The funny thing is, senior Jennifer Delich never won the giant slalom event in her entire collegiate skiing career - until the 2004 national championships.
Delich has always excelled in the slalom. She said the GS was her weakest event when she came to UNM, but she gradually got better at it because she had to work at it harder than she had to work at anything else.
This year, head coach George Brooks appointed Delich the team captain because he said she was naturally a team leader in all aspects.
"Jenny is our captain not only for women's Alipine and men's Alpine, but also for the Nordic team," Brooks said. "She has good leadership skills, good communication skills and she gets along well with other people. In all aspects, she is a good example to follow."
After living in Fernie, Canada, her entire life, Delich said she moved to New Mexico for college because she heard there was a good ski program at UNM.
"I basically just took a chance and came here," Delich said.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
ˇDaily Lobo: When did you start skiing?
Jennifer Delich: When I was 2 years old. My whole family skis. My dad grew up skiing, so he taught us when we were younger.
ˇDL: Why did you come to New Mexico?
JD: Basically, I had just been skiing all my life and I wanted to come to school to ski. I knew people who had come here and I wanted something totally different. The climate attracted me too - I really like warm weather.
DL: How different is Albuquerque from your home town?
JD: I'm from a small town in the Rocky Mountains - like 5,000 people. The closest big city is Calgary. The geography and climate are a lot different. There are so much more trees and greenery and there were like no minorities in my neighborhood. Seeing sun every day here is different and just seeing adobe-style for the first time.
DL: What other schools recruited you?
JD: Utah, Colorado, University of Nevada-Reno.
DL: Every athlete has high aspirations, but did you ever expect to win a national championship in skiing?
JD: Well, I didn't just focus on that. I focused on smaller goals throughout the year.
DL: ˇWhat was one of your smaller goals?
JD: To win a slalom event, which I did.
ˇDL: Were you involved in other activities growing up?
JD: Yeah, we were always busy, always in a lot of activities. I've also figure skated and I had to chose between figure skating and skiing. I also took piano lessons and did all the high school sports. And I played the trumpet in band in grades six and seven.
DL: When did you choose between skating and skiing?
JD: Basically when I started racing, so I was probably 11 or 12.
DL: Why did you choose skiing?
JD: I've always enjoyed it. My dad told me to pursue whatever I wanted, but it was to my advantage to ski. I grew up on the ski hill. Just seeing my sister go through the program, I knew it was something I wanted to do. And all my good friends were in the program.
DL: Do you ever get homesick anymore?
JD: Yeah, that's the hard part, being so far from home. My dad came for our home race in Taos. It's really great that he could come because most parents can't come watch, especially being international. And I get homesick if I can't be there for family events. Our team is like a family though.
DL: How often do you usually go home?
JD: Usually twice a year. I go home for five to seven days for Christmas. Last summer I took summer school, so I went home for about two weeks.
DL: What is your major?
JD: Biology. But when I came to college I wanted to be an architect. Then it changed to psychology. Then I decided to change again at the end of my sophomore year.
DL: What do you do in your spare time?
JD: Well, now two of my friends are here from Canada. I'm just trying to finish school and catch up a little more on stuff.
DL: What is your favorite band?
ˇJD: I hate it when people ask me that. I can't say if I have a favorite band. Ummm...I guess I like Dido.
ˇDL: What's your favorite food?
JD: Ice cream.
