PORTLAND, Ore. - 13 of the 112 cross country runners named to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference Team, presented by Barnes & Noble College, are from your Alaska Nanooks cross country teams. 

Head coach Conrad Haber was very pleased with his student-athletes abilities to handle both responsibilities, "Academics are a priority for us, but it's still impressive that a team comprised primarily of science and engineering majors can manage to excel both in the classroom and at competitions." To qualify for academic all-conference, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20, must be in at least their second season competing for their team and must have competed on the course during the 2025 campaign.

The women's team had seven representatives while the men's team had six selected to the team. From the women's team: Sarah Baum, Lucca Duke, Riga Grubis, Jasmin Holst, Teegan Silva, Tabitha Williams, and Madison Schuh were selected. Baum, a senior from Summerfield, N.C., is one of two three-time recipients for the Nanooks. Baum earned the honor in 2023 and 2024 and she has maintained a 3.52 GPA in her studies while majoring in geosciences. Joining her as a three-time recipient is Teegan Silva, also earning the honor in 2023 and 2024. Silva, a senior from Chelan, Wash., is also a geosciences major, and has maintained a 3.82 GPA in her time at UAF. 

Tabitha Williams earned her second GNAC All-Academic honor after her first in 2024. Williams, a digital journalism major at UAF, has kept a 3.57 GPA. The junior hails from Canmore, Alta. The remaining four selections all earned their first GNAC XC Academic All-Conference nod. Lucca Duke, a sophomore from Anchorage, is a biological sciences major and has posted a 3.40 GPA. Riga Grubis, a Fairbanks native, is also a biological sciences major and holds a 3.69 GPA as a sophomore. Jasmin Holst, from Juneau, is a sophomore studying mechanical engineering and has posted a 3.69 GPA. Finally, Madison Schuh, a sophomore from Anchorage, holds a 3.90 GPA while studying wildlife biology and conservation. 

On the men's side, Alaska was represented by: Curtis Beck, Ben Dohlby, Blake Hanley, Ruben Rhodes, Clem Taylor-Roth, and Paxson Ott. 

Dohlby is the lone member to earn a second GNAC Academic All-Conference nod. He earned his first last year. The junior from Pewaukee, Wisc. has kept a 3.63 GPA while studying civil engineering. The rest of the Nanooks men's recipients are first time honorees. 

Curtis Beck is a Fairbanks native who, as a sophomore, is posting a 3.33 GPA while studying mechanical engineering. Blake Hanley of Anchorage has a 3.94 GPA in his sophomore year as a homeland security major. Ruben Rhodes, also of Anchorage, is studying chemistry. The sophomore has a 3.90 GPA in his studies at UAF. Clem Taylor-Roth is the third engineering major on the list for the Nanooks. The senior from Juneau holds a 3.50 GPA while studying electrical engineering. The final men's runner is Paxson Ott. Ott, a biological sciences major, has a 3.96 GPA after staying in his hometown of Fairbanks to run for the 'Nooks.

Alaska's season continues this weekend in Romeoville, Ill. as they compete at the Lewis Crossover. 

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