Fairbanks, Alaska – One coach and three former student-athletes will make up the fifth class of the Nanook Hall of Fame, announced today by interim director of athletics Scott Jerome.

John Estle (cross country/Nordic skiing coach, 1982-90), Ellen Hannan (women's basketball, 1977-81), Heather Harrison (women's volleyball, 1990-91) and Pavla Havlova (women's cross country/Nordic skiing 2005-06) were chosen by the Nanook Hall of Fame Selection Committee to be enshrined in 2012. Nominations were accepted through April 30.

The class of 2012 will be inducted on Saturday, September 29 at 10:30 a.m. at the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom. With the newest inductees, the list of hall of famers now stands at 26 (25 individuals and one team).

“I am extremely proud that UAF will honor these four Nanooks in September,” Jerome said. “I thank the Hall of Fame selection committee members for their diligent work on behalf of Alaska Nanook Athletics.”

Tickets for the 2012 Nanook Hall of Fame Induction Brunch will be available for purchase online at www.alaskananooks.com in the near future.

JOHN ESTLE (Head Coach Men's and Women's Cross Country and Nordic Skiing)

A well, respected member of the Fairbanks skiing and running community, John Estle (1982-90) becomes the fifth former UAF head coach to be inducted into the Nanook Hall of Fame. During his time as head cross country and skiing coach at UAF, he mentored two skiers to a combined three All-America honors and also coached NCAA post-graduate scholarship winners Anne-Berit (Nilsen) Smith and Donna (DeVoe) DiFolco. During his tenure, he oversaw improvement to the UAF trails as well as creation of new trails. Following his coaching career for the university, Estle went on to coach the United States Ski Team from 1990-93, which included the 1992 Olympics in Albertville, France., and was also the Chief of Stadium for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. He returned briefly in the mid-90s as assistant coach for the program and in that time, laid out the Midnight Express ski trail on the West Ridge trail system.

“John Estle probably has done more for skiing at UAF and in the Fairbanks community than just about anyone else,” Jerome said. “He established UAF skiing as a perennial national contender with his determined, yet caring, coaching style. Scores of his former skiers continue to ski and compete to this day; this is a testament to John's passion for the sport.”ELLEN HANNAN (Women's Basketball)

When looking at the history books of women's basketball at UAF, no one shines more than Ellen Hannan (1977-81). In a time before the three-point line and using the same size ball as the men, the three-year co-captain was a scoring machine, tallying 2,048 points in her career, which ranks second on Alaska's all-time list, trailing the record by only 27 points. She still to this day holds the career record for most rebounds with 1,013. She still holds three other records as well, with 267 field goals in a season, 800 career field goals and a scoring average of 22.1 points per game. Hannan was a two-time member of the All-Northwest Empire League Team as a junior and senior and an AIAW Region IX All-Region Team selection as a senior.“Ms. Hannan, a three year co-captain, proved that she could find the hoop,” Jerome said. “She posted over 2,000 points at UAF all before the introduction of the three-point line; this is simply an amazing accomplishment.  Her ability to rebound -- over 1,000 in her career -- should be an inspiration to our current players.”

She is the first women's basketball player to be inducted.

 

HEATHER HARRISON (Women's Volleyball)

In just two seasons as a Nanook, Heather Harrison (1990-91) established herself as one of the premier outside hitters to ever put on an Alaska volleyball uniform. Known as “The Hammer,” Harrison put UAF on the volleyball map as she led the Nanooks to their first ever winning season in 1991 with a 16-7 overall record. She holds the single-match record for most kills with 44 as well as the career record for highest attack percentage with a .267 success rate. Harrison also ranks second on the program's single-season list with 438 kills and a .295 attack percentage, both set in 1991. Her success on the court led to post-season accolades as she was named to the NCAA Division II All-Northwest Region Team in 1991. In both seasons she played, she was named to the All-Continental Divide Conference First Team and was the team's Most Valuable Player.“Ms. Harrison, "The Hammer", led the Nanooks to a 16-7 record in 1991, the first winning record for the volleyball squad,” Jerome said. “She was feared by her opponents and respected throughout the region for her ability on the court.”

She is the second women's volleyball player to be inducted.

 

PAVLA HAVLOVA (Women's Cross Country & Nordic Skiing)

A dual-sport athlete for the Nanooks, Pavla Havlova (2005-06) made her mark on the cross country and Nordic skiing programs. The Czech native won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference women's cross country individual title in 2005 and is still today the first and only Nanook to be named All-American in cross country. She is a two-time NCAA qualifier having competed at the national championships for both cross country and skiing. In addition, Havlova was a volunteer for the Equinox Marathon and helped with trail maintenance at Birch Hill.“Ms. Havlova, though only with the Nanooks for one year, was an exceptional two-sport athlete,” Jerome said. “She was our first, and still only, conference champion in women's cross country as well as our only All-American in women's running. She also qualified for the NCAA National Championships in skiing. Only a handful of Nanooks have ever competed in two NCAA national championships in two different sports while at UAF.”

She is the first women's cross country runner to be inducted.