ANCHORAGE - Alaska Anchorage head cross country and track & field coach Michael Friess announced the signing of five student-athletes - three from Alaska and two from Germany - to National Letters of Intent on Wednesday.

Friess, currently in his 22nd season at UAA, signed Dimond High's Sarah Freistone, Wasilla's Jessica Pahkala and Bartlett's Rosie Smith. Joining the Green & Gold from Germany is Bobo Camara and Dominik Notz.

Scheduled to be a member of both the women's cross country and track & field teams is Freistone, a four-year letterwinner for the Lynx. As a senior, Freistone collected three victories on the cross country trails, before finishing third at the Region IV Championships. On the track, Freistone holds personal-best times of 2:25.60 in the 800 meters and 5:17.51 in the 1600 meters. Currently, her 3200-meter time of 11:16.49 is the fastest time of the season in the state.

Pahkala will also participate in both sports for the Green & Gold. The Wasilla High standout competed at the cross country State meet during her junior and senior seasons, and holds personal bests of 1:00.94 in the 400 meters, 2:19.48 in the 800 meters and 5:13.74 in the 1600 meters - all set during senior season. Pahkala is also a member of Wasilla's 4x800-meter relay that currently holds the fastest time in the state at 9:30.97.

Expected to make an immediate impact in the women's sprint events is Smith, a four-year letterwinner for the Golden Bears. The 2011 state champion in the 100-meter hurdles, Smith comes to UAA with personal bests of 13.01 in the 100 meters, 27.54 in the 200 meters, 14.82 in the 100-meter hurdles and 45.37 in the 300-meter hurdles. Currently, Smith holds the fastest time in the state in the 100-meter hurdles at 15.04, in the 300-meter hurdles at 46.56, and is a member of the 4x100-meter relay with the fastest time in the state at 51.40.

Coming to the Seawolves from Dettingen, Germnay is Notz, a member of his country's Junior National Team. Notz starts his collegiate career with personal bests of 1:59.31 in the 800 meters, 4:02.29 in the 1500 meters, 8:36.11 in the 3,000 meters and 15:30 in the 5,000 meters. His father, Dieter Notz, placed fourth at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Nordic Skiing.

A multi-eventer from Cologne, Camara dons the Green & Gold with personal bests of 11.30 in the 100 meters, 50.16 in the 400 meters, 1:59.63 in the 800 meters, 53.66 in the 400-meter hurdles and decathlon score of 6,032.

The Seawolf cross country teams will enter the 2012 slate as the defending West Region and Great Northwest Athletic Conference champions, while the track & field teams have already set multiple league and school records this spring.