MISSOULA, Mont.- The Northern Arizona University track and field teams look to make history yet again this weekend at the Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field Championships hosted by the University of Montana. The 2008-09 Lumberjacks can become the first squad in Big Sky history to sweep all six men's and women's cross country and track and field titles in a single season.

The men's program has captured all three titles twice, while the women's team has done it four times. Never before have the Lumberjacks, or any Big Sky team, claimed twin triple crowns in the same season.

In November NAU cross country won the men's and women's titles in Portland. The second leg was secured this February in Flagstaff when both Lumberjack teams hoisted the Big Sky indoor titles in the Skydome.

The conference's coaches took notice and voted both NAU teams the favorites to win the outdoor championships. Two months after those initial expectations, the Lumberjacks will line up at Dornblaser Field Friday and Saturday.


Men's Championship Outlook
The men may present an even stronger roster than the one that scored a meet record 184 points to win the indoor title. Four-time All-American David McNeill returns from a foot injury that sidelined him for the indoor campaign to run 800, 1500, and 5000 meters this weekend. In 2008 he won the 1500 and the 5000 as sophomore, and holds conference-leading marks in both events this year.

While 2009 weight throw and 2008 hammer throw champion Curtis Durocher redshirts this season, Mohamad Saatara's throws crew has regained Javier Villarreal, who utilized his redshirt this past indoor season. Villarreal is the defending champion in the shot put and enters championship weekend with a mark of 18.51 meters (60-8.75), 1.5 meters over his nearest competitor. The Lumberjacks also expect to repeat as hammer throw champs. Pascal Tang, who finished second behind Durocher last year, leads the Big Sky by over two meters. Teammate Jacob Nicol comes in ranked third with a mark of 58.14m (190-9).

Rodney Overton was named the Male Track Athlete of the Meet at this year's Indoor Championships, after winning the 200 and 400 in Flagstaff. Ranking third and second in the respective events, the senior will lead JW Hardy's sprinters in his Big Sky finale.

Also under Hardy's watchful eye are two relay teams that look to be serious contenders. The 4x100 team has run a Big Sky-leading 40.94, and the 4x400 men come in ranked second at 3:12.79.

The distance events are top-heavy with Lumberjacks as usual this year. Behind McNeill in the 5000 are Diego Estrada, Ben Ashkettle, Mark Fruin, and Ahmed Osman ranked second through fifth. 2009 indoor 5000 meter champ Morten Bostrom enter with the seventh-best time this year. Estrada leads the group of Osman, Ashkettle, and Fruin who will all double in the 10,000.


Women's Championship Outlook
The women's team had to battle for their indoor title in February, edging Sacramento State 116.5 to 108.5. The Lumberjacks also squeaked by the Hornets in the preseason poll by one point, with both teams garnering four first-place votes.

NAU comes to Missoula with leaders in four events while Sac State enters six. Similarly to McNeill, Veronica Pohl leads the 1500 and the 5000. The indoor mile and 3000 meter champion will also run the steeplechase. Also running the three events is junior Nell Rojas. After winning an indoor 5000 meter title in February, Rojas has led the conference in the steeplechase all season.

Throwers Maria Braun and Michelle Baltimore enter the championships as the top-two discus throwers in the regular season. Braun has thrown 49.72m (163-1), while Baltimore has thrown 48.28m (158-5), both of which are NCAA regional qualifying marks.

Other field event contenders include Jami Michaud, Aisha Goynes, and Arshiya Hoseyni. Michaud set a new NAU record in the pole vault two weeks ago at 3.85m (12-7.5), ranking her second in the Big Sky this year. Aisha Goynes looks to defend her 2008 triple jump championship, entering as the second seed and the third seed in the long jump. Hoseyni is fourth in the shot put with a mark of 14.37m (47-1.75).

Annie Skordas holds a number three ranking in the 200 meter dash, and