The Nanooks will be participating in the Ryland Milner Basketball Classic
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The University of Alaska-Fairbanks women’s basketball team, the Nanooks, will be participating in the Ryland Milner Basketball Classic on the campus of Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville on Nov. 16 and 17. Amy Woodruff, daughter of Frank and Kay Woodruff of Gallatin and a 1998 graduate of Gallatin High School, is a senior forward for the Nanooks.
Amy, who is scheduled to graduate in May 2002 with a degree in journalism, is a co-captain of the 2001-2002 Nanooks and earned Honorable Mention All-Pac West Conference, Academic All-Conference and Conference Player of the Week honors last season. She averaged 11.7 points per game a season ago and was the Nanooks’ top free throw shooter, hitting 89.1% of her attempts from the line. She also set Nanook records for most 3-pointers attempted and made in a single game and for the season.
The Nanooks are coached by Jenny (Lin) Benson, sister of GHS girl’s basketball coach Rick Lin and daughter of the late Dr. George Lin and Gayle Lin of Liberty. The UAF women are coming off their best season in school history after finishing 3rd in the Pac West with a 20-9 record and making their first trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
At the Ryland Milner Classic, the Nanooks will play the Columbia (MO) College Cougars on Friday at 1 p.m. The Cougars are a first year squad. The Nanooks will follow up with a Saturday, 6 p.m. game against the host NWMSU Lady Bearcats. The 2000-2001 Lady Bearcats were one of the 20 most-improved teams in the nation after improving from 4-22 to 12-15 last season. Joining the Lady Bearcats this season is Albany High School graduate Brooke Hogue, who started and averaged 7 points per game for Division I Southwest Texas State University last season.
A request has been made to NWMSU to allow Gallatin R-5 senior Anna Barton, daughter of Jack and Lois Barton, to sing the national anthem prior to the UAF/ NWMSU game on Saturday.
Following the Ryland Milner Classic, the Nanooks will return to Fairbanks to host their first Division I tournament. Teams invited to participate are Long Beach State, Northern Illinois University and Western Illinois University. A first-year player for Western Illinois is 2001 Albany High School graduate Sarah Drummond, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Drummond and the granddaughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Robert Drummond of Jameson.