Anderson, Heller named Nanooks' Most Outstanding Athletes
May 8, 2013
Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
Sophomore shooter Ryan Anderson (Great Falls, Va./Biology) and junior swimmer Bente Heller (Hamburg, Germany/Communication) were named the Alaska Nanooks' Most Outstanding Athletes as the athletic department celebrated the 2012-13 year at its annual All-Sports Banquet Friday night at the Westmark Hotel.
“It was pretty exciting and kind of a surprise," Anderson said after being named the department's top male athlete. "I worked really hard this season so I'm pretty happy.”
“It means a lot, it means that I achieved something that I can be proud of as a swimmer," Heller said following the banquet.
Anderson led the Alaska rifle team to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championship after leading the team in both smallbore and air rifle. He was a National Rifle Association of America First Team All-American in smallbore after placing fourth overall with a season-best score and was also a Second Team All-American in air gun with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA match.
The Great Falls, Va., native was also the gold medalist in the three-position and prone smallbore events and also took silver in air rifle at the 2013 National Junior Olympic Shooting Championship. As a rookie shooter, Anderson helped his team to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championship and was a NRA Honorable Mention All-American in the smallbore competition.
Heller repeated as the Alaska Female Athlete of the Year after making program history in March. She became the first Nanook swimmer to ever win a national championship as she captured the title in the 100-yard backstroke event with a varsity-record performance at the 2013 NCAA Division II Swimming and Diving Championship. In addition, she also tied for third in the 100 freestyle and was seventh in the 200 free to garner a total of three All-America accolades.
Now a nine-time All-American for her career, the Hamburg, Germany, native was also named a College Swimming Coaches Association of America Individual Academic All-American at the national meet. She set varsity records this season in the 100 back, 100 and 200 frees and the 400 medley relay.
The Intercollegiate Athletics Council Scholar-Athletes of the Year were awarded to hockey senior Steve Thompson (Anchorage, Alaska/Psychology) and women's skiing senior Crystal Pitney (Fairbanks, Alaska/Business administration).
The IAC Male and Female Scholar-Athletes are selected based on a combination of their academic and athletic achievements as well as their on and off the campus leadership and activities, community service and character (sportsmanship, leadership, composure and self-control).
The Bart LeBon Humanitarian Award was presented to men's skiing senior Ian Wilkinson (Fairbanks, Alaska/Art). Wilkinson constructed a bowl project called “Spheres of Influence” to benefit the food bank. He produced more than 1,200 bowls for a work of art with a pointed message about economic inequality and world hunger. Following a gallery which showcased the art project for his senior thesis, every bowl was sold at $15 apiece with all of the proceeds totaling $18,000 going to the food bank in town.
In addition to his IAC Scholar-Athlete accolade, Thompson also won the Harris Shelton Spirit of Competition Award. Throughout his four-year career, the Anchorage netminder played a backup role for the hockey team. He possessed a great and positive attitude all four seasons and was very supportive of his teammates and coaches, though he was rarely in the starting lineup.
Dr. Gary R. Gray, director of athletics for the Nanooks, handed out honors to the top staff and coach in the department. NCAA Compliance Assistant Charlie Hill was named Staff Member of the Year after stepping in as a student intern and running the operations of the compliance office since the Fall semester.
Men's basketball head coach Mick Durham was tabbed Alaska's Coach of the Year after guiding the Nanooks to one of the biggest turnarounds in all of college basketball. A year removed from a 5-23 record, the second-year head coach was named GNAC Co-Coach of the Year after leading Alaska to a 16-12 record with a fourth-place finish in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with a 10-8 mark.
His season was highlighted by a shocking victory over previously unbeaten, No. 2 Western Washington in February. He had three players named to the All-GNAC Team and the program had numerous GNAC Red Lion Player and Team of the Week honors.
Gray also presented Peggy Birkenbuel with the Owen Tinker Fan of the Year Award. Many know Birkenbuel simply as “Gramma Nanook” and she is seen at most every home event. Birkenbuel is a positive ambassador for athletics at Alaska as she always speaks positively and highly of all student-athletes, coaches, staff and other fans of the Nanooks.
Each team's Dr. Wood Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Most Valuable Player were submitted by its coaches and this year's winners included:
Men's Basketball: Stefan Tica (Scholar-Athlete) & Dominique Brinson (MVP)
Women's Basketball: Marissa Atoruk (Scholar-Athlete) & Taylor Altenburg (MVP)
Cheerleading: Lindsey Dudley (Scholar-Athlete) & Sophia Holton (MVP)
Men's Cross Country: Kenneth Brewer (Scholar-Athlete) & Ross MacDougall (MVP)
Women's Cross Country: Megan Thompson (Scholar-Athlete) & Alyson McPhetres (MVP)
Hockey: Adam Henderson (Scholar-Athlete) & Andy Taranto (MVP)
Rifle: Mats Eriksson (Scholar-Athlete) & Ryan Anderson (MVP)
Men's Skiing: Logan Hanneman (Scholar-Athlete) & Michael Fehrenbach (MVP)
Women's Skiing: Marit Rjabov (Scholar-Athlete) & Alyson McPhetres (MVP)
Women's Swimming: Danielle Lyons (Scholar-Athlete) & Bente Heller (MVP)
Women's Volleyball: Keri Knight (Scholar-Athlete) & Katlyn Mataya (MVP)
To conclude the evening, Dr. Cary S. Keller, M.D., FACSM, of Sportsmedicine Fairbanks Orthopedic Center honored Mike Curtin, who has served as head athletic trainer and strength coach for the Nanooks for the past decade and a half. A tribute video from past student-athletes was presented and Dr. Keller, along with former Nanooks Kevin Petovello and Tavis MacMillan made their way to the podium to make speeches in honor of “MC.”