Hall of Fame
The 1979 Ski team was the most winning ski team Norwich University has ever produced. However, in the words of NU Assistant Coach Peter Lawton, "We didn't realize how good we were until the EISA Division II National Ski Championships, hosted by Norwich, when the team finished in second place." Lawton explained that NU was in fifth or sixth place on the first day of the meet so the expectations that they would challenge for the title was not very high.
That would change dramatically on the final day of competition. The Cadets began that Saturday in fourth place, some 30 points from the top spot. A big boost came when Chuck Allen won the slalom and four of his teammates finished in the top 10, Chris Randall (fifth), Mike Case (sixth), and John Major (ninth).
From his personal writings, Randall recalls being very nervous for his second run because he knew that he needed to finish with a respectable time. "As I looked down the hill, Johnny Major, a teammate was giving me his biggest grin and a head nod that meant 'let 'em rip!' I never attacked a course with so much determination. I kept looking forward, trying to read the hill and pick the fastest line. As I approached the most difficult part of the course, I remember seeing Johnny out of the corner of my eye and I could hear his vocal cheering. At the end of the course, the entire team met me; however it was Johnny's bear hug and devilish grin that was most memorable. I had just skied to one of the best finishes in my college ski career and it felt great. A great day!"
In the ski jump, the Cadets had a third place finish. Case also ski jumped, which was quite unique, and took 10th place in the event, which was tops for Norwich. Pete Fachada took 12th place and Brian Hayes, who was the ski team captain, finished in 22nd place.
In the giant slalom, Major took sixth place with Allen and Case finishing in ninth and 12th place, respectively. The team took third in the giant slalom, and when all was said and done, the Cadets had won the overall alpine events.
In the Nordic Cross-Country event, Hayes finished in third place, Bill Spence 12th, and Fachada 18th.
Johnson State eventually took the title with a score of 274, Norwich finished in second place with 271.5, and Cornell took third place, also finishing with a 271.5. Syracuse, Army, and Colgate were some of the other schools that finished in the top 10 of the event.
"We were like the Cinderella team of that day," recalls Lawton. "We always did well, but we never thought we would be going after first place in the championships."
Allen's winning the slalom and Hayes' third place finish in cross-country earned them the right to move on to the Division I Championships, which were held the next week at Middlebury College.
The 1979 Ski team was coached by Bruce Jennings (Nordic coach) and Lawton (Alpine coach). Other members of the team included Doug Webb, John Diego, Richard Hurckes, Jr., Dave Rooney, Dave Conti, Bill Greenlee, Charles Kageleiry, Dave Rogers, Henry Sanson, IV, and Richard Whitney.
Lawton, who came to Norwich in 1978 to pursue a master's degree in athletic administration, wrote of that team, "What struck me was that they already were unified as a team in spirit. At the time, I was unaware that there was a core group of young men who had been skiing together at Norwich since their freshman year. With few exceptions, they all challenged themselves, listened, and tried to improve. Slowly, ingrained bad habits gave way to preciseness, skidded turns to carved turns, and slow times to fast ones."
