Alaska Nanooks weekly: March 5
March 5, 2019
NORDIC SKILAST WEEK: Idle | THIS WEEK: at NCAA Championships (March 6 and 8)
Four members from the Alaska Nanooks will be competing in 2019 NCAA Skiing National Championships in Stowe, Vermont, this week, competing on Wednesday, March 6, and Friday, March. 8. Sophomore Anja Maijala and Kati Roivas will represent the Alaska Nanooks women’s Nordic ski team, while senior Max Donaldson and redshirt-senior Seiji Takagi will wear the Blue and Gold on behalf of the Nanooks men’s Nordic ski team. The group will race in the 10/5km individual-start, freestyle race on Wednesday before participating in the 20/15km mass-start, classic race on Friday. Both races will take place at the Trapp Family Lodge beginning at 6 a.m. Alaska time.
RIFLE
LAST WEEK: Idle | THIS WEEK: at NCAA Championships (March 8-9)
The Alaska Nanooks coed rifle team will also be competing in the Big Dance this week, participating in the 2019 Rifle National Championships at the West Virginia Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia this Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9. Sophomore Haley Castillo, junior Liam Eberhart, freshman Kellan McAferty, senior JT Schnering and redshirt-senior Robert Scott will be representing the Nanooks in two two-day event, shooting the smallbore discipline on Friday, March 8 before competing in air rifle on Saturday, March 9. The first smallbore relay on Saturday is set for 5:45 a.m. Alaska time, while Saturday’s first air rifle relay is set for 6 a.m. Alaska time.
HOCKEY | 11-19-3, 11-14-2-2 WCHA
LAST WEEK: 2-0 at UAA | THIS WEEK: at Northern Michigan (March 8-9)
The Alaska Nanooks hockey team wrapped up the 2018-2019 regular season with a road sweep against in-state rival Alaska Anchorage last weekend, defeating the Seawolves 4-0 on Friday before earning a comeback 2-1 win on Saturday. Alaska also captured their seventh-straight Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup with the pair of wins in Anchorage. The Nanooks will hit the road for the opening round of the 2019 Western Collegiate Hockey Association Playoffs, taking on the Northern Michigan Wildcats in a best-of-three series at the Berry Events Center in Marquette, Michigan this Friday, March 8, and Saturday, March 9, with Sunday, March 10, acting as the date for the decision game if needed. Puck-drop all three nights is scheduled for 3:07 p.m. Alaska time.
Next up:
• Swimming: Sophomore Oda Bygdnes will be the lone representative from the Alaska Nanooks swim team at the 2019 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving National Championships next week, competing in the 100-yard butterfly on Thursday, March 14, at the IU Natatorium in Indianapolis, Indiana.
That’s a wrap!
• Men’s basketball: The Alaska Nanooks fell on Senior Day last Saturday, dropping a hard-fought contest to Montana State Billings Yellowjackets 92-65 at the Alaska Airlines Court. Under first-year head coach Greg Sparling, the Alaska Nanooks men’s basketball team posted a 5-22 overall mark, going 2-18 in GNAC play. The Alaska Nanooks said farewell to seniors Alex Baham, Isaiah Easaw, Tre Eisenhut, Joe Lendway, Daulton Lootens and Derritt Scarver.
• Women’s basketball: The Alaska Nanooks women’s basketball team also fell in their season finale, dropping a 98-58 decision to nationally-ranked Northwest Nazarene on Saturday afternoon. Under first-year head coach Kerri Nakamoto, Alaska posted an overall record of 4-22, going 1-19 in conference contests. Saturday was also Senior Day for the Nooks, as the team honored Ashlie Blackburn, Emily Evans, Angela Murnion and Marian Wamsley.
2019 Nanook Student-Athlete Achievement Awards set for Friday, March 22
For the first time, the Alaska Nanooks' 2019 Student-Athlete Achievement Awards will be open to the public. The all-sports banquet will be held at the Westmark Gold Room in Fairbanks on Friday, March 22, with check-in set for 6:30 p.m. and the program set to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are $40 per person and will include dinner; dress is semiformal. Buy tickets here.
Follow the Nanooks
Keep up with your favorite Alaska Nanooks teams and players in their weekly practices, community service projects and in-game updates through social media.
Alaska Nanooks: @alaskananooks (Twitter) | Alaska Nanooks (Facebook) | alaskananooks (Instagram)
MXC/WXC & MSKI/WKI: @AlaskaNanooksXC (Twitter) |Alaska Nanooks XC (FB)
HOCKEY: @NanooksHockey (Twitter) | Alaska Nanooks Hockey (FB)
MBB: @NanooksMBB (Twitter)
RIFLE: Alaska Nanooks Rifle (FB)
SWIM: @NanooksSwim (Twitter) | Alaska Nanooks Swimming (FB)
VB: @NanooksVB (Twitter) | Alaska Nanooks Volleyball (FB)
WBB: @NanooksWBB (Twitter) | Alaska Nanooks Women's Basketball (FB)