Some might say this year’s NCAA Skiing championship is up for grabs, but not the University of Denver’s head coach Andy Leroy.

“We have a confident swagger even though we haven’t had much regular season success; we find the positives and we build on that so that we can prove it in March,”  said Leroy.

Leroy’s confidence in the team is well founded, with seven national titles since 2000, including three consecutive championships and a record 21 total national titles to the program’s name, making it one of the most successful programs of all time.

“We are the best ski team in the country, and it is a piece of our school that is so unique,” said Leroy.

Although the Pioneer women are ranked third and men fourth in the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA), the program is meant to help the team peak at the right time. Its training schedule and regular season is focused on progression and preparing for playoffs and the NCAA Championship on March 9-12 in Stowe, Vt.

The Pioneers have the luxury of using the regular season to develop and improve.

“Skiing is different because you could get blown out every competition and still make it to championship – especially for us because of our successful program and the caliber of athletes that we have,” said Leroy.

Two of those athletes are men’s senior captain Seppi Stiegler and women’s junior Lindsay Cone. Stiegler has dominated, racking up 374 points in the RMISA, which is the sixth most in Men’s Alpine competitions.

Cone leads the Pioneers with 350 points in Women’s Alpine competitions, and is fourth in the MVP standings.

With the NCAA’s looming, and Stiegler and Cone performing strongly, Leroy said he has made it clear that anything less than a championship is a disappointment – because they belong on top of the podium once again in 2011.