Alaska Nanooks

Alaska Nanooks
University University of Alaska Fairbanks
Conference Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Western Collegiate Hockey Association
NCAA Division II, Division I (hockey only)
Athletic director Gary R. Gray
Location Fairbanks, Alaska
Varsity teams 10 (4 men's, 5 women's, 1 co-ed)
Basketball arena Patty Center
Other arenas Carlson Center
Mascot Nook
Nickname Nanooks
Colors Blue and Gold[1]
         
Website www.alaskananooks.com

The Alaska Nanooks are the University of Alaska Fairbanks sports teams, derived from the Inupiaq "nanuq." The school colors are blue and gold. The Nanooks compete at the NCAA Division II level for all sports except men's ice hockey (NCAA Division I). The majority of Nanooks sports are members of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), the hockey team is a member of the WCHA (after spending several years in the now-defunct CCHA) and plays at the 4,595 seat Carlson Center located west of downtown Fairbanks, while the women's swim team is a member of the Pacific Collegiate Swimming & Diving Conference (PCSC), the men's and women's skiing teams are members of the Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA), and the rifle team competes as a member of the Patriot Rifle Conference.

Sports

Ice hockey

Intercollegiate men's ice hockey began in the 1925-26 season.[2] The team had competed as an independent team in Division I through the 1960s and Division II through the 1970s.[2] The Nanooks returned to the Division I level in the 1985-86 season and joined the Great West Hockey Conference (GWHC).[3] The team won the 1987-88 GWHC regular season and 1988 playoff championship.[3] The program is currently a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) and in 2010 the Nanooks appeared in their first ever NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament before falling 3-1 to Boston College.[4]

Rifle

A Dash 8-Q400 of Horizon Air was painted to advertise the Alaska Nanooks. The aircraft is seen here at Los Angeles International Airport (February 2014)

The mixed rifle team has won ten NCAA Rifle Championships (1994, 1999–2004, 2006–2008) and placed runners-up four times.[5] In addition to the team championships, 12 Nanook Riflers have won individual championships[5] In 2007 the university hosted the NCAA Rifle Championship, which saw the host Nanooks win their eighth title in nine year in front of a crowd of about 1,000.[6] The Nanooks rifle team most recently won the 2008 National Championship and appeared as runner-up to Texas Christian University in 2010.[7]

In June, 2013, the Nanooks became a charter member of the Patriot Rifle Conference.

References

  1. ↑ "Official UAF Color Palette" (PDF). June 27, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
  2. 1 2 "Alaska Nanooks Men's Hockey Team History". U.S. College Hockey Online. 1996–2010. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  3. 1 2 "History of the Great West Hockey Conference". College Hockey Historical Archives. Retrieved November 18, 2010.
  4. ↑ Martin, Danny (March 2010). "Ferguson leads Nanooks on fun ride to tournament". Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  5. 1 2 "Alaska Rifle Dynasty". University of Alaska Fairbanks. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  6. ↑ AP Staff (March 13, 2007). "Alaska wins eighth NCAA rifle title in past nine years". EPSN. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  7. ↑ "TCU wins first NCAA rifle championship". NCAA. March 15, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
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