Denver Pioneers ski team
UniversityUniversity of Denver
Head coachJoonas Rasanen, Alpine
Rogan Brown, Nordic
ConferenceRMISA
LocationWinter Park, Colorado
Tabernash, Colorado
Home mountainWinter Park Resort
Devil's Thumb Ranch
ColorsCrimson and gold[1]
   
NCAA championships
1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018

The University of Denver Ski Team is a collegiate team that has won a record 24 NCAA  Championships the first dating back to 1954.[2] Under the direction of coach Willy Schaeffler, a member of the National Ski Hall of Fame, the Pioneers skied their way to 13 championships.[3] Under Schaeffler's leadership, the University of Denver Ski Team "completely dominated intercollegiate skiing" in the United States for two decades. [4] Schaeffler's "passion for preparedness" and tough training regimen yielded "remarkable" success in competition.[5]

The program was absent from 1984–1992, but surged back onto the national scene winning eight of the first 12 NCAA Championships this century. The Alpine team currently practices less than 70 miles away from campus at Winter Park Resort. The Nordic team calls Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort home, only 78 miles from the university.[6]

National championships

The 2008 National Champions with President George W. Bush[7]

The Pioneers won their 24th team championship in 2018, the most by any ski team in NCAA history.[8] Colorado is second with 20 titles, and Utah is third with 11.[9] The 24 ski titles are the third most NCAA Division I titles among any team in any single sport.[10] Oklahoma State wrestling holds the most national titles with 34,[11] followed by Southern Cal men’s outdoor track and field (26)[12] and Iowa wrestling (23).[11]


NCAA Champions
Year Location Head Coach
1954Reno, Nev.Willy Schaeffler
1955Northfield, VTWilly Schaeffler
1956Winter Park, Colo.Willy Schaeffler
1957Snow Basin, UtahWilly Schaeffler
1961Middlebury, Vt.Willy Schaeffler
1962Squaw Valley, Calif.Willy Schaeffler
1963Solitude, UtahWilly Schaeffler
1964Franconia Notch, N.H.Willy Schaeffler
1965Crystal Mountain, Wash.Willy Schaeffler
1966Crested Butte, Colo.Willy Schaeffler
1967Kingfield, MaineWilly Schaeffler
1969Steamboat Springs, Colo.Willy Schaeffler
1970Franconia Notch, N.H.Willy Schaeffler
1971Terry Peak, S.D.Peder Pytte
2000Park City, UtahKurt Smitz
2001Middlebury, Vt.Kurt Smitz
2002Anchorage, AlaskaKurt Smitz
2005Stowe, Vt.Kurt Smitz
2008Bozeman, Mont.Andy LeRoy/David Stewart
2009Bethel-Rumford, MaineAndy LeRoy/David Stewart
2010Steamboat Springs, Colo.Andy LeRoy/David Stewart
2014Park City/Soldier Hollow, UtahAndy LeRoy/David Stewart
2016Steamboat Springs, Colo.Andy LeRoy/David Stewart
2018Steamboat Springs, Colo.Andy LeRoy/David Stewart

Individual National Champions

The Pioneers have produced 80 NCAA individual champions,[13] including three in 2011.[14][15]

Year Gender Athlete Event
1996MGeir SkariClassical
2000MPietro BrogginiClassical
2001MWolf WallendorfClassical
2002MOla BergerClassical
2005MRene ReisshauerClassical
2006MJohn SteneClassical
2000MPietro BrogginiFreestyle
2001MPietro BrogginiFreestyle
2002MOla BergerFreestyle
2005MRene ReisshauerFreestyle
2007MRene ReisshauerFreestyle
1994MErik RolandGiant Slalom
2007MAdam ColeGiant Slalom
2008MJohn BucharGiant Slalom
2010MLeif Kristian HaugenGiant Slalom
2011MSeppi StieglerGiant Slalom
1954MJohn L'OrangeSlalom
1965MRick ChaffeeSlalom
1967MRick ChaffeeSlalom
1968MDennis McCoySlalom
1969MPaul RachettoSlalom
1971MOtto TschudiSlalom
1973MPeik ChristensenSlalom
1975MPeik ChristensenSlalom
1998MChristian HutterSlalom
1999MJayme SmithersSlalom
2007MAdam ColeSlalom
2008MJohn BucharSlalom
1965MRick ChaffeeAlpine (Discontinued)
1967MJon Terje ØverlandAlpine (Discontinued)
1968MDennis McCoyAlpine (Discontinued)
1969MPaul RachettoAlpine (Discontinued)
1971MOtto TschudiAlpine (Discontinued)
1973MPeik ChristensenAlpine (Discontinued)
1974MPeik ChristensenAlpine (Discontinued)
1962MMike BarrDownhill (Discontinued)
1966MJon Terje ØverlandDownhill (Discontinued)
1967MDennis McCoyDownhill (Discontinued)
1970MOtto TschudiDownhill (Discontinued)
1971MOtto TschudiDownhill (Discontinued)
1972MOtto TschudiDownhill (Discontinued)
1954MMarvin CrawfordIndividual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1958MClarence L. ServoldIndividual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1959MClarence L. ServoldIndividual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1970MOle Ivar F. HansenIndividual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1971MOle Ivar F. HansenIndividual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1954MWillis S. OlsonJumping (Discontinued)
1955MWillis S. OlsonJumping (Discontinued)
1956MWillis S. OlsonJumping (Discontinued)
1957MAlfred L. VinceletteJumping (Discontinued)
1958MOddvar RønnestadJumping (Discontinued)
1961MChristoffer SelbeckJumping (Discontinued)
1962MOyvind FloystadJumping (Discontinued)
1964MErik JansenJumping (Discontinued)
1965MErik JansenJumping (Discontinued)
1969MOdd HammernesJumping (Discontinued)
1972MOdd HammernesJumping (Discontinued)
1957MHarald RiiberNordic (Discontinued)
1958MClarence ServoldNordic (Discontinued)
1959MTheodore A. FarwellNordic (Discontinued)
1963MAarne ValkamaNordic (Discontinued)
1964MErik JansenNordic (Discontinued)
1969MGeorg R. KrogNordic (Discontinued)
1954MMarvin CrawfordSkimeister (Discontinued)
1956MJohn R. CressSkimeister (Discontinued)
1995FNarcisa SehovicSlalom
1996FRoberta PergherSlalom
1997FRoberat PergherSlalom
2000FCecilie Hagen LarsenSlalom
2004FPia RivelsrudSlalom
2011FSterling GrantSlalom
1996FLisbeth JohnsenClassical
1999FBritta WienandClassical
2009FAntje MaempelClassical
2010FAntje MaempelClassical
1996FLisbeth JohnsenFreestyle
2009FAntje MaempelFreestyle
2010FAntje MaempelFreestyle
2011FIda DillingoenGiant Slalom
2012MEspen LysdahlSlalom

