1972 NCAA Skiing Championships

1972 NCAA Skiing Championships
Tournament information
SportCollege skiing
LocationColorado Winter Park, Colorado
DatesMarch 16–18, 1972
AdministratorNCAA
Host(s)Colorado
Venue(s)Winter Park Ski Area
Teams16
Number of
events
4 (7 titles)
Final positions
ChampionsColorado (3rd title)
1st runners-upDenver
2nd runners-upWyoming
← 1971
1973 →

The 1972 NCAA Skiing Championships were contested in Winter Park, Colorado at the nineteenth annual NCAA-sanctioned ski tournament to determine the individual and team national champions of men's collegiate alpine, cross country skiing, and ski jumping in the United States.[1]

Host Colorado, coached by alumnus Bill Marolt, captured their third national championship (and first since 1960), finishing 5.2 points ahead of three-time defending champion Denver in the team standings.[2]

Colorado's Mike Porcarelli reclaimed the slalom and alpine titles he won two years earlier; the repeat champions were Otto Tschudi of Denver in downhill and Bruce Cunningham of New Hampshire in Nordic combined. Denver's Odd Hammernes won his second jumping title, three years after the first.[2]

In the downhill race, Utah sophomore David Novelle was killed after he lost a ski, went off the course, and collided with a tree. As a result, the Utah team withdrew from the competition.[3][4][5]

  1. ^ "NCAA Skiing Championships Results" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. Retrieved January 21, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Big Colorado finish captures ski crown". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 19, 1972. p. 9, sports.
  3. ^ "Utah racer is killed in NCAA downhill ski". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. March 17, 1972. p. 36.
  4. ^ "Ute skier killed". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). UPI. March 17, 1972. p. B12.
  5. ^ "NCAA Skiing Delayed A Day". U. of Colorado. U. of Colorado. Retrieved June 10, 2019.[permanent dead link]