Denver Pioneers ski team

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]

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 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

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

Individual National Champions

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

Year Gender Athlete Event
1996 M Geir Skari Classical
2000 M Pietro Broggini Classical
2001 M Wolf Wallendorf Classical
2002 M Ola Berger Classical
2005 M Rene Reisshauer Classical
2006 M John Stene Classical
2000 M Pietro Broggini Freestyle
2001 M Pietro Broggini Freestyle
2002 M Ola Berger Freestyle
2005 M Rene Reisshauer Freestyle
2007 M Rene Reisshauer Freestyle
1994 M Erik Roland Giant Slalom
2007 M Adam Cole Giant Slalom
2008 M John Buchar Giant Slalom
2010 M Leif Kristian Haugen Giant Slalom
2011 M Seppi Stiegler Giant Slalom
1954 M John L'Orange Slalom
1965 M Rick Chaffee Slalom
1967 M Rick Chaffee Slalom
1968 M Dennis McCoy Slalom
1969 M Paul Rachetto Slalom
1971 M Otto Tschudi Slalom
1973 M Peik Christensen Slalom
1975 M Peik Christensen Slalom
1998 M Christian Hutter Slalom
1999 M Jayme Smithers Slalom
2007 M Adam Cole Slalom
2008 M John Buchar Slalom
1965 M Rick Chaffee Alpine (Discontinued)
1967 M Jon Terje Øverland Alpine (Discontinued)
1968 M Dennis McCoy Alpine (Discontinued)
1969 M Paul Rachetto Alpine (Discontinued)
1971 M Otto Tschudi Alpine (Discontinued)
1973 M Peik Christensen Alpine (Discontinued)
1974 M Peik Christensen Alpine (Discontinued)
1962 M Mike Barr Downhill (Discontinued)
1966 M Jon Terje Øverland Downhill (Discontinued)
1967 M Dennis McCoy Downhill (Discontinued)
1970 M Otto Tschudi Downhill (Discontinued)
1971 M Otto Tschudi Downhill (Discontinued)
1972 M Otto Tschudi Downhill (Discontinued)
1954 M Marvin Crawford Individual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1958 M Clarence L. Servold Individual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1959 M Clarence L. Servold Individual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1970 M Ole Ivar F. Hansen Individual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1971 M Ole Ivar F. Hansen Individual Cross-Country (Discontinued)
1954 M Willis S. Olson Jumping (Discontinued)
1955 M Willis S. Olson Jumping (Discontinued)
1956 M Willis S. Olson Jumping (Discontinued)
1957 M Alfred L. Vincelette Jumping (Discontinued)
1958 M Oddvar Rønnestad Jumping (Discontinued)
1961 M Christoffer Selbeck Jumping (Discontinued)
1962 M Oyvind Floystad Jumping (Discontinued)
1964 M Erik Jansen Jumping (Discontinued)
1965 M Erik Jansen Jumping (Discontinued)
1969 M Odd Hammernes Jumping (Discontinued)
1972 M Odd Hammernes Jumping (Discontinued)
1957 M Harald Riiber Nordic (Discontinued)
1958 M Clarence Servold Nordic (Discontinued)
1959 M Theodore A. Farwell Nordic (Discontinued)
1963 M Aarne Valkama Nordic (Discontinued)
1964 M Erik Jansen Nordic (Discontinued)
1969 M Georg R. Krog Nordic (Discontinued)
1954 M Marvin Crawford Skimeister (Discontinued)
1956 M John R. Cress Skimeister (Discontinued)
1995 F Narcisa Sehovic Slalom
1996 F Roberta Pergher Slalom
1997 F Roberat Pergher Slalom
2000 F Cecilie Hagen Larsen Slalom
2004 F Pia Rivelsrud Slalom
2011 F Sterling Grant Slalom
1996 F Lisbeth Johnsen Classical
1999 F Britta Wienand Classical
2009 F Antje Maempel Classical
2010 F Antje Maempel Classical
1996 F Lisbeth Johnsen Freestyle
2009 F Antje Maempel Freestyle
2010 F Antje Maempel Freestyle
2011 F Ida Dillingoen Giant Slalom
2012 M Espen Lysdahl Slalom

Denver Skiing Olympic athletes

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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

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References

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  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. ^ a b "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.