Korthauer takes fifth in distance free as Nanooks impress at U.S. nationals

Submitted by Tom Myrick
Phone: 907-474-6805
01/02/08

The University of Alaska Fairbanks’ skiers kicked off 2008 in spectacular fashion at the U.S. Cross Country Championships, as senior Marius Korthauer soared to a fifth-place finish in the 10 km freestyle race, while Julia and Anna Coulter both scored top 25 finishes in the women’s 5 km skate as well.

Korthauer, an All-American for the Nanooks last season, was the top collegiate finisher on the men’s side, more than holding his own against some of the nation’s best skiers, including U.S. Ski team members Kris Freeman and Leif-Orin Zimmerman. The German native was the race leader after three kilometers, and finished the course in 24:58. The next closest collegiate racer, Colorado’s Matthew Gelso, finished 13th: eight positions and nearly 47 seconds behind Korthauer.

"For Marius to be in the mix against the U.S. Ski team and Factory team members is huge," head coach Scott Jerome said afterwards. "I know those guys are all experienced racers, but when I saw Marius was leading the race after three kilometers, I knew, ’OK, he is going to have a good race.’"

Korthauer was also understandably pleased with his performance.

"It feels awesome," he said. "Kris Freeman started right behind me, and I just wanted to make sure that he never caught me. The first splits were good, and I knew I was having a good ski."

Vahur Teppan also recorded an impressive finish for the Nanooks, landing in 31st place with a time of 26:08.5. Sophomore Ray Sabo and freshman Zach McGill placed 99th and 100th, respectively, in the 458-person field.

On the women"šs side, the Nanooks got two excellent performances from the Coulters, even though the team"šs top finisher Julia technically skied as an independent, having elected to redshirt this season for the Blue and Gold. Coulter grabbed a 15th place finish, crossing the line in 14:46.0, and helping to set the pace for sister Anna, who responded with a 22nd place finish of her own.

"Even though she here as an independent, having Julia around and skiing so well was a huge boost to the team," said Jerome. "Coming in, I thought a top 25 finish would be a good result for her, but to be 15th and competing with all the big dogs speaks volumes about her training and conditioning. Having Anna come in 22nd was a great feat as well, and really says a lot about what she is capable of doing at the NCAAs."

In addition to holding their own against the nation"šs best skiers, the Nanook skiers also compared favorably to arch-rival Northern Michigan as well, who placed skiers in 17th, 18th, and 28th positions.

"We know that NMU is only going to get better, but when you can go into a big race and be competitive against your arch-rival, that is always a plus," Jerome said.

Alaska’s Elisabeth Habermann shook off an early season illness to finish 62nd out of a 184 skiers, crossing the line in 15:55 despite not feeling 100 percent during the race. Aurelia Korthauer also finished 68th, getting off to a fast start before succumbing to physical issues of her own, feeling woozy before the end of the race.

The Nanooks now have a day of training before lining up for the distance classic ski on Thursday. The men will take part in a 15 km race, while the women will compete in a 10 km run.