FAIRBANKS, Alaska – One of the most decorated student-athletes in Alaska Nanooks history has earned national recognition once again.
Former Alaska Nanooks cross country and Nordic ski standout Kendall Kramer has been named one of 30 finalists for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Established in 1991, the NCAA Woman of the Year award recognizes graduating female student-athletes who have distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, community service, and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Kramer has become synonymous with excellence for the Blue and Gold, earning multiple All-America honors and national titles in both skiing and cross country while cementing her legacy as one of Alaska's most accomplished student-athletes.
Cross Country Excellence
Kramer's collegiate cross country career ranks among the most decorated in program and conference history. She was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American (2022, 2023, 2024) and capped her career with a national runner-up finish at the 2024 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
A model of consistency, Kramer was a four-time All-Conference finisher and captured three consecutive GNAC individual titles (2022–24). She also earned GNAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year honors each of those seasons and was a four-time NCAA Division II West Region All-Region finisher, winning the West Region Championship in 2023 and being named West Region Runner of the Year.
Kramer was equally strong in the classroom, becoming one of just 13 student-athletes in GNAC history to be named a four-time GNAC All-Academic selection. She also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors and was named the Great Northwest Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her combined excellence in academics and athletics.
Skiing Success
On the snow, Kramer quickly became one of the nation's top Nordic skiers, claiming six NCAA All-America honors and capturing the 2025 NCAA Freestyle National Championship at the National Collegiate Men's and Women's Skiing Championships.
She was a four-time All-RMISA selection, including First Team honors in 2023–24 and 2024–25, and was a member of the NCAA All-Academic Ski Team. Across her career, she tallied nine RMISA podium finishes and multiple top-10 national performances.
Her success extended internationally, where she represented Team USA at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland, earning silver and bronze medals, and at the 2020 Junior World Championships, where she claimed silver in the 4x3.3k relay. Kramer has also accumulated 15 international victories, 12 silver medals, and 11 bronze medals across the global ski circuit, including the 2025 Classic National Championship at Kincaid Park and a fourth-place finish at the 2025 FIS U23 World Ski Championships in the 10k Freestyle.
Leadership and Service
Beyond competition, Kramer's impact resonated throughout the Alaska Nanooks community. A five-year member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), she served as a mentor to younger teammates and volunteered regularly at campus athletic events.
Her commitment to service extended into the Fairbanks community, where she mentored youth through the Healthy Futures running program, volunteered at Mush for Kids, and provided work within the deaf community through her studies to assist and collaborate with deaf children —a reflection of her compassion and dedication to those around her.
Academic and Athletic Legacy
Kramer's unmatched résumé includes being named the Alaska Nanooks Women's Student-Athlete of the Year for three consecutive years (2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–25), earning CSC Academic All-America recognition, and being honored as the Great Northwest Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
With national titles, international medals, and a record of leadership and service that extends well beyond competition, Kendall Kramer leaves a legacy as one of the most accomplished and well-rounded student-athletes in Alaska Nanooks history.
About the NCAA Woman of the Year Program
The NCAA Woman of the Year program honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service, and leadership of graduating female college athletes from all three divisions. Selected from a record-breaking 631 nominees submitted by member schools this year — a group that was then narrowed to 167 nominees at the conference level — the Top 30 honorees include 10 from each of the three NCAA divisions. The 2025 Woman of the Year will be announced at the NCAA Convention in January.
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