May 21, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK- Alaska ski coach Scott Jerome announced the signings of Erik Soderstrom of As, Sweden, Rebecca Konieczny of West Yellowstone, Mont., and Theresia Schnurr of Buhlertal, Germany on Wednesday. All three student-athletes will enroll at the University of Alaska Fairbanks this fall as freshmen, giving them a full four years of NCAA eligibility with the Nanooks.

Soderstrom comes to Alaska after 13 years of skiing with club Ostersunds Skidleparklubb in nearby Ostersund, Sweden. While skiing with Ostersunds, Soderstrom placed 10th in the classic sprint at the 2006 Swedish Junior Championships, and came in 22nd in the Intersport Cup classic sprint that same season. He was also a member of the club relay team that has placed first in the past six Swedish championships.

Soderstrom also skied three seasons (2002-2005) while attending school at Palmcrantzskolan. There, he placed 34th in the classic sprint and 41st in the 10K freestyle at the 2004 Swedish Junior Championships.

"Erik was sick some of this season, but the year before, we saw some results that we thought would fit in well with our program," Jerome said. "I have the sense that due to his background and his ability to sprint well, we will be able to help him develop into a long-distance skier. He is really looking forward to coming here: he is looking for teammates who can push him in training and push him in racing, and that's going to happen here."

"It will be a long-term process, as he is a true freshman, but we have definitely seen what can happen over four years with some of our other guys, so we are excited about him coming in," Jerome added.

A recent graduate from West Yellowstone High School, Konieczny spent four years skiing with the Wolverines. She placed 13th in the 5K classic race at the 2007 Junior Olympics, and took 20th at junior nationals that same year. Konieczny improved on that finish at the 2008 junior nationals, placing 10th in the classic sprints in her senior season.

One of the few girls on one of the few high school Nordic ski teams left in Montana, Jerome was impressed with Konieczny's ability to make the most of what she had.

"She's done a lot with the resources available to her," he said. "Skiing is not really a high school sport in Montana, and she's from a very small community and a very small high school. She is just highly motivated about her skiing. I think that she is someone who is really going to benefit from being on the team with motivated women right beside her and pushing her. I think that she is just going to fit right into our program."

An all-around athlete, Konieczny also ran four years of track and played three seasons of volleyball while at West Yellowstone. She plans to major in wildlife biology and minor in education while attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with an eye towards working for the national park service one day.

"Rebecca really sought us out in the beginning, as she was looking for a school where she could ski as well as study wildlife management," Jerome said. "She really found UAF on her own and thought it would be a good fit, so I think that is going to help as far as her enjoying it and having success here."

Schnurr, meanwhile, has spent the last three years skiing with SV Baiersbronn in her native Germany. She has landed top-30 finishes in sprint events at the last three German national championships, including a 28th-place finish in the freestyle sprints at last year's event and 24th-place finishes in 2005 and 2006.

Interstingly enough, Jerome initially discovered Schnurr through the recommendation of current Nanook Aurelia Korthauer, who knew Schnurr from ski camps and races in southwest Germany.

"I think Theresia is just untapped potential," Jerome said. "Her running times indicate that she is fit, and she is right in line with where a junior skier ought to be. She is going to be someone who works hard and, over the course of time, starts to produce some good results. I think we are going to be very fortunate to have her."

Schnurr has also run three years of cross country with SV Baiersbronn as well, recording a career-best time of 11:01 for a 3,000 meter run.

Athletic ability seems to run in Schnurr's family: her sister Magdalena participates in ski jumping for SV Baiersbronn as well, winning a recent juniors event in Bois d' Amont, France.

Soderstrom, Konieczny and Schnurr become the first new additions for Alaska for the 2008-09 season, as Jerome and the Nanooks look to qualify a full team for the NCAA Championships for a third straight season. This year's national championships will be hosted by Bates College in Rumford, Maine on March 11-14.