NCAA: DU skiers honored at White House; Nevada hires Weiss as head alpine coach

President George W. Bush welcomed the 2008 NCAA champion University of Denver ski team at the White House on Tuesday, as part of Champions Day with 19 other NCAA Division I national championship teams from the 2007-08 season.
    “It is an honor to be here with so many fine student-athletes, now known as national champs,” President Bush said. “… And one of the things I tell people is, is that if you work hard and become a repeat champion, I look forward to welcoming you back to the White House. However, this time it's not going to work. My eligibility has run out. But I do wish you all the very best, so the next President can welcome you to the White House.”
President George W. Bush welcomed the 2008 NCAA champion University of Denver ski team at the White House on Tuesday, as part of Champions Day with 19 other NCAA Division I national championship teams from the 2007-08 season.
    “It is an honor to be here with so many fine student-athletes, now known as national champs,” President Bush said. “I appreciate the fact that you showed incredible discipline, skill, perseverance. It's hard to become a champ, and that's why we love to honor people here at the White House when you become one. And one of the things I tell people is, is that if you work hard and become a repeat champion, I look forward to welcoming you back to the White House. However, this time it's not going to work. My eligibility has run out. But I do wish you all the very best, so the next President can welcome you to the White House. But in the meantime, we're going to honor the folks here today.”
    After a tour of the White House, the President met with DU’s coaches and student-athletes in the East Room, posing for a picture with the team. Additionally, the team presented the President with a custom-made belt buckle, commemorating the 2008 national championship.
    All 20 teams were introduced on the South Lawn, where President Bush addressed the athletes, paying extra tribute to the Pioneers, who won the skiing title despite having only 11 of the maximum 12 possible skiers competing.
    “The University of Denver men's and women's ski team competed with one fewer skier than their rivals, making them only the second ski team in NCAA history to win the title shorthanded. And we congratulate you,” President Bush said.
    “We are grateful that President Bush found time in his busy schedule to welcome the DU ski team as well as the other Division I NCAA champions to the White House,” said DU alpine head coach Andy LeRoy, who previously visited the White House as a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1998.
    Although Denver has won 19 NCAA championships in skiing, this was the first time the team had been honored at the White House.
    “Everyone on the team is thankful to everyone who made this trip possible,” LeRoy said. “Every student-athlete contributed to the championship, and I am proud that they were all recognized for their efforts.”

Nevada hires Evan Weiss as head alpine coach
Former U.S. Ski Team member and NCAA All-American Evan Weiss has been named the University of Nevada’s alpine skiing coach.
    Weiss comes to Nevada after spending the last year as the head alpine skiing coach at Western State College in Gunnison, Colo. He also spent seven years as a member of the U.S. Ski Team and helped Dartmouth College to the NCAA championship in 2007. Weiss has also coached top level skiers in La Parva, Chile, and at Mt. Hood in Oregon.
    “I am excited to be a part of the Wolf Pack athletics department. Nevada is a strong and growing program, and the skiing program is one of the best in the country,”  Weiss said. “With August [Teague, Nevada’s director of skiing and head nordic coach] and myself, we can build off the strong student-athletes already in the program and work toward getting into the top five nationally and winning a NCAA championship. The Reno-Tahoe area is perfect for ski racing. The University of Nevada is a great school with good facilities, and we have close access to some of the best skiing venues in the country.”
    A native of Seattle, Weiss turned in a successful career as an alpine ski racer. A four-time Junior National medalist, he was a member of the U.S. Development Team from 1999-2004 and the Europa Team in 2006. He finished fourth in the giant slalom at the 2006 NorAm Cup, won a bronze medal in the giant slalom at 2005 U.S. National Championships and was the Junior National champion in the men’s combined at the 2004 U.S. National Championships.
    In addition to his experience with the U.S. Ski Team, Weiss earned NCAA All-America honors in each of his two seasons at Dartmouth (2005 and 2007). He helped Dartmouth to the 2007 NCAA team championship, the school’s first national title in 31 years, winning the silver medal in the giant slalom at the NCAA Championships that year. He also was named the 2005 Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association Skier of the Year and was the top-ranked giant slalom skier in the EISA in 2005 and 2007. Weiss earned his bachelor of arts in government from Dartmouth in 2007.
    “Evan Weiss is a talented, young coach who brings a tremendous amount of success as a competitor at the highest levels of NCAA and international ski racing,” Nevada Athletic Director Cary Groth said. “His experience as an All-American and NCAA champion at Dartmouth, a member of the U.S. Ski Team and a coach in our conference will benefit our program greatly as we build on the strong tradition of Wolf Pack skiing.”