Anna Coulter was one of five Nanooks honored with a spot on the all-conference teams

Jan. 29, 2008

FAIRBANKS, AK- Alaska skiers received a little bit of silverware ahead of the upcoming NCAA Central Region Championships as five Nanooks earned spots on the Central Collegiate Ski Association's All-Conference teams. Marius Korthauer and Vahur Teppan took two of the five All-CCSA First Team slots on the men's side, while Aurelia Korthauer and Anna Coulter received first team honors for the women. Junior Elisabeth Habermann rounded out the conference awards by grabbing a spot on the all-conference second team.

All of the Nanooks earning CCSA honors are virtual locks for the NCAA national championships in March.

First team honors on the men's side come as no surprise to Korthauer and Teppan. Korthauer has been dominant on the trails this season, firmly establishing his name among skiing's elite athletes with two top-ten finishes at the U.S. Senior Nationals earlier this month. Korthauer has won each of his last five races (two classic races, two freestyle and a sprint) and has been the top collegiate finisher in all but one of his events so far this season.

Teppan has also enjoyed a landmark year, as he was called to represent his native Estonia at last week's Alberta World Cup races. The senior placed 19th in the classic sprint: Estonia's best overall finish of the entire World Cup stop. Teppan also grabbed a podium spot in the sprints at the U.S. Nationals, taking third in the freestyle sprints on Jan. 5.

On the women's side, Aurelia Korthauer has rebounded from a tough stay at the U.S. Cross Country Championships to rattle off five straight top-ten finishes on the SuperTour circuit. An All-American last season, Korthauer has also earned two podium spots so far this year, taking third in the distance classic races at both the NTN trails and the Telemark.

Anna Coulter, meanwhile, is enjoying a consistent second season of competitive skiing with the Nanooks. The Traverse City native impressed by finishing a team-best 22nd while competing among the nation's finest skiers at senior nationals earlier this month. She also recorded two top-ten finishes among collegiate racers at last weekend's Telemark SuperTour stop, giving her momentum heading into the regional and national championships.

After battling illness in the early stages of the season, Elisabeth Habermann has also come on strong recently, turning in her best two races of the year at the Telemark. Habermann scored a sixth place finish among college racers in the distance freestyle, as well as an eighth place finish in the distance classic. Like Teppan, Habermann has experience competing at the international level as well, having been called up to the U.S. Ski Team for the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio, Italy last year.

The Nanook women also played a key role in returning the Alaska Nordic Cup to Fairbanks, as Korthauer and Habermann took the top spot in the distance classic and uphill skate races, respectively. Their performance boosted Alaska to a nine-point lead over rivals Anchorage, as they Nanooks eventually claimed the cup by a 44-40 score.

While the spots on the CCSA team are a great honor, Alaska's skiers will hope their trophy case will expand even more this season as they eye as CCSA title and full-team qualification for the NCAA championships. The Nanooks get two weeks of training prior to heading to the NCAA Central Region Championships in Biwabik, Minn. on Feb. 16-17. This year's national championships will be held at Bozeman, Mont. on March 5-8.