Nanooks set record with highest cumulative GPA

Submitted by Jamie Foland
Phone: 907-474-6807
07/01/09

Alaska Nanook student-athletes are giving the athletic department good reason to cheer after achieving their highest cumulative grade-point average ever in the 2008-09 academic year. University of Alaska Fairbanks athletics director Forrest Karr announced Monday that the student-athletes for the 10 varsity sports programs posted a 3.25 cumulative GPA.

The athletic department GPA of 3.25 rose from the 3.21 cumulative mark set in the 2007-08 school year. This fall the Nanook student-athletes averaged 13.93 credit hours while achieving a 3.21 GPA and improved to a 3.29 in the spring when they averaged 13.89 credit hours.

In total, 25 student-athletes were recognized with academic all-conference honors throughout the 2009-09 campaign. A select group of Nanooks garnered national all-academic recognitions, led by men’s hockey forward Trevor Hyatt, a Rhodes Scholar nominee, Hockey Humanitarian nominee, Lowe’s Senior CLASS Second Team All-America and College Sports Information Directors of America/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.

Notably, there have been four CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in the history of Nanook athletics--Trevor Hyatt (2009), Marius Korthauer (2008), Vahur Teppan (2008), and Jennifer Lin (1989)--notably three of the four in the last two years.

Others recognized with national all-academic honors included women’s swimming’ Courtney Nichols and rifle’s Taylor Beard, Cody Rutter, William Galligan, Layne Lewis and Jace Bures.

"Our coaches have set high standards," said Karr. "The culture is established. If you want to be a Nanook student-athlete, you’re expected to be a student first."

The women’s swim team repeated its academic prowess, earning team all-academic honors for the second straight season.

For the year, 70 of 116 Nanooks maintained a 3.0 or B average through two semesters, or 60 percent of the department’s student-athletes.

Twenty one Nanooks maintained perfect 4.0 GPAs in either the fall or spring semester: Casper Andersen (men’s basketball), Nicole Bozek (women’s basketball), Cristina Bruketta (women’s basketball), William Coleman (cross country and skiing), Chris Eversman (cross country), Erica Gage (volleyball), Jennifer Holland (volleyball), Trevor Hyatt (hockey), Derek Klassen (hockey), Brandon Knelsen (hockey), Aurelia Korthauer (cross country and skiing), Grace Milliken (women’s basketball), Bryant Molle (hockey), Einar Often (cross country and skiing), Ida Petersen (rifle), Julia Pierson (cross country and skiing), Theresia Schnurr (cross country and skiing), Alexa Sherman (volleyball), Miranda Trudeau (volleyball), Oyvind Watterdal (cross country and skiing) and Samantha Zinsli (swimming).