“It was hot. I mean, it definitely was uncomfortable for us, I think more than for some of the other teams,” Alaska coach Scott Jerome said by telephone.
The heat, an altered lineup and the increased competition because the same course will be used for the conference championships next month all likely factored into the Nanooks’ performance at the Apple Ridge Invitational.
Alaska’s men finished fifth of six teams with 129 points. Alaska’s women, despite a fourth-place run from freshman phenom Theresia Schnurr, scored 109 to tie for fifth with host Central Washington.
Western Washington University easily won both competitions as its men, ranked 10th in NCAA Division II, tallied 36 points and its women notched 43 points.
The Nanooks lineup for the 8-kilometer men’s race included senior Chris Eversman (11th of 49 runners in 27:45), freshman Mitchell Chandler (15th in 27:57), freshman Matthew Scerbak (33rd in 29:16), junior David Apperson (37th in 29:54) and sophomore Joseph DeWilde of North Pole (44th in 31:25).
“We wanted to give some other people a chance to run, and leave some of the skiers at home to get some training in,” Jerome said. That explained the omission of guys like Ray Sabo and Einar Often and girls like Anna Coulter and Julie Pierson.
Scerbak, a running specialist, was the Nanooks’ top performer at season-opening meets two weeks ago, but he struggled Saturday.
“I think he just had a tough day. He started a little fast,” Jerome said. “The first mile and the heat took its toll.”
Schnurr also went out fast in the women’s 6K, staying with eventual winner Sarah Porter of WWU (22:21) for the first mile.
“(Porter) was told to go easy for one mile and then start racing. She took off like a rocket (after a mile) and Theresia tried to hang with her for awhile but that other girl was just too strong,” Jerome said.
Schnurr settled for fourth in 24:05, followed by teammates Aurelia Korthauer (17th of 54 runners in 25:28), freshman Jana Benedix of Fairbanks (23rd in 25:57), sophomore Amber Drumm of Salcha (36th in 27:00) and freshman Kate Bennett of Fairbanks (54th in 32:50).
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships, likely in much cooler conditions, will be Oct. 25.
“I think it’s really important,” Jerome said of Saturday’s preview. “It gives you an edge to see a course ahead of time.”
The Nanooks will next race in the Hawaii Pacific University Invitational on Oct. 11.
