The Gunnison Country Times reports that college leaders announced that the Western State Ski program has been dropped. The historic program lost school funding in 2004 and had been kept alive through private support. Efforts to build a significant endowment failed however, and pledges to cover operating expenses were not being honored.
“In the end, for whatever reasons, it did not sustain itself,” WSC Athletic Director Greg Waggoner said of the push to keep the program alive through private funding. “So a decision had to be made.”
There have been 17 individual national titles (National Collegiate Champions, NCAA or National Collegiate Ski Association) recorded by WSC skiers — the most recent was Sarah Schaedler in 2007, who won the NCAA Championship in giant slalom. There have also been 16 Olympic skiers or coaches from Western's program.
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Effort to save WSC ski team goes south
Program dropped amidst dry-up of private funding
Source: Gunnison Country Times
