Korthauers cruise at Alaska Nordic Cup

Submitted by Tom Myrick
Phone: 907-474-6805
12/08/07

Alaska’s Korthauer brother and sister combo got the team off to a solid start in the Alaska Nordic Cup competition in Anchorage on Saturday, easily taking the top spots in both the men’s and women’s classic races. The Blue and Gold took 12 of a maximum 21 points from each of the two events, and now have a good chance of returning to Fairbanks as the Nordic Cup winners for the second consecutive season, as they lead Anchorage by a score of 24-18 heading into the final day.

Aurelia Korthauer set the tone for the Nanooks, crossing the line first in the women’s 5 km race in just 19:45.6; a full 36.5 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, Anchorage’s Brittany Greer. Alaska’s Elisabeth Habermann came in third, with a time of 20:25.8, while Tamra Kornfield placed fifth.

It was a similar story on the men’s side, as senior Marius Korthauer dominated the field as well, taking first place with over 30 seconds to spare as well. The Nanooks other senior, Vahur Teppan, finished second in the 7.5 km event, marking the third time in their collegiate careers that he and Korthauer have occupied the top two spots in a race. Andy Schnitzer, a skate specialist, scored points for the team as well, placing sixth in his debut race for Alaska.

The fate of the Alaska Nordic Cup will be decided tomorrow, as the Nanooks return to action with freestyle sprint races, beginning at 11 a.m. at Anchorage’s Hilltop trails.