Our coaching focuses on you—building skills, fostering growth, and creating a supportive, athlete-centered team. Skiing for better results
Colorado Mesa University Cross Country Skiing provides ski racing opportunities to students interested in all levels of intensity of participation, from learning new skills to pushing hard through their boundaries. CMU Cross Country Skiing is part of the U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA), the governing body for collegiate team ski racing and snowboarding in the U.S. USCSA makes it possible for athletes to participate and compete outside the NCAA. In essence, USCSA is Division III skiing and, because it is not under NCAA jurisdiction, it accommodates broader participation. Under USCSA, men and women race the same distances in sprint and distance events. Races are held at many of the same venues as the NCAA races. At the end of the season, the top teams and individuals from each region compete in a five-day national championships in early March. The head coach, Marcin Wiesiolek, collaborates with the student-athletes on their goals and prioritizes the skills-development and fitness training designed to help them achieve those goals. For students aiming for a podium, Marcin believes that good racers come only from great skiers and, for that reason, emphasizes versatility of the skiing competency by training for a solid skill foundation supported by a sustainable fitness routine. He strives to provide an environment where student-athletes develop a life-long enthusiasm for the sport and where positive memories created with the team would last years beyond at Colorado Mesa University. Marcin believes that participation in CMU Cross Country Skiing can positively impact the physical and mental well-being of the student-athletes and can lead to enhancing their life skills, such as self-reliance, positive self-image, teamwork, time management and healthy habits. The team was started in 2008 by Tom Suplizio and then managed for many years by Dave Aschwanden. How to join
Contact the Head Coach, Marcin (Martin) Wiesiolek, [email protected], 970-201-8113. We enjoy one of the longest cross country ski seasons in the U.S. atop Grand Mesa outside Grand Junction, Colorado. With the ski trails above 10,000 feet (3 000 meters), the ski season starts in November and can last as last through the end of May.
