May 29, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK- The snow may be long gone, but the Alaska ski program continues to reel in the plaudits from an outstanding 2007-08 season. In a unanimous vote, the Central Collegiate Ski Association coaches named Marius Korthauer the NCAA Central Region Male Skier of the Year, and also honored Scott Jerome as the region's Coach of the Year for men's skiing.

One of college skiing's most consistent performers during his four-year Nanook career, Korthauer surpassed all expectations in a spectacular senior season, culminating in his winning an individual national championship in the 20K classic race at the 2008 NCAA Skiing Championships.

Korthauer was the Central Region's top finisher in all but one event this season, nearly completing an undefeated CCSA season before being edged by NMU's Phil Violett in the conference championship's classic race. The German native was the top overall finisher in seven events this season, including an impressive streak of six consecutive victories at one stretch.

In addition to earning his sixth All-American honor and fifth NCAA podium place with a second-place finish in the distance freestyle at nationals, Korthauer also earned his second career CCSA title by winning the 10K skate race at the Central Region Championships in February. He previously won a conference crown two years ago, in the 15K freestyle event of the 2006 regionals.

Jerome, meanwhile, enjoyed a fine fourth season at the helm for Alaska. Under his guidance, the Nanooks qualified a full team of six skiers for the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row in 2007-08. The program has seen steady improvement since Jerome took the helm in 2004; Alaska qualified four skiers in Jerome's first year in charge, five in his second, and six in his last two.

This campaign also brought a piece of history for Jerome and the Nanooks, as he helped Korthauer become the first Alaska male to claim a national championship. Jerome played an integral role in Korthauer's coming to Alaska, as well as to his progress and development during the pair's four-year relationship.

In addition to Korthauer, Jerome also assisted in the growth of Vahur Teppan, who joined the Nanooks at the beginning of the 2006-07 season. Jerome and Teppan saw their hard work pay off this season, as the latter grabbed two All-American places with a pair of top-ten finishes at the NCAA races this season. A native of Estonia, Teppan was called up to his national side this season, representing his country at the Alberta World Cup in January. Following the conclusion of his Nanook career, Teppan was selected to join the Estonian B team, one step away from the highest level of international competition.

Jerome also worked to maintain a strong balance in his men's program, developing talented younger skiers alongside the likes of Korthauer and Teppan. Freshman Ray Sabo qualified for the NCAA championships in just his first season of competitive skiing with Alaska, while fellow first-year John Parry has seen significant improvement in his racing in two years of working with Jerome. The two Whitehorse natives, along with a handful of other young talent, give Jerome and the Nanooks plenty of reasons to be optimistic for the future.

On the women's side, Northern Michigan's Morgan Smyth earned the region's Female Skier of the Year honor, while Wildcats coach Sten Fjeldheim, whom Jerome worked under during his stint as a graduate assistant at NMU, was named women's skiing Coach of the Year.