While many UNM students enjoyed a peaceful winter break, the UNM ski team ground out a grueling month of practice and competition amid the Rocky Mountains.
With only a small window of opportunity to trek home and see their families for the holidays, the ski team started the 2003-04 ski season strong.
In its fourth season as a varsity squad, this could possibly be the best team since the sport's inaugural year at UNM. Coming off back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the NCAA Championships, the Lobos are looking to bring home the school's first ever NCAA title.
Last year, the Lobos were holding onto second place on the final day of competition, but a bad break pushed the team out of contention and into a disheartening fourth-place finish.
But the returning lettermen and the talented recruiting class have prepared the team to make a run this year.
Picked fifth in the nation in the 2004 Ski Racing Magazine preseason coaches' poll, and second by the magazine's ski writers, the buzz around the team is optimistic.
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In the offseason, new assistant coach Landon Dykerston implemented an offseason training program that focused on team strength physically and mentally.
"Our new coach emphasized physical strength," sophomore Alpine skier Gladys Weidt said. "As a team, we needed to be stronger in that aspect. We lifted and ran more than ever before. Our mental game is sharper because of the rigorous training."
Team attitude and unity on and off the slopes are key ingredients to a successful recipe, and UNM's skiers definitely possess the camaraderie to fit that mold.
"The team's attitude is really strong right now," freshman Alex Macha said. "Everyone on this team is in it together, vying to win the NCAA Championships."
As for the unity aspect, Weidt describes the intimacy the team ultimately encompasses.
"Out of all the NCAA ski programs, UNM has the strongest bonded group," she said. "We hang out during and after all the races, always encouraging each other. Other teams come and ask us if we hang out all the time, and they are so shocked that we do hang out and are so close."
This harmony has unveiled success early in the team's season. In Park City, Utah, the Alpine team's first competition, UNM stole the show. The competition served as the backdrop for two heralded Lobo freshmen and for the team's returning skiers.
Freshman Peter Roering and Lars Loeseth, both ex-national skiers from Norway, placed 1-2 in the men's giant slalom. They led the Alpine team to a first-place finish ahead of rivals University of Utah and Denver University.
On the women's side, returning lettermen, junior Helena Woodrow and Weidt began their seasons with ninth and 19th-place finishes, respectively. Senior Jenny Delich has also started hot, with two top-10 finishes.
In Sugar Bowl, Calif., the team finished third in a race that included the best teams from across the Rocky Mountain region.
The UNM ski team has tasted success, but has yet to take the big bite, which has left the team unsatisfied and hungry for more.
"In order to win it all this year, we are going to need a little luck on our side, just like any sport," head coach George Brooks said. "We need a few breaks, some you make and some come your way. It will take a lot of extremely hard work and the team believing that winning the NCAA is a realistic goal. I firmly understand that this team believes in themselves."
