University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
Bruce Likly 1988 - Skiing, Cross Country
A top cross country skier, Bruce Likly, a 1998 UVM Hall of Fame inductee, was the first Catamount to earn nordic All-American honors each of his four years. Likly captained the Cats as a senior as they finished second in the 1988 NCAA Championships for the third straight year.
A native of Fairport, NY where at Fairport High he lettered in ski, track and cross country, Likly deferred his first year of skiing at UVM to ski for the 1984 United States Olympic Team in Sarajevo and for the U.S. on the World Cup circuit.
In his rookie ski season at Vermont, he was a member of the Cats' NCAA championship nordic relay team in 1985. He, George Welk and Hall of Famer Todd Boonstra were the first men's champion relay team comprised solely of American born skiers in UVM history. In addition to the collegiate circuit, this relay team also won the U.S. National Championship and Likly, as an individual, was the top American finisher (35th overall) in the 50-K at the 1985 World Championships.
As a sophomore in 1986, he was a member of the UVM relay team that won the Eastern title and was second at the NCAA championships. He was seventh at the NCAA's in the 15-K individual race.
In 1987 he was ninth in the 15-K NCAA individual race after winning both the Williams and Middlebury (Eastern Regional) carnivals in which he beat teammate's Joe Galanes and Sturla Hagen. The three combined to win the Eastern relay and finished fourth in the NCAAs.
During his senior year, he peaked at the NCAAs with a seventh-place finish in the 15-K, the highest finish among eastern skiers which included his heavily-favored teammate Hagen. He led off the UVM relay team that finished fifth. "Bruce was a key contributor to our success while improving his ability every year. He also competed for the U.S. National Team at the Olympics and on the World Cup tour," UVM Director of Skiing Chip Lacasse said.
Likly was also a member of the UVM cross country team, and as a junior he was the top UVM finisher at the 1986 New England Championships.
After receiving his degree in Business Administration, he has worked in corporate business. He is also a FAA Multi Engine Instrument Licensed Pilot. Likly and his wife, Elizabeth, reside in Wilton, CT.
