“Historic” is the customary adjective used in conjunction with Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, and another chapter will be added to its lore Friday when it hosts the first night slalom at the NCAA championships.
Host Colorado and defending champion Denver are the favorites in the first NCAA championships held in Colorado since 1993. CU coach Richard Rokos and DU’s Kurt Smitz each have won four NCAA titles. Rokos has been at CU since 1991. Smitz is in his 14th season at DU.
The meet begins today with giant slalom races at Mount Werner. Classical cross country is scheduled for Thursday and the event wraps up Saturday with freestyle cross country.
The Pioneers won the first two meets in the West this season but the Buffs took the next three, including the West Regional on Feb. 23-24.
“I like our chances,” Smitz said. “If anything, we’ve not quite had the depth of some other teams, but we’ve been playing somewhat with the same people all season long and those are the ones who are here. I think we are a legitimate challenge.”
The Buffs might have been clear-cut favorites if they had qualified a full roster (12 skiers), but they qualified only 11 with two male alpine skiers instead of three. That reduces their margin for error – they cannot afford DNFs – and perhaps makes DU the favorite on paper.
“Everybody skied so consistently throughout the season that I don’t see it as a disaster,” Rokos said. “It’s obviously slightly threatening, but it’s still doable, mathematically and physically.”
If the Buffs need to come from behind in Saturday’s cross country races, they’ve got the talent.
“CU has really strong nordic,” Smitz said. “I think our men match up well with them; I think their women nordic are the team to beat. If they had to come from behind, they have a few bullets there.”
