The University of Colorado ski team, on the strength of two individual wins and five top-10 finishes in a dominant rain-soaked nordic performance Friday, is poised to claim its 17th national championship heading into the final day of the 58th NCAA skiing championships in Stowe, Vt.
Colorado, ranked second in the nation behind Vermont, has a 84 1/2-point lead with the men’s and women’s slaloms remaining.
The Buffs have 647 points, ahead of Utah (562 1/2), Dartmouth (500) and New Mexico (492). Host Vermont is in fifth, almost 200 points back (451 1/2); the University of Denver, the three-time defending champions, is in sixth place with 409 points.
CU entered the event with an NCAA record 81 individual championships and upped that total with victories in the classical races by juniors Eliska Hajkova in the women’s 15-kilometer and Reid Pletcher in the men’s 20K.
It was just the second time a CU male and female skier won the same event, alpine or nordic, on the same day in school history. Kit Richmond and Jana Rehemaa won their freestyle races to lead CU to the title in 2006. Hajkova and Pletcher won their titles in unique fashion: They wore the same pair of skis to race to their victories.
“I’m sure it’s happened on the World Cup, but for the same pair of skis to win twice in a day in college, I don’t think it has ever happened,” CU nordic coach Bruce Cranmer said.
DU’s Kristian Soerlund and Kate Dolan finished 11th in the men’s and women’s nordic races, respectively.
“Colorado had a great day and stretched their lead,” DU nordic coach Dave Stewart said. “However, we’ve got a great alpine team, and we’re optimistic that our skiers will come out tomorrow and give us a chance.”
