The 2003-2004 school year has been a good season for UAF sports as the Nanooks have brought home at least one NCAA championship and numerous student athletes received individual honors in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The UAF Rifle team, Jamie Beverle, Karen Gerde, Kim Harris, Joe Hein, Karl Olsson, Cassie Pinkel, Matt Rawlings, and Matt Wallace kept the UAF dynasty going last weekend with their sixth straight  (Yes, six in a row!)  NCAA championship win.  Freshman standout Rawlings won the NCAA individual small-bore championship.

At press time, the men's basketball season was still underway due to their overtime, upset victory over first-seeded Cal State San Bernardino in the NCAA Division II West Regional basketball tournament on Saturday, March 12.  With the win, Head Coach Al Sokaitis became the first to lead Nanooks to the NCAA sweet sixteen.  Sokaitis was named GNAC Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Nanooks to a 43-14 record over the past two seasons.  The unbelievable Brad Oleson was named GNAC player-of-the-year after leading the league in scoring with an average of 22.2 ppg and ranking second in steals with 2.33 per game.  Andrew Smith was an All-GNAC Honorable Mention.

The women's basketball team boasted record setting Adrienne Taalak being named to the All-GNAC first team, while Tania Deisher, Melissa McNulty, and Jen Wasson were named to the GNAC All-Academic team.

Despite a strong season for the hockey team, sophomore forward Kelly Czuy was the only Nanook to earn end of season recognition in the tough CCHA, being named honorable mention to the All-Conference team.

In skiing, A full team of Juraj Brugos, Michal Malak, Erik Wickstrom, Erinn Whitmer, Sigrid Aas, and Johanna Turunen all qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in UAF history.  Aas won a silver and a bronze medal with her All-American performance.  Malak also won an All-American award as the team went on to become the 6^th best team in the nation.

As the volleyball season ended in December, junior standout Mallory Bergstrom earned first team All-GNAC and All-Pacific region, as well as being an honorable mention All-American by the American Volleyball Coaches Association.  Danielle Hitzeman was named GNAC Freshman of the Year, while Candice Smith and Carlin Smith were All-GNAC honorable mentions. 

And finally, late last year in cross-country, two-sport star Sigrid Aas won both the Fairbanks Invitational and the Palmer Invitational before finishing fourth in the GNAC cross-country championships.  She was joined by teammates Erik Wickstrom, Jonas Tetlie, Juraj Brugos, Diana Heimerl, and Johanna Trunen on the GNAC Academic All-Conference team.

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