FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Defending their home turf in the Walkup Skydome, the Northern Arizona men's and women's track and field teams won their respective Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Championships. The men tallied a meet record 184 points, while the women scored 116.5.

The Lumberjack men scored twice as many points as any other team, the closest being Idaho State, who finished second with 86. The women's meet was a more closely contested matchup with Sacramento State tallying 108.5, edging Weber State's 106 for second.

The Lumberjacks entered the day with leads in both competitions, after the men scored 55 and the women's put up 50.5 points in Friday's competition.

“You never take anything for granted in a championship,” said Director of Track and Field JW Hardy, of his teams' day one leads. “So I was still a nervous because we have some great teams in our conference, but I really felt like we had what it took to get it done.”

With track and field alumni lining the Skydome bleachers the 2009 teams raised NAU's Big Sky Track and Field Championship tally to an unprecedented 45 titles. These are the sixth and seventh Big Sky Track and Field Championships since Hardy took over the program prior to the 2005 season.

The Lumberjacks raise both men's and women's titles for the first time since the 2000 indoor championships, which also took place in the Skydome.

This is the women's team's tenth indoor Big Sky title, and first since 2006, the last time the championships were held in Flagstaff. With this title the men bring their indoor total to 13, and first since 2003, which was also hosted by NAU.

“Any time we have a chance to host a championship in Flagstaff it's always a special time. We take pride in NAU and our facility and what we know we are capable of doing,” Hardy said. “The alumni we able to come back and the amount of support from NAU and the Flagstaff community is what I thinks makes the difference.”

The men's competition was nearly put away before the runner's hit the track Saturday. With a 14.5 point lead after day one, the first field event saw the Lumberjacks score 28 points in the men's weight throw.

Junior Curtis Durocher led the sweep of the medal stand with his win at 64-10.50. Teammates Pascal Tang (61-05.75), Ian Nunya (57-11.25), and Jacob Nicol (55-10.5), finished second, third, and fifth respectively.

With 83 points already on the board NAU sprinter Rodney Overton went to work. After his 400 meter win in 47.05, the senior registered another 10 points in the 200 meters (21.45) to win a Men's Track Athlete of the Meet Award. Overton was supported in both events by Dennis Givens. Givens finished 2nd in the 400 (47.83) and 6th in the 200 (21.92).

With the meet in hand, the distance crew backed up their 5000 meter performance from Friday night, with 28 more points in the 3000. Led by freshman Diego Estrada (8:31.28), Lumberjacks Ben Ashkettle (3rd place), Mark Fruin (4th place), Morten Bostrom (5th place), and Ahmed Osman (6th place), all scored in their second event of the meet.

Also finding the podium Saturday were NAU's Kameron Hoolbrook (800m), Austin Shanks (60m), and the 4x400 meter relay team of Derrick Jackson, Overton, Brendan Cleary and Givens.

The Northern Arizona women slowly saw their 16.5 point lead wane as Saturday passed, eventually dropping behind Sacramento State and Weber State.

“We had some ups and downs today, but the kids just battled through it. We never lost sight of what we wanted to do,” said Hardy.

Miler Veronica Pohl led three Lumberjacks with her 4:56.48 win, with Haley Lawrence and Vanessa Hancock coming in fifth and sixth.

Senior Aisha Goynes finished third in the women's triple jump at 40-09.75 to take her meet total to 14 points.

Sacramento State's Jernise Saunders won the 60 and the 200 on her way to Women's Track Athlete of the Meet honors. Weber State finished second and third in the 200 and won the 400 as the Lumberjacks slumped.

A trio of sixth place finished kept the NAU ladies within striking distance. Simone Holder picked up three points in both the 60 and the 200, while Amber Washington added three in the 400.

The women's 3000 meter was the key event for NAU to retake and secure a lead. Four Lumberjacks lined up against one Wildcat, while Sacramento State and no entries in the event. Pohl won her second event of the day in 9:54.79, and Nell Rojas backed up her win in the 5k with a second place in 9:57.84.

Weber State picked up six points with Natalie Haws taking third, but behind her was NAU's Astrid Leutert in fourth and Kortnee Burton in seventh. NAU took 25 points in the 3000 to wrap up the win.

The women's team took four Big Sky champions from the meet in Pohl (mile, 3000), Rojas (5000), and Nicole Elliott (weight throw). The men claimed six events with Overton (200, 400), Estrada (3000), Bostrom (5000), Durocher (weight throw), and the distance medley relay team.