Denver Skiing Olympic athletes

1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland

Donald Johnson (USA) Alva Hiatt (USA) Gordon Wren (USA)

1952 Oslo, Norway

Alvin Wegeman (USA) Keith Wegeman (USA) Willis Olson (USA) Theodore Farwell (USA) Catherine Rudolph (USA)

1956 Cortina, Italy

Marvin Crawford (USA) Willis Olson (USA) Theodore Farwell (USA) Gladys Werner (USA) Catherine Rudolph (USA) Clarence Servold (Canada)

1960 Squaw Valley, California, USA

John R. Cress (USA) Craig M. Lussi (USA) Alfred L. Vincelette (USA) Theodore A. Farwell (USA) Charles T. Ferries (USA) Ansten Samuelstuen (USA) Max S. Marolt (USA) Willy Schaeffler, Coach (USA) Clarence L. Servold (Canada)

1964 Innsbruck, Austria

Charles T. Ferries (USA) Richard G. “Rip” McManus (USA) James E. Shea (USA) Asten Samuelstuen (USA) Jon Terje Øverland (Norway)

1968 Grenoble, France

Fred S. Chaffee II (USA) Georg R. Krog (USA) Dennis M. McCoy (USA) Otto Tschudi (Norway) Mike A. Devecka (USA) Jon Terje Øverland Norway Charles T. Ferries, Coach USA

1972 Sapporo, Japan

Fred S. Chaffee II (USA) Eric J. Poulsen (USA) Otto Tschudi (Norway) Reuben T. Palmer (USA) Terry J. Palmer (USA) Mike A. Devecka (USA) Willy Schaeffler, Coach USA Paul D. Rachetto, Coach USA James E. Shea, Coach USA

1976 Innsbruck, Austria

Odd Hammernes (Norway) Mike A. Devecka (USA) Robert F. Kiesel, Coach USA

1980 Lake Placid, N.Y.

Mike A. Devecka (USA) Robert F. Kiesel, Coach USA Dave Durrance, Coach USA

1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

John McMurtry, Coach USA

1994 Lillehammer, Norway

Jeanette Lunde (Norway)

1998 Nagano, Japan

Andrzej Bachleda (Poland) Sophie Ormond (Great Britain)

2002 Salt Lake City, Utah

Andrzej Bachleda (Poland)

2010 – Vancouver, Canada

Leif Kristian Haugen (Norway)

2014 – Sochi, Russia

Leif Kristian Haugen (Norway) Sebastian Brigovic (Croatia) Trevor Philp (Canada) Andrea Komsic (Croatia)

2018 – PyeongChang, South Korea

Leif Kristian Haugen (Norway) Bronze Medal Erik Read (Canada) Trevor Philp (Canada) Andrea Komsic (Croatia)

See also

References

  1. Colors | University of Denver. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  2. "Skiing: Championship History". NCAA.
  3. "Willy Schaeffler, Skiing Coach, 72". The New York Times. April 12, 1988.
  4. "Close Up: Olympic Ski Coach Willy Schlaeffler "I've never taught a boy how to lose"". LIFE. March 12, 1971. pp. 46–49. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  5. "Tough Way to be a Skier". LIFE. January 14, 1957. pp. 46–49. Retrieved September 10, 2011.
  6. "DU Skiing" (PDF). University of Denver Athletics. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
  7. Draper, Eric. "Denver Skiing with President Bush". White House. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  8. Meyer, John (March 14, 2010). "DU Pioneers top CU Buffs to claim 21st NCAA skiing championship". The Denver Post.
  9. "Championship History". NCAA.
  10. "Championship History". NCAA.
  11. 1 2 "Championship History".
  12. "Championship History".
  13. "Individual Champions". University of Denver. Archived from the original on March 26, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
  14. Snyder, Curtis. "Colorado Wins 18th Championship". Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association.
  15. Hubner, Bryce. "Colorado wins 17th Skiing crown". NCAA.
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