The lady Skimeister of Section 1 is a senior at Rye High School. She’s also an all-Section golfer come springtime…if spring ever does come.

By Mitch Silver

The lady Skimeister of Section 1 is a senior at Rye High School. She’s also an all-Section golfer come springtime…if spring ever does come. And now Frida Henningsson can boast of another honor, if she were the boastful sort (which she isn’t): the Rye Lions Club Athlete of the Month award for February.

Here’s what her ski coach, Christine Crowley, has to say. “I could only wish to be able to coach girls like Frida for my entire career.  She carries herself in such a mature way and exudes such positivity that it is hard to ignore. She impresses us with her vast knowledge of the sport and her willingness to be a leader in both her actions and her words, guiding younger athletes through challenging course inspections on the mountain and pushing them to work harder during dry land practice.”

At last month’s Sectionals, Frida took Gold in Giant Slalom, Silver in Slalom, and earned the Skimeister title for the fastest combined times in her four runs. Which does she prefer, slalom or the GS? “I’d have to say slalom. It’s more technical, the gates come at you faster, and you really have to think out there on your skis.”

Thinking fast isn’t an issue for Henningsson. A native of Stockholm who arrived in the U.S with her family in time for eighth grade, she has a 91.73 GPA after taking a slew of AP courses.

Golf coach Rich Savage puts her brain high on his list of her attributes. “Frida is a very intelligent golfer with a very high IQ. She will consistently make the smartest shot on the golf course. She is a tremendous leader to everyone on the golf team. She is a wonderful young lady; it’s truly a pleasure to have her as part of the golf program.”

She spends summers back in her native Sweden, where she works fulltime at a pet rescue center. In the fall, Frida will attend Davenport University in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where they just happen to have golf and  ski teams. But first, she’ll join the other monthly Lions Club honorees at The Osborn for the year-end awards dinner in June. Deservedly so.