FAIRBANKS - After seeing success at the Seawolf Throwdown in Anchorage last Saturday, the Alaska Nanooks Cross Country team is back in town for their first home meet of the season. The 'Nooks will hit the UAF Running Trails for their Blue/Gold meet this Saturday, with the women starting at 10:40 a.m. and the men following at 11:20 a.m.
Victory and History
Brooms were taken out of the closet for both the Nanooks men's and women's cross country teams after they swept the Seawolf Throwdown last weekend, winning both races. In the 6k, the Nanook women came out on top with a score of 26-29, while the men finished 27-30 in the 8k.
The win over the Seawolves proved itself to be historic for the men in blue and gold as the success ended a decades long drought against their in-state rivals. Alongside making history, the 'Nooks put their official challenge stamp on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Preseason Rankings where they were ranked ninth compared to the Seawolves that ranked third.
Regional/National Poll
The U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association released their 2024 Regional Rankings this week, where the Nanooks women's cross country team ranked fourth among ten teams within the West Region. The only other GNAC team to be ranked in the top-five were the Vikings of Western Washington, who ranked first.
Runners to Watch
After seeing success last Saturday in Anchorage and being named the GNAC Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week, senior Kendall Kramer is in the spotlight going into the weekend. Kramer made clear of her dominance on Saturday, finishing first for the Nanooks at the Seawolf Throwdown and racing a time of 20:42.3.
One of the fresh new faces of the Nanooks men's cross country team has all eyes on him going into the weekend, and his name? Ben Browning. The freshman out of Kimberly, Idaho finished second at the Seawolf Throwdown just behind UAA's John Peckham, racing a time of 26:05.6 and helping lead the 'Nooks to their historic victory.
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