FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks cross country teams have announced their upcoming 2022 season schedule. The Nanooks are looking at four regular-season meets before the 2022 GNAC Championships and NCAA Postseason.

"I'm very happy with the schedule I was able to assemble." Said Graduate Assistant Josh Sanderlin, "In cross country, the season is long and the races are hard, thus it is important to put some real thought and consideration into where and when the races are. We've got our couple races in Alaska; Fairbanks and Anchorage, which is a tradition that I am proud to be able to carry on. Of course, given the quality of our team, the most important quality of our schedule is its ability to work in conjunction with the post-season. We have GNAC's at Western Oregon, Regionals at MSU Billings, and Nationals at Seattle Pacific - all three of these are immovable fixtures of our season. Additionally, they are all also at GNAC schools, and two weeks later in the year then they usually are, which certainly plays to our favor because it will be a bit colder. Having NCAA Nationals in Seattle on December 2nd is huge, last year it was in Tampa Bay in November and that obviously presented us with some obstacles" 

The blue and gold will open up their regular-season with the Blue and Gold Invite on the University of Alaska Fairbanks running trails against their in-state rivals, the Alaska Anchorage Seawolves. This race will be held on Saturday, August 27 and will begin at 10:30 a.m. with the community race followed by the women's 5k at 11:15 a.m. and the men's 5k at 11:45 a.m.

Rivalry week will extend to Sept. 3 in Anchorage as UAA will host the 'Nooks for the Seawolf Throwdown. Following their trip to Anchorage, the Nanooks will not race until the first week of October when they head to Billings, Mont. on Oct. 7. Following their regional preview, they'll head to Seattle, Wash. for a meet on Oct. 22. This meet in Seattle will conclude their regular-season.

Nov. 5 will begin the Nanooks' trek for the postseason as Western Oregon will host the 2022 GNAC Championships. A year ago, the Nanooks women's cross country team took home third place, the highest finish in program history. The men's team finished in ninth, besting the GNAC Preseason selection of 10th-place. Following the GNAC Championships, the Nanooks will head back to Billings, Mont. for the NCAA West Regional.

While not placing as a team in the men's and women's races, the Nanooks saw Rosie Fordham (4th), Kendall Kramer (5th) and Naomi Bailey (6th) earn All-West Region Honors and individual bids to the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Leo, Fla. where they raced in the women's 6k championship race. 

The Nanooks look to repeat with representatives at the 2022 NCAA Championships that is set to be hosted on Dec. 3, 2022 in Seattle, Wash.

For the complete men's cross country schedule click here. For the complete women's cross country schedule click here.