TUCSON, Ariz.- In the opening meet of the 2009 outdoor track and field campaign, the NAU Lumberjacks registered two NCAA Regional Qualifiers, as well as 19 Big Sky Conference Qualifiers at the Willie Williams Classic Friday and Saturday.

Throwers Javier Villarreal and Pascal Tang wasted no time in punching their tickets to the NCAA West Region meet in Eugene in June. In their season debuts both men met qualifying marks. Villarreal threw 60-8.75 in the shot put, while Tang went 197-6 in the hammer throw.

Fellow throwers Jacob Nicol and Ian Nunya met Big Sky standards in the hammer with throws of 181-6 and 172-3, respectively.

The men's sprints saw Dennis Givens become the team's first dual-qualifier when he ran a 10.76 100 meters, and a 21.83 200 meter dash. Derrick Jackson (10.73), Zach Coronas (10.79), and Josh Heck (10.92) also met the 100 meter Big Sky mark.

The women's team saw 10 different females qualify in seven events. Sprinters Annie Skordas and Simone Holder ran 12.30 and 12. 42 in their 100 meter races, while hurdler Jackie Shea posted a time of 1:04.86 in her 400 meter hurdle race.

On the field Jami Michaud vaulted 11-5.75, to tie the second-best mark in NAU history, and Aisha Goynes went 19-0.75 in the long jump.

Five throwers qualified for the Big Sky Conference Championships in their initial effort of the 2009 season. Arshiya Hoseyni (44-1.25) and Nicole Elliott (42-9.5) both qualified in the shot put, while Maria Braun (152-9) and Shelby McCray (144.7) did so in the discus. The women's hammer throw competition saw Michelle Baltimore throw 158-8 to reach the Big Sky mark.

The Lumberjacks will be back in action next Saturday as Arizona State hosts the ASU invitational in Tempe.