College’s Presidential Scholarship $8,000

Lake Forest College’s Patterson Academic Scholarship $6,000

■ Samuel Glaisher

Neville Family Scholarship from SSWSC $935

Colby University’s Presidential Scholarship $20,000

■ Elizabeth Grubbs

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

■ Kaelen Gunderson

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

■ Cody Harris

Colorado Northwestern Community College Counselor Scholarship $1,500

■ Kiersten Henry

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

University of Miami’s University of Miami Dickinson Scholarship $20,000

■ Austin Hinder

University of California Berkley’s Athletic Scholarship to the University of California $51,092

■ Lillian Hoff

Landmark Consultants Excellence in Engineering Scholarship $1,000

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Cal Poly Outreach Scholarship $2,000

■ Aimee Jones

University of Iowa’s Academic Scholarship $16,000

■ Colleen King

Denver University’s Athletic Scholarship to the University of California $52,000

■ Catharine Koroulis

The Home Ranch $500

Marie Dunn Memorial $3,000

Glenn Werner Memorial/Routt County Water Conservatory District Scholarship $600

Angela Dawn Haight Memorial Scholarship $500

Routt Co CattleWomen/Steve Fraysher Scholarship $2,000

Casper College’s Livestock Judging Scholarship $7,500

■ Hanna Kurowski

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $2,000

Saint Mary’s College of California’s Honor Scholarship $12,000

Saint Mary’s College of California’s St. Mary’s Scholarship $17,824

■ Mitchell Lekarczyk

Eric Small Memorial Scholarship $1,000

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

■ Charlotte Letson

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

YES Chamber Ambassadors Scholarship $2,000

University of Denver’s Un. Denver Merit Scholarship $12,000

■ Katherine Lynch

Brenda Lynch Memorial Scholarship $200

Jacksonville University’s Academic Scholarship $13,000

■ Emma Lyons

Routt County 4-H Scholarship $500

■ Michael Makens

Routt County Conservation District Scholarship $500

■ Jayde Mattox

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Ski Town USA Rotary Club $1,000

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

SSEA Scholarship $1,000

Terry Sports Scholarship $2,000

■ Chloe Miller

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $500

■ Parker Mortensen

Charles S. Johnson Scholarship $1,000

Western Wyoming Community College’s WWCC Diesel Technology Scholarship $1,000

■ David Mucklow

Routt County 4-H Scholarship $1,000

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Routt County CattleWomen/Steve Fraysher Scholarship $1,500

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

The Home Ranch $500

University of Puget Sound’s Puget Sound Dean Scholarship $7,000

University of Puget Sound Grant $16,000

■ Paula Ninger

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

University of Rochester’s Prince Street Scholarship $10,000

■ Andrew O’Leary-Brennan

Pam Walter Memorial Scholarship $1,000

Strong Insurance Agency Scholarship $1,000

■ Lorin Paley

Neville Family Scholarship from SSWSC $935

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $2,000

■ Nicholas Parnell

First Impressions Scholarship $750

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

■ Molly Parsons

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

Tour De Forks $250

Yampa Valley Charitable Stream Improvement Charitable Trust $2,000

YES Chamber Ambassadors Scholarship $2,000

Colorado State University’s Honor Schol./ Green & Gold Schol $3,000

Colorado State University’s Honor Schol./ Green & Gold Schol $3,000

■ Dylan Pivarnik

SSEA Scholarship $1,000

■ Scott Ptach

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Ski Town USA Rotary Club $1,000

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

■ Corey Puffett

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

University of Colorado Boulder’s Boulder Regent Scholarship $1,000

■ Mia Quick

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $500

Ripon College’s Presidential/Trustee/Ripon Grant $14,290

■ Emily Rabbitt

Frank Leonard Memorial Scholarship $825

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Steamboat Springs Booster Club Pio Utu $1,000

Terry Sports Scholarship $2,000

Steve Maloney Memorial Fund $500

Carrol College’s Trustee and Diversity Scholarship $13,000

■ John Rohde

Neville Family Scholarship from SSWSC $935

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

University of New South Wales’s SSWSC Neville Family Scholarship $935

■ Andrew Ruff

University of Puget Sound’s Presidential/grant/travel $30,200

■ Tyler Samlowski

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

■ Stephen Shenfield

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $500

■ Jennifer Skovgaard

Steamboat Springs Lions Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $500

■ Alexis Stabile

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

SSEA Scholarship $1,500

■ Keenan Starbuck

Doak Walker Scholarship $1,500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

TIC $1,000

Colorado School of Mines’ Colorado Grant $1,700

■ Carl Steele

Steamboat Springs Booster Club Pio Utu $500

■ Lucas Stover

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

TIC $1,000

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s Cal Poly Outreach Scholarship $1,000

■ Madison Struble

SS Fire Rescue/Dave Linear Memorial Scholarship $1,500

■ Kylee Swiggart

Doak Walker Scholarship $1,500

Joe Bonny Tennis Scholarship $500

Poogie Dawes Memorial Scholarship $5,000

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

Ski Town USA Rotary Club $1,000

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

University of Denver Provost Scholarship $14,000

YES Chamber Ambassadors Scholarship $2,000

■ Kyle Swoyer

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

■ Kimberly Taylor

ACZ Laboratories $500

Steamboat Springs Lions Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $500

■ Tate Tellier

County 4-H Scholarship $500

■ Jack Verploeg

Denver University’s Presidential Scholarship $14,000

■ Erika Walters

Colorado School of Mines’ School of Mines Merit Scholarship $10,000

■ Brianna Watterson

Carol Finnoff Scholarship $500

Colorado Group Realty Scholarship $500

■ Alexandra Wetzler

Dance Showcase Scholarship $1,000

Denver University’s Pioneer scholarship $10,000

■ Alana White

Jared Herfertner Memorial Scholarship $1,000

Yampa Valley Charitable Stream Improvement Charitable Trust $1,000

Western State College’s Western scholars award $2,000

■ Andrew White

Neville Family Scholarship from SSWSC $935

■ Devin Wilkinson

Ski Town USA Rotary Club $1,000

Tour De Forks $250

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $1,000

SS Fire Rescue/Rusty Chandler Memorial Scholarship $1,500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,500

Colorado College Trustee Scholarship $7,000

■ Jamie Winter

Steamboat Spring Youth Hockey Association Scholarship $500

The Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Scholarship $500

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

Colorado State University’s Colorado Student Grant $1,000

■ McKenzie Worden

Ski Town USA Lion’s Club Scholarship $500

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

Steamboat Springs Board of Realtors Scholarship $1,000

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Presidentail Scholarship $10,000

■ Lindsey Yost

Eric Small Memorial Scholarship $1,000

Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. Scholarship Fund $1,000

University of Northern Colorado’s Bear Tracks Scholarship $1,000


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.