“We came into the season with the goal of winning to conference titles at home, and we were able to pull it off,” stated Hardy.

The Lumberjack, now having won men's and women's cross country titles, as well as twin indoor titles will turn their sights towards the outdoor season. The Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships are slated for May 14-16 at the University of Montana.

Men's Team Final Scores
1. Northern Arizona, 184
2. Idaho State, 86
3. Eastern Washington, 81.50
4. Weber State, 81
5. Sacramento State, 70
6. Montana State, 69.50
7. Montana, 39
8. Northern Colorado, 28
9. Portland State, 23

Women's Team Final Scores
1. Northern Arizona, 116.50
2. Sacramento State, 108.50
3. Weber State, 106
4. Montana State, 77
5. Idaho State, 76
6. Northern Colorado, 57
7. Eastern Washington, 48
8. Montana, 39
9. Portland State, 35

Women's Field Athlete of the Meet
Sydney Wendt, Idaho State
Ericka Violett, Sacramento State
Men's Field Athlete of the Meet
Ronald Brackins, Sacramento State
Women's Track Athlete of the Meet
Jernice Saunders, Portland State
Men's Track Athlete of the Meet
Jace Nye, Weber State
Rodney Overton, NAU


NAU Men

First Place (10 points)
Rodney Overton, 200m (21.45)
Rodney Overton, 400m (47.05)
Diego Estrada, 3000m (8:31.28)
Morten Bostorm, 5000m (14:55.82)
DMR- Terry, Jackson, Holbrook, Killian (10:15.55)
Curtis Durocher, weight throw (64-10.50)

Second Place (8 points)
Dennis Givens, 400m (47.83)
Kameron Holbrook, 800m (1:54.74)
Mark Fruin, 5000m (14:59.62)
Anthony Evans, long jump (23-11.00)
Pascal Tang, weight throw (61-05.75)

Third Place (6 points)
Austin Shanks, 60m (6.88)
Ben Ashkettle, 3000m (8:34.53)
Ahmed Osman, 5000m (15:00.57)
4x400m Relay- Jackson, Overton, Cleary, Givens (3:15.67)
Ian Nunya, weight throw (57-11.25)

Fourth Place (5 points)
Mark Fruin, 3000m (8:40.51)
Ben Ashkettle, 5000m (15:00.86)
Mike Washington, triple jump (47-10.5)

Fifth Place (4 points)
Derrick Jackson, 60m (6.95)
Austin Shanks, 200m (21.79)
John Killian, mile (4:20.09)
Morten Bostrom, 3000m (8:41.71)
Diego Estrada, 5000m (15:04.05)
Jacob Nicol, weight throw (55-10.5)

Sixth Place (3 points)
Dennis Givens, 200m (21.92)
Ahmed Osman, 3000m (8:45.44)
Jacob Nicol, shot put (50-10.25)
Thremaine Johnson, triple jump (46-07.25)

Seventh Place (2 points)
Dominic Giovannoni (Hepthalon)

Eighth Place (1 point)
Mike Washington, long jump (22-10.00)


NAU Women

First Place (10 points)
Veronica Pohl, mile (4:56.48)
Veronica Pohl, 3000m (9:54.79)
Nell Rojas, 5000m (17:39.37)
Nicole Elliott, weight throw (59-00.25)

Second Place (8 points)
Nell Rojas, 3000m (9:57.84)
Astrid Leutert, 5000m (17:51.63)
Aisha Goynes, long jump (19-11.75)

Third Place (6 points)
DMR- Lane, Stoner, Codd, Hancock (12:37.38)
Aisha Goynes, Triple jump (40-09.75)

Fourth Place (5 points)
Astrid Leutert, 3000m (10:21.02)

Fifth Place (4 points)
Haley Lawrence, mile (5:08.76)
Kortnee Burton, 5000m (18:37.35)
4x400m Relay- Skordas, Washington, McKinnon, Jones (3:50.93)

Sixth Place (3 points)
Simone Holder, 60m (7.76)
Simone Holder, 200m (25.31)
Amber Washington, 400m (56.83)
Nikki Codd, 800m (2:19.27)
Vanessa Hancock, mile (5:09.00)
Amanda Duarte, long jump (19-00.00)

Seventh Place (2 points)
Haley Lawrence, 800m (2:21.56)
Kortnee Burton, 3000m (10:41.14)
Jami Michaud, pole vault (11-11.75, tie- 1.5 points)

Eighth Place (1 point)