Tefre, Smart take NCAA slalom crowns
March 13, 2021
Day 3 of the 2021 NCAA Championships was slalom day, or, what CU coach Richard Rokos calls, “the great equalizer.” The script can rewrite itself in an eye blink, with a hooked tip, a straddle, a rogue rut. Anything can happen to anyone, even in perfect conditions, and the reverse 30 second running order can foster huge moves up the rankings from athletes deep inside the flip.
Add in: the pressure each athlete feels to finish and thereby earn team points; an event with a high attrition rate even on a good day; and a challenging sun-cupped surface brought to you by Mother Nature, and you’ve got yourself an icy roulette wheel. At the NCAA champs, “that’s 12 times a day my heart rate goes to 200,” explains Rokos. For one team to complete its full 12 runs of slalom without a major incident requires a minor miracle.