Nanook Hall of Fame induction brunch tickets available online
September 26, 2012
Jamie Foland
474-6807
Tickets for the 2012 Nanook Hall of Fame Induction Brunch to be held this Saturday, Sept. 29 at 10:30 a.m. in the Carol Brown Ballroom of the UAF Wood Center are available for purchase online.The cost to attend is $25 for individuals and tables of eight may be purchased for $200.Saturday's event will see one coach and three former student-athletes inducted as the fifth class of the Nanook Hall of Fame.John Estle (cross country/Nordic skiing coach, 1982-90), Ellen Hannan (women's basketball, 1977-81), Heather Harrison (women's volleyball, 1990-91) and Pavla Havlova (women's cross country/Nordic skiing 2005-06) were chosen by the Nanook Hall of Fame Selection Committee to be enshrined in 2012. Nominations were accepted through April 30.With the newest inductees, the list of hall of famers now stands at 26 (25 individuals and one team).
JOHN ESTLE (Head Coach Men's and Women's Cross Country and Nordic Skiing)
A well, respected member of the Fairbanks skiing and running community, John Estle
(1982-90) becomes the fifth former UAF head coach to be inducted into the Nanook Hall
of Fame. During his time as head cross country and skiing coach at UAF, he mentored
two skiers to a combined three All-America honors and also coached NCAA post-graduate
scholarship winners Anne-Berit (Nilsen) Smith and Donna (DeVoe) DiFolco. During his
tenure, he oversaw improvement to the UAF trails as well as creation of new trails.
Following his coaching career for the university, Estle went on to coach the United
States Ski Team from 1990-93, which included the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France.,
and was also the Chief of Stadium for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
He returned briefly in the mid-90s as assistant coach for the program and in that
time, laid out the Midnight Express ski trail on the West Ridge trail system.
“John Estle probably has done more for skiing at UAF and in the Fairbanks community
than just about anyone else,” Jerome said. “He established UAF skiing as a perennial
national contender with his determined, yet caring, coaching style. Scores of his
former skiers continue to ski and compete to this day; this is a testament to John's
passion for the sport.”ELLEN HANNAN (Women's Basketball)
When looking at the history books of women's basketball at UAF, no one shines more
than Ellen Hannan (1977-81). In a time before the three-point line and using the same
size ball as the men, the three-year co-captain was a scoring machine, tallying 2,048
points in her career, which ranks second on Alaska's all-time list, trailing the record
by only 27 points. She still to this day holds the career record for most rebounds
with 1,013. She still holds three other records as well, with 267 field goals in a
season, 800 career field goals and a scoring average of 22.1 points per game. Hannan
was a two-time member of the All-Northwest Empire League Team as a junior and senior
and an AIAW Region IX All-Region Team selection as a senior.“Ms. Hannan, a three year
co-captain, proved that she could find the hoop,” Jerome said. “She posted over 2,000
points at UAF all before the introduction of the three-point line; this is simply
an amazing accomplishment. Her ability to rebound -- over 1,000 in her career --
should be an inspiration to our current players.”She is the first women's basketball
player to be inducted.HEATHER HARRISON (Women's Volleyball)
In just two seasons as a Nanook, Heather Harrison (1990-91) established herself as
one of the premier outside hitters to ever put on an Alaska volleyball uniform. Known
as “The Hammer,” Harrison put UAF on the volleyball map as she led the Nanooks to
their first ever winning season in 1991 with a 16-7 overall record. She holds the
single-match record for most kills with 44 as well as the career record for highest
attack percentage with a .267 success rate. Harrison also ranks second on the program's
single-season list with 438 kills and a .295 attack percentage, both set in 1991.
Her success on the court led to post-season accolades as she was named to the NCAA
Division II All-Northwest Region Team in 1991. In both seasons she played, she was
named to the All-Continental Divide Conference First Team and was the team's Most
Valuable Player.“Ms. Harrison, "The Hammer", led the Nanooks to a 16-7 record in 1991,
the first winning record for the volleyball squad,” Jerome said. “She was feared by
her opponents and respected throughout the region for her ability on the court.”She
is the second women's volleyball player to be inducted.PAVLA HAVLOVA (Women's Cross Country & Nordic Skiing)
A dual-sport athlete for the Nanooks, Pavla Havlova (2005-06) made her mark on the cross country and Nordic skiing programs. The Czech
native won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's cross country individual
title in 2005 and is still today the first and only Nanook to be named All-American
in cross country. She is a two-time NCAA qualifier having competed at the national
championships for both cross country and skiing. In addition, Havlova was a volunteer
for the Equinox Marathon and helped with trail maintenance at Birch Hill.“Ms. Havlova,
though only with the Nanooks for one year, was an exceptional two-sport athlete,”
Jerome said. “She was our first, and still only, conference champion in women's cross
country as well as our only All-American in women's running. She also qualified for
the NCAA National Championships in skiing. Only a handful of Nanooks have ever competed
in two NCAA national championships in two different sports while at UAF.”She is the
first women's cross country runner to be inducted.