Buffs Ready For Title Defense

HANOVER, N.H. – The Colorado Buffaloes are primed and ready to defend their National Championship, with the 72nd Annual NCAA Skiing Championships set to begin Wednesday, hosted by Dartmouth with alpine events at the Dartmouth Skiway and Nordic events at Oak Hill.

The Buffaloes won the 2024 NCAA Championship in dramatic fashion, securing the second-largest final day comeback to win by the closest margin in the current scoring format, all the while dethroning the four-time defending champion and rival Utah in the process.

The 2025 version of the championship will see the Buffs and Utes again square off as two of the favorites, along with traditional powers Denver along with host Dartmouth and Vermont from the east. Colorado, Utah, Dartmouth and Vermont are the only four teams fielding a full 12-skier squad while Denver is joined by Montana State and New Hampshire with 11 skiers apiece.

Due to impending rain, the alpine administrators decided to flip the discipline days, and thus slalom will kick things off Wednesday at the Dartmouth Skiway. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 6:30 a.m. MT/8:30 a.m. local, with the women's race to follow.

The Nordic teams will take part in the 7.5K classic races on Thursday with the women set to start at 8 a.m. MT/10 a.m. ET and the men's race two hours later at 10 a.m. MT. Friday is now giant slalom day with tentative first-run start times of 7:30 a.m. MT/9:30 a.m. ET for the women and 8:15/10:15 a.m. for the men. Saturday will conclude with the 20K freestyle mass start races, the men first at 8 a.m. MT/10 a.m. ET followed two hours later at 10 a.m. MT/Noon ET for the women.

The Buffs are sending a talent group of skiers to defend its title. In Wednesday's slalom races, the women are represented by Louison Accambray, Ashley Campbell and Magdalena Luczak, the defending champion. Accambray will start in bib 5, Campbell in bib 6 and Luczak in bib 18.

The men's team has been one of the best in the nation this year and are represented by Louis Fausa, Etienne Mazellier and Filip Wahlqvist, also the defending champion in the event. Mazellier will start in bib 6, Wahlqvist in bib 7 and Fausa in bib 12.

The last time the Buffs successfully defended their title was in 1999 after also winning in 1998. The Buffs do have the longest streak of consecutive championships in the sport of skiing, winning eight straight titles from 1972-79.

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Players Mentioned

Louison Accambray

Ashley Campbell

Louis Fausa

Magdalena Luczak

Etienne Mazellier

Filip Wahlqvist