UVM Maintains Narrow Lead In NCAA Ski Championships

MIDDLEBURY, Vt.--After a week of delays, cancelled practice runs, and a switch in scheduling due to inpenetrable mists which choked the mountain, racers at the NCAA downhill finally found enough stray rays of sunshine Friday to complete the competition.

Finding the fastest line through the warmed over soft snow, was longtime U.S. National Team and shortime University of Vermont star Bobby Cochran. As well as salvaging some pride after falling behind in Thursday's slalom. Cochran led UVM skiers to a close second place team finish in the downhill.

UVM now holds a narrow one point lead over Wyoming and an eight point bulge over Colorado going into today's final event--the jump.

Most of the coaches said that UVM and Wyoming are about even in jumping, and according to a Colorado team member, the Buffalos, with their three superb Norwegian jumpers, "aren't going to worry if they're only seven points down after the downhill.

Many of the racers were victims of the tricky snow conditions. Harvard's Ben Steele caught two bumps wrong and was launched abruptly into spectatordom on his first run. Middlebury's Tim Fisher spun out and finished his flight with a mid-air cartwheel or two. Somewhat confused after the mishap, Fisher thought his ankle was broken, but doctors declared it was a concussion instead.

Western State's Les Huttenen, in one of his teams distinctive silver lame with red trim jumpsuits was thrown off line and travelling 40 m.p.h., crashed through one of the square red paper course markers hung between two poles, much like the climax of a Platformate commercial, and, blinded for the moment, whizzed over the toes of several transfixed spectators.