July 13, 2008 – Despite the best effort of current staff, athletes and alumni Colorado’s Western State College has lost it’s ski program. Officially removed from funding in 2004 by college officials the program struggled on with the hope that private funding would come through. The goal was $3 million dollars which with interest would amount to roughly $150,000 per year. The Gunnison Times reports that “To date, only about 2% of the $3 million goal had been achieved in fund-raising.”

Western State College has been a popular destination for US Nordic skiers. Perhaps most notably was US biathlete Josh Thompson, a Gunnison native, who won the first ever medal for the US at the 1987 World Biathlon Championships in Lake Placid, NY where he took second place. More recently the list includes 2006 X-C Olympian James Southam and two-time Olympian Wendy Wagner. Over the years there have been 16 Olympians total that have competed in the programs colours.

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