The University of New Hampshire will be the host of the 54th NCAA Men’s and Women’s Skiing Championships March 7-10, 2007 at Attitash and Jackson XC in the Mt. Washington Valley of New Hampshire.
This is the fourth time the University of New Hampshire has hosted the Skiing Championships, with the last being in 1995. Skiing is the official state sport, which makes these events very important for the state of New Hampshire. These events are the most prestigious in collegiate ski racing and the student-athletes compete throughout the season at regional races for the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Skiing Championships. The State of New Hampshire, Attitash, Jackson XC, and UNH are excited to sponsor these events. We look forward to making it an excellent competition and experience for all involved.
The NCAA Skiing competition opens on Wednesday March 7th at Jackson XC, with the men’s 10K and women’s 5K freestyle races. Action then turns to Attitash on Thursday the 8th for the men’s and women’s giant slalom. The Nordic competition returns to the spotlight Friday the 9th for the women’s 15K and men’s 20K classical races at Jackson XC, then the Championships conclude on Saturday the 10th with the men’s and women’s slalom at Attitash.
The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Skiing Championships is a unique event in that one competing school is crowned the champion from the combined score of the men’s and women’s Alpine and Nordic teams. 24 schools representing all three divisions and three conferences (Eastern Intercollegiate Skiing Association, Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, Central Collegiate Ski Association) competed in 2006, with the University of Colorado taking home the Championship.
The schools competing in the Championship span from Alaska-Anchorage in the west to Colby College in the east, as far north as Alaska-Fairbanks and south as University of New Mexico. They also range in student enrollment from 1,400 (the Whitman College Missionaries in Walla Walla, Washington) to 29,000+ at other institutions such as the University of Utah and University of Colorado.
A total of 70 Alpine skiers and 78 Nordic skiers competed at the prestigious event in 2006. Seven UNH student-athletes competed and three — Joe Dunn, Stephanie Vaughan and
Sean McNamara — earned All- America status for finishing in the top 10 in the alpine events, and Joanna Kinsman led the Nordic team. Led by that triumvirate, the Wildcats finished in ninth place, the team’s highest finish since also earning ninth place in 2002.
Despite the variety of schools competing, the NCAA Skiing Championships has been dominated by the west. A school from the west region has won 12 consecutive NCAA Skiing Championships. The streak began in 1995 — the last time UNH was host of the event. The University of Colorado and Denver University have won four titles each and the University of Utah has three championships in that span. The only other school to win it all since 1995 is the University of New Mexico, which captured the crown in 2004.
The last eastern school to win was the University of Vermont in 1994. Vermont could be one of the front-runners in 2007. UVM has finished as runner-up each of the last three times the NCAA Skiing Championships was held in the east and the Catamounts placed fifth in 2006. Dartmouth College was the top east finisher last year in third place.
While attending the 2007 Skiing Championships, fans will also be able to experience diverse and extensive area attractions. There is no other destination in the Northeast that can match the variety of recreational opportunities, dining, après ski venues and tax-free shopping at over 200 shops and outlets than the Mt. Washington Valley.
Come join the events at Attitash and Jackson XC March 7th-10th with your family. The University of New Hampshire, Attitash, and Jackson XC look forward to hosting this year’s NCAA Skiing Championships and we encourage everyone to come out and enjoy the collegiate competition. For more information about the 2007 NCAA Men’s and Women’s Skiing Championships, please visit the UNH athletics website at www.unhwildcats.com . Locate and click on the NCAA 2007 Skiing Championships link.
Source: UNH Ski Committee
