ANCHORAGE – The Alaska Nanooks Nordic ski team opens their 2021-22 season with their annual Nordic Cup matchup with Alaska Anchorage. 
 

Team	Alaska Anchorage
Dates & Times	Friday, Dec. 3 Alaska Anchorage at 1:00 p.m.   Saturday, Dec. 4 Alaska Anchorage at 1:00 p.m.
Location	Hillside Ski Area | Anchorage, Alaska
Follow Along	Post-Race Times (TBA)
Social Media	Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

 
Last Time Out
The Nanooks are back on the trails for the first time in competition since the NCAA Championships on March 11-13 at Jackson, N.H. The Nanooks competed in Salt Lake City, Utah during all of the 2020-21 season. They opened with the University of Utah Invite on Jan. 16-18 before Montana State hosted an event in Utah. They then went back for the NCAA Regionals and RMISA Championships before the NCAA Championships. 
 
All-Americans
Kendall Kramer and Mariel Pulles picked-up All-American honors for the Nanooks at last years NCAA Championships. On day one of the Championships, Pulles finished seventh in the 5k classic, giving her a Second Team All-American finish and then on day two she earned a First Team All-American finish, taking fifth in the 15k freestyle. Kramer joined close behind, finishing eighth for a Second Team honor. 
 
Sam Nelson
Director of Athletics, Brock Anundson, and the Alaska Nanooks Nordic ski head coach, Eliska Albrigtsenannounced Sam Nelson as her newest assistant coach. Nelson's official first day was Monday, Oct. 11.

"Sam is a great addition to Alaska Nanooks athletics. He will provide a fantastic edge to Coach Albrigtsen's ski program. We're excited to bring him aboard as he'll be a tremendous asset to our student-athletes." said Director of Athletics, Brock Anundson. 

Nelson, a 2019-graduate from Montana State will join Albrigtsen on the slopes for the upcoming 2021-22 season. He spent the previous two seasons at Boulder Nordic Sport in Boulder, Colo. as well as coaching with the Boulder Nordic Junior Racing team. Nelson raced for the Bridger Ski Foundation Post-Graduate team before beginning his coaching career. While at Montana State, Nelson developed two collegiate club teams, allowing people to pursue athletic dreams.

While not competing for an NCAA team, Nelson did race while also juggling other school and club responsibilities, "He knows the strain of competing at a high level while also being a full-time student and coach and we are looking forward to using his knowledge." Said head coach Albrigtsen.
 
What's to Come
After Anchorage, the Nanooks won't race until the new year. They'll open at Soldier Hollow with the University of Utah hosting on Jan. 2, 6-7. After Utah, they'll head to Sun Valley, Idaho for a 5k free and 15k classic, hosted by Montana State. After that, the RMISA will turn their heads to Fairbanks for a four-day event as the Nanooks host the UAF Invite on Feb. 1-2 and then the RMISA Invite on Feb. 5-6. Both events will be hosted at Birch Hill in Fairbanks. Following their hosted event, Alaska will head to Colorado for the RMISA Championships. Finally, they'll end their season at the NCAA Skiing Championships at Soldier Hollow, Utah on Mar. 9-11. 
 
Results
Results will be posted soon after the race. 
 
Weather
Friday is looking like the coldest day in Anchorage. The race time has been pushed to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. and racers can expect temps between 0-1 degrees F. On day two, Saturday, Dec. 4, the races are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with temps ranging from four degrees to zero. 
 
For more information on the Alaska Nanooks Nordic ski team, follow @NanookSkiing on Instagram or like the Alaska Nanooks XC team page on Facebook.