Skiing releases 2013-14 competition schedule
July 29, 2013
Chris Brooks
907-474-6805
Head coach Scott Jerome, who took five skiers to the NCAA Championship last March, announced the upcoming skiing schedule today, which features the 10th annual Alaska Nordic Cup, a trip to Utah for United States Nationals and a distance series in Wisconsin prior to postseason competition.
"Our number one goal for the season is a strong performance at the NCAA Championship," Jerome said. "We aim to qualify a full team of six -- three men and three women -- for NCAAs and then race well in Utah in March."
The season kicks off Dec. 7 and 8 when the Nanooks travel down to Anchorage to battle in-state rival Alaska Anchorage in the Alaska Nordic Cup. In the first nine years of the event, Alaska has a 6-2-1 advantage against UAA, including a 78-48 victory at the 2012 event, held at Birch Hill in Fairbanks.
Following the end of the fall semester, the 'Nooks will ring in 2014 with a trip to Midway, Utah, to compete at U.S. Nationals, held at Soldier Hollow. Alaska will compete on four separate days ranging from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10 in both free skate and classic events.
A little more than a week later, on Jan. 18 and 19, the Nanooks will be in Cable, Wisc., to compete in the Telemark Distance Series, wrapping up the regular season. Postseason races commence Feb. 8 and 9 as Alaska treks to Ishpeming, Mich., for the 2013 Central Collegiate Ski Association Championships.
The last chance to qualify for the NCAA Championships will be Feb. 15 and 16 in Houghton, Mich., site of the NCAA Central Region Championship. Last year, the Nanook women won the region title and the men took second behind Northern Michigan.
The 2013-14 campaign concludes March 6 and 8 back in Utah to race at the 2014 NCAA Championships. A maximum of three male skiers and three female skiers from the Nanooks can qualify for the championships, which is a goal Jerome and his programs have their sights set on.
"The schedule is set up well for us to achieve our goals," Jerome said. "Early races in Utah at U.S. Nationals will help us get familiar with the trails. These are the same courses that will be used for NCAAs. It will also help us get used to racing at altitude. Athletically, nothing else matters to this team right now. Our entire focus is on March."
For more information, contact Chris Brooks at cpbrooks@alaska.edu.