Happy birthday, Colorado — and Colorado sports.

Leading into the state’s 150th birthday Aug. 1, The Denver Gazette has partnered with the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame to publicize the definitive list of Colorado’s top 150 sports moments.

Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian Dave Plati and a committee of 10 compiled and will release the list every week until the No. 1 moment on July 31. Plati and Broncos icon Jim Saccomano will unveil the list weekly on a Colorado Sports Hall of Fame podcast at coloradosports.org/podcast/.

No. 54 — March 7, 1954

The University of Denver won the inaugural NCAA Ski Championship, held over three days in Reno, Nev. In the final competition of the event, DU’s Billy Olson and John Cress finished 1-2 in the jumping, enabling the Pioneers to pull away from the pack with 384 points. Seattle University was next (349.6), followed by Colorado (348.6), Idaho (348.5) and Wyoming (347.8) in a hotly contested battle for second. Coach Willy Schaeffler’s DU teams would win the first four titles — and 13 of the first 17, finishing second in the four it did not win. Overall through 2026, DU has won the most ski titles (24), with Colorado second (20).

—Dave Plati, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame historian