ANCHORAGE, ALASKA – University of Alaska Anchorage Associate Head Coach for Nordic Skiing Trond Flagstad announced the addition of Ari Endestad and Matt Seline to the team for the 2022-23 season.
Endestad, a native of Fairbanks, Alaska, won the 10-kilometer classic race at the 2020 Junior Nationals. He represented Alaska Pacific University the last two years placing 23rd in the 30-kilometer classic at the 2022 Senior Nationals. He finished 12th overall, and eighth among RMISA skiers, at the 2022 UAF Invite, which was open to all skiers, and finished 21st in the classic sprint at the 2022 Canadian National Championships.
"Ari will bring leadership and depth to the men's team," said Flagstad. "Ari has just started to show his full potential, and I am excited for him to be able to continue his development at UAA and compete at the NCAA level."
Seline, a native of Truckee, Calif., posted a runner-up finish in the junior FIS race in Sun Valley in 2022. At the 2021 West Region Championships in Soldier Hollow, he finished second in the freestyle sprint, fourth in the 10-kilometer classic and 19th in the 15-kilometer freestyle. Seline placed third in the freestyle sprint, after qualifying as the top seed, and 33rd in the individual classic at the 2020 Junior Nationals U16 races.
He is also a decorated mountain biker winning the Northern Nevada High School State Championship four straight years and winning the California Mountain Bike State Championship in 2019. Seline finished 14th at the short track mountain biking national championships in 2019.
"I am excited to add Matt to our team," said Flagstad. "Matt is a talented young skier from the same development program as former UAA standout JC Schoonmaker. I am excited to see Matt take it to the next step as a part of the UAA program."
The UAA Nordic ski team will open the season in Fairbanks, Alaska when it battles in-state foe UAF in the annual Alaska Nordic Cup Dec. 9-10.
