NCAA Skiing Delayed A Day

BETHEL, Maine ? The first day of action at the 56th NCAA Ski Championships were postponed here Wednesday due to hazardous weather conditions, forcing a delay of one day for the giant slalom events at the Sunday River Ski Resort.

The alpine races were scheduled to begin about 9 a.m. local time, but will now take place Thursday at the same time. Officials were hoping for conditions to improve, but thought better to delay things since the weather forecast for the remainder of the week is near-perfect.

"Freezing rain and snow was the reason for today's cancellation, but it really wasn't so bad," CU head coach Richard Rokos said. "If this was a regular season race, we probably would have run it. With the prospect of a cold but nice day tomorrow, race officials are looking for perfect conditions to run the race.

"The only real effect is that lose a full day of training specifically for the slalom, but we all race back-to-back days during the regular season and it will be the same for everybody," he added.

It's the first known time in the 56 years of the NCAA's that a day of racing has been cancelled for any reason. The only other time it was discussed was in 1972, when Utah downhill skier David Allen Novelle was killed when he skied off the course and into a tree at an estimated 60 miles per hour at Winter Park. Utah withdrew from the championships, but the final two days of competition went on as scheduled. Novelle's was the first and only death associated with any NCAA title meet.

The NCAA Championships are normally held over four days swapping between alpine and Nordic competition each day, allowing for an extra day or training or rest, whatever the coaches want to prescribe for their teams. That is unlike most regular season competitions that usually have all eight races take place in just two days.

Colorado is looking for the school's 18th national title in the sport of skiing, last winning in 2006; it shared the title with Dartmouth in 1976, the only time two schools have tied for the title, and bested rival Denver by 14 points in 1999 in the two previous championships held here and in Rumford, where the Nordic events take place. Seven of CU's 17 titles in skiing have been won in the east.

The rest of the week's schedule will remain intact; here is the revised schedule (all times mountain):

Thursday, March 12

7:00 a.m. Women's Giant Slalom (run through completion)

8:00 a.m. Men's 10-Kilometer Classical Race

10:00 a.m. Women's 5-Kilometer Classical Race

10:30 a.m. Men's Giant Slalom (run through completion)

Friday, March 13

7:30 a.m. Men's Slalom (first run)

8:15 a.m. Women's Slalom (first run)

10:15 a.m. Men's Slalom (second run)

11:00 a.m. Women's Slalom (second run)

Saturday, March 14