Nanook Notes

Alright, there’s a bunch of links here, I’ll let them speak for themselves:

Women’s basketball signs two Eielson girls- I think the community will really like this influx of local talent, plus one player that formerly played for Coach Smith. Also, Colten Growden, a local recent signee for the men’s basketball team, broke his leg.

The swim team signed North Pole grad Sarah Meierotto

The hockey team added two wings and a goalie, Steve Thompson, who’s from Anchorage. With the departure of nearly full-time starter Chad Johnson, I’d imagine that Thompson will at least start out fighting for a starting role, though I think Greenham has, in his limited play time (four shutouts) proved worthy.

The ski/running team has added one Estonian and lost another, gaining woman Marit Rjavob and losing Robert Pakk. Oyvind Watterdal, who was the only man to qualify for the NCAA championships in skiing, will also be returning to Norway, as he was on a one-year exchange. Assistant coach to the two teams, Ingrid Olson, is also leaving, as she will be going on to nursing school.

The men’s basketball team is losing big-man Mike Anderson, who hopes to load up on classes next year to graduate in May and go on to law school. Anderson didn’t have a huge role on the team, but in one game this year came out blazing, and improved from there on out, being voted the team’s most improved player. His departure leaves leading rebounder Nashorn Maynard as the Nanook with the most time put in at Fairbanks. Maynard joined the Nanooks in the Spring semester of 2008. Anderson, who towers at 6-8, is the fourth of the Nanooks’ tallest players to head out this season. Colin Matteson is graduating, his brother Evan and Kyle Rische are also leaving.

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I wonder if this surge of Alaska recruiting is also a tactic to save the department money by giving scholarships for in-state tuition. With the most recent signings for hockey, men’s and women’s basketball, skiing and swimming, I count eight Alaskans. I don’t think there were even eight Alaskans in the whole department this year (until you count in the last-minute additions to the women’s basketball team)… alright, there probably were eight Alaskans in the whole department, but certainly not from one recruit class, so early, I’m betting.

… alright I did the math and there were 42 Alaskans in the program this year (not including the last-minute additions to the WBB team). Some of them overlap from skiing and running, and many I don’t think competed (or competed much), but I guess I was wrong. It just seems like a lot all at once right now.