Fort Lewis College Athletics

Nordic combined skier Mike Devecka is the only athlete in Fort Lewis College history to compete in four different Olympic Winter Games: Grenoble, France, in 1968; Sapporo, Japan, in 1972; Innsbruck, Austria, in 1976; and Lake Placid, N.Y., in 1980.

While at Fort Lewis College, he earned All-America awards for his second place finish at the 1969 NCAA Championships and his third place finish at the 1968 NCAA Championships.

A four-year letter winner, Devecka's efforts in 1968 helped Fort Lewis' skiing program to its highest-ever national finish, as the Raiders returned to Durango with third place in NCAA Division I.

Devecka graduated from Fort Lewis College in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in history. After completing a 13-year competitive career with the U.S. Ski Team from 1968 through 1980, he turned to coaching.

His first coaching duty was at Steamboat Springs Winter Sports from 1980 through 1984. In 1985 and 1986, Mr. Devecka coached the U.S. Ski Team's Nordic combined athletes. He shifted gears in 1987, coaching the Coors Light Cycling Team through 1989.

In 1990, Mr. Devecka moved to the collegiate level, and coached the University of Colorado's cross-country skiers for two years, guiding the Buffaloes to the NCAA title in 1991. In 1993, he became the cross-country skiing coach at the University of Denver. He resigned from his Denver position at the end of the 1995 season.