The University of Denver Ski Team is a collegiate team that has won a record 24 NCAA Championships the first dating back to 1954. Under the direction of coach Willy Schaeffler, a member of the National Ski Hall of Fame, the Pioneers skied their way to 13 championships. Under Schaeffler's leadership, the University of Denver Ski Team "completely dominated intercollegiate skiing" in the United States for two decades. Schaeffler's "passion for preparedness" and tough training regimen yielded "remarkable" success in competition.
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.
National championships
The Pioneers won their 24th team championship in 2018, the most by any ski team in NCAA history. Colorado is second with 20 titles, and Utah is third with 11. The 24 ski titles are the third most NCAA Division I titles among any team in any single sport. Oklahoma State wrestling holds the most national titles with 34, followed by Southern Cal men’s outdoor track and field (26) and Iowa wrestling (23).
+ NCAA ChampionsYearLocationHead 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 The Pioneers have produced 80 NCAA individual champions, including three in 2011. 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
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 List of NCAA schools with the most NCAA Division I championships
References