Hall of Fame
Known now as a highly decorated mountain runner, Eric Strabel [2000-04] came of age as an elite athlete at the University of Alaska Anchorage, recording stellar 4-year careers on both the cross country running and Nordic ski trails.
In the fall of 2001, the Colony High School grad spearheaded the first Seawolf men’s cross country team to qualify for the NCAA Championships, while earning both All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference and All-West Region finishes. The next fall Strabel continued to help the Seawolves break new ground as they won the cross country program’s first-ever conference team title and yet another trip to the NCAA Championships, where they finished a solid 12th place with him leading the way.
When the snow hit, Strabel was an equally dangerous competitor, earning three All-America honors and regularly posting top-10 finishes throughout his career. As a sophomore in 2002 he was the NCAA runner-up in the 20-kilometer freestyle race and placed 6th in the 10K classical, along with All-Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association and All-West Region accolades. His junior and senior seasons brought more NCAA qualifications as he helped UAA continue a two-decade run of top-10 team finishes, returning to All-America status in the 20K classical as a senior.
Strabel earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering in 2005 and worked for three years in the field before dedicating himself full-time to coaching. Currently a coach with the Alaska Pacific University ski program, he has become one of the greatest mountain runners in Alaska history, winning three Mount Marathon and two Crow Pass Crossing titles, and becoming the first person to break the 3-hour barrier in the Matanuska Peak Challenge.
In 2014, he was also honored by the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame with its Pride of Alaska Award.
