Skiers Schuss to 18th National Title
Two skiers earned individual NCAA championships this year — Eliska Hajkova (women’s 15K classical) and Reid Pletcher (men’s 20K classical) — bringing the Buffs’ all-time record total to 83.
Goal and tribute accomplished. The ski team honored its fallen team member, Spencer Nelson (Bus ex’10), just as it had set out to do, by winning the school’s 18th national title in the sport with a solid showing in the slalom, cruising to victory in the 58th Annual NCAA Skiing Championships.
The Buffaloes iced the title by closing with a men’s team win in the slalom, a race no doubt Nelson would have participated in after having done so as a freshman last year in Steamboat Springs before a hiking accident tragically took the 20-year-old’s life last Aug. 15.
“It was our goal to do this for Spencer from the beginning, and we were consistently accomplishing that goal throughout the season,” head coach Richard Rokos said. “Every single run, every single meet, everybody kept it in their minds.”
In his 21 seasons as ’s head coach, Rokos has guided the Buffs to six national titles. The only school that has claimed more national titles in skiing than is the University of Denver.