Nanook siblings earn All-America honors in classic races

Submitted by Barry Piser
Phone: (907) 474-6805
03/09/07

What is better than a top three finish at the national championships? For Alaska junior Marius Korthauer the answer is easy: another bronze effort. The Bonndorf, Germany native made a late push to finish in the top three in the 20-kilometer mass start classic race at the NCAA Championships Friday, just two days after a surprising finish in the freestyle race.

"It was a very exciting race today," head coach Scott Jerome said. "I think Marius smelled the podium and he wasn’t going to let anyone stop him."

Korthauer is now a four-time All-American. He placed second in the classic and seventh in the freestyle at last spring’s national championships.

It wasn’t an easy race Friday, though, as Korthauer got boxed in during the mass start and dropped behind the lead pack.

"I panicked but he didn’t," Jerome said. "He just relaxed and worked his way up."

After 5K he had worked into the lead pack and at around the 10K mark took the lead, which he held for about five kilometers. He lost some ground and fell to sixth at that point but was still right with the leaders. Coming into the final stretch, the top two had put a small gap on Dartmouth’s Benjamin True but Korthauer was on his heels and gaining.

"With about 300 meters to go, he just put the hammer down and double-pulled away from True," Jerome said. "He didn’t have a chance."

Korthauer skied to a spot on the podium in a time of 55 minutes and 19.8 seconds to edge True by almost four seconds. Utah’s Snorri Einarsson took the race in 55:06.0 and Denver’s Rene Reisshauer was two seconds back in second.

Marius wasn’t the only Korthauer to shine for the Nanooks Friday.

Sophomore Aurelia Korthauer bounced back from a tough freestyle race to earn All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the 15K mass start classic. Korthauer skied into the top 3 halfway through Wednesday’s freestyle race before fading to a 33rd place finish due to exhaustion.

"Aurelia had the gutsiest race of the day," Jerome said. "I know she was really disappointed and down after the first race, maybe a little embarrassed too because she knows she’s not that type of skier. She wanted to prove something and she did. Now everybody understands that she’s the real deal."

The sophomore, skiing in her first NCAA’s, finished in 49:19:0, eight seconds ahead of New Mexico’s Polina Ermoshina. The Northern Michigan trio of Lindsey Weir, Lindsey Williams and Morgan Smyth plus Colorado’s Maria Mo Grevsgaard set a blistering pace as the top four and Korthauer was just outside that group. "The four women in front are just incredible," Jerome said. "She was in good company, no question. That’s where she should be."

Sisters Julia and Anna Coulter (Traverse City. MI) followed up top 15 efforts in the freestyle race, their strength, with solid showings in the classic. Sophomore Julia Coulter finished in 52:24.4 to take 23rd, while freshman Anna Coulter was five spots behind in 53:01.5. The duo moved up ten and six places, respectively, mid-way through to end the race surging.

"Anytime you can work your way up that many spots, it shows determination," Jerome said. "They kept fighting."

Junior Vahur Teppan (Tartu, Estonia) did not race Wednesday due to a bacterial infection diagnosed during a hospital visit Monday. Instead he rested and took antibiotics in anticipation of racing Friday in the 20K classic.

Teppan started strong Friday but wasn’t able to maintain the pace and finished 30th in 59:39.8. Teppan and Marius Korthauer finished 1-2 in the classic race at the Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships last month, so expectations were high heading into the weekend.

"Vahur battling this illness is really a shame," Jerome said. "I’m really proud of him for starting and especially for finishing. It shows a lot of courage for someone to go out when they’re sick. That takes a lot to swallow your pride and still finish for the team."

Freshman Henri Soom (Tartu, Estonia) did not finish due to leg cramps sustained in first 5K. Soom’s cramps, Teppan’s infection and Aurelia Korthauer’s fading finish hurt the Nanooks team hopes but Jerome and assistant Ingrid Olson were far from disappointed given the individual successes and toughness shown by a young team.

"We didn’t have two guys finish and that’s going to hold us back a bit," he said. "But we’re a young team and everyone is coming back."

For information on this and other Alaska Nanook sports visit www.AlaskaNanooks.com .