Mick Durham

University of Alaska Fairbanks athletics director Forrest Karr announced that Mick Durham has been named the next head coach for the Alaska Nanooks men’s basketball program.

“Mick has significant experience and has been very successful coaching at a high level,” said Karr. “He is the kind of coach that any parent would want their son to play for.”

Durham has spent the past three seasons as an assistant men’s basketball coach at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. During that time the Aggies record was 55-44.
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Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
4-27-11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Department of Athletics will hold its annual All-Sports Banquet Saturday, May 7 from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge in the Edgewater Banquet Room.

This is the athletic department’s premier end-of-the-year event where each team’s Most Valuable Player and Dr. William Wood Scholar-Athlete will be recognized. In addition, awards for the Humanitarian of the Year, the Harris Shelton Spirit of Competition recipient, the Intercollegiate Athletics Council Male and Female Scholar Athlete of the Year, the Athletic Director’s Coach of the Year and Staff Person of the Year and the Most Outstanding Female and Male Athlete of the Year will be presented.

The public is invited to join the student-athletes, coaches and staff in recognizing the 2010-2011 achievements of the department’s 10 varsity sports. The cost for the dinner event is $35. Advance purchase is required and no tickets will be sold at the door. All reservations must be made by May 4, 2010.

Please call the UAF athletic department at 474-5977 to make reservations or for more information.

Marmian Grimes
907-474-7902
1/26/11

The rivalry between the Alaska Nanooks and the UAA Seawolves is never greater than during the Governor’s Cup hockey game. This year, the University of Alaska Fairbanks is kickin’ it up a notch by hosting a seawolf taco feed the night of the game in Fairbanks.

While the seawolf is the mascot for the University of Alaska Anchorage, it is also the common name for the edible Atlantic wolf fish. On Saturday, Feb. 26, 2011 members of the community are invited to attend a seawolf taco feed.

The events starts at 6:15 p.m. and will be followed by a viewing of the Governor’s Cup game live from Anchorage on an oversized projection screen in the Patty Center. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12, which allows you to feast on the flesh of the seawolf while watching the teams fight it out on the big screen. Soft drinks are included in the price. A cash bar will also be available.

Those who do not want to eat seawolf can pay $5 to join the party just in time for the game at 7:05pm. The Nanooks won the 2010 Governor’s Cup and are defending the title this year.

Tickets to the event are available at any Alaska Nanooks home game or by phone at 907-474-7081.

UAF photo by Todd Paris
Tournament MVP Scott Greenham clears another shot in the finals of the Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament.

They had to beat two ranked teams to do it, but the Alaska Nanooks hockey team stormed its way to a second consecutive Brice Alaska Goal Rush tournament championship Saturday. The No. 14 Nanooks topped No. 18 Colorado College 2-1 for the win.

Jarret Granberg (Foremost, Alberta) opened the scoring with his first goal of the season in the first period. Granberg’s shot was dropped into the net by a botched glove save by Tiger goalie Joe Howe 6:04 into the game.

Carlo Finucci (Burnaby, BC) gave the Nanooks the go-ahead point in the second. Tied at 1-1, Finucci slapped a pass from Derek Klassen (Whitehorse, YT) past Howe at 12:03.

But the key to the tournament was its MVP, Alaska goaltender Scott Greenham (Addison, ON). To say Greenham played well would be shortchanging him. Greenham allowed just two goals in two wins.

Colorado College took 23 shots in the tournament finale, and Greenham saved 22 of them. Individually, he improves to 3-1.

Andy Taranto (Woodridge, IL) picked up his second assist of the season on Granberg’s goal. Klassen and Nik Yaremchuk (St. Albert, AB) each picked up their first assist on Finucci’s score.

By the numbers, the Nanooks were outshot 23-19. They had four power play opportunities but were never able to cash in.

The Nanooks, now 3-1, open conference play at Michigan State next Friday. They play a Spartan team that stands 1-1-1 after a 3-2 win over Maine Friday.

2010 Brice Alaska Goal Rush All-Tournament Team selections

F – #9 Kevin Petovello (Alaska)
F – #27 Jeremy Welsh (Union)
F – #15 Andrew Hamburg (Colorado College)
D – #11 Joe Sova (Alaska)
D – #10 Gabe Guentzel (Colorado College)
G – #27 Keith Kinkaid (Union)

MVP – Scott Greenham (Alaska)

Jamie Foland
907-474-6807
9/22/10

The Nanook Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 will be inducted this Saturday, Sept. 25 at 10:30 a.m. in at the Carol Brown Ballroom in the Wood Center on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

Tickets to the induction brunch are $30 per person and may be purchased at the UAF Athletics ticket office from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday as well as 8:30 am. to 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 24.

This year’s class, which was announced in mid-July, includes former athletic director John C. Gilmore, former vice chancellor of student affairs Harris Shelton, and former student-athletes Sigrid Aas (women’s skiing and cross country), Mallory (Bergstrom) Larranaga (women’s volleyball), Melissa Mulloy-Mecozzi (rifle), and Stuart Watkins (rifle).

Six plaques, featuring the inductees’ individual picture and accomplishments, will be placed into the Nanook Hall of Fame display case at the Patty Center in time for the Nanooks’ volleyball match at 7 p.m. against Simon Fraser. All six class members will be presented with a replica plaque at the induction brunch on Saturday morning and recognized twice with their plaques at both of the Alaska Nanooks home events later in the day: first at the Blue vs. Gold hockey game at 5 p.m. at the Patty Ice Arena and then the volleyball match that follows.

Cody Burgess has been named the Alaska Nanooks' new women's basketball head coach.

Jamie Foland

907-474-6807  
6/11/10
University of Alaska Fairbanks athletics director Forrest Karr announced Thursday that Cody Burgess has been named the next head coach for the Alaska Nanooks women’s basketball program. Burgess will take over as the 10th head coach in program history.

“Cody has the plan, passion and broad support necessary to provide the foundation that Nanooks women’s basketball has been missing,” said Karr. “She is an emerging leader that brings integrity, trust, stability and coaching ability to the job and I cannot imagine a better candidate for this position.”

A UAF alumna, Burgess was a power forward for the Nanooks from 2002-05. She has nine years of combined playing and coaching experience at a diverse range of college levels and hands-on knowledge of Fairbanks and UAF.

“This is an exciting time in my life to be coming back to coach at Alaska,” said Burgess. “My playing experience was positive and memorable. I hope to offer that same experience to the young women I will be coaching.”

After leaving UAF, Burgess spent one season as the girl’s basketball assistant coach for North Pole High School, helping guide the Patriots to a second place finish at the Alaska state championships in the 4A division.

This season she was an assistant coach at Moberly Area Community College. She helped guide the Lady Greyhounds to a 17-14 record. While Burgess’ main role was as the recruiting coordinator, her other responsibilities included developing practices, coordinating the competition schedule, website maintenance and media relations, fundraising and monitoring student-athletes’ academic progress.

Burgess also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at William Woods University. In 2008-09 Burgess helped lead the Owls to a 21-10 record, a tournament bid and a conference championship title. The season was a turnaround after a dismal 4-23 campaign in 2007-08.

“It’s obvious that Cody has learned a great deal during her postgraduate studies and coaching experiences,” said Karr. “More importantly, however, she conveys a wholesome, holistic view of intercollegiate athletics reflective of the view of education through athletics versus education for athletics. She has a vision, a commitment to make it happen and a willingness to keep learning and improving.”

During her time at UAF, she was selected Daktronics First Team All-West Region in 2005 and Second Team All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2003 and 2005.  She led the GNAC in scoring during the 2003 and 2005 seasons and was a team captain as a senior in 2004-05. She holds career records in the GNAC for her scoring average in all games (19.3) and in league games (20.0), as well as the all-time records for free throws made (188) and attempted (225), which were set during the 2004-05 campaign.

Before playing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Burgess played two seasons at Wenatchee Valley College, where she was named First Team All-Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges in 2002, as well as team MVP.

“Cody was a junior college recruit who had a skeptical view of UAF and Alaska and then fell in love with both,” Karr said. “She leads by example and even recovered from a serious knee injury to earn First Team All-West Region in 2005. Cody knows the importance of in-state recruiting and she also has Pacific Northwest and Midwest recruiting connections. She has a unique background to be able to convince young women to come to UAF.”

Burgess holds a bachelor’s degree in natural resources management from UAF and a master’s degree in athletic administration from William Woods University.

“There is a lot of work ahead for all involved,” added Burgess, “but I am confident that I can lead the program in the right direction. I am blessed to have this opportunity and look forward to the journey ahead.”

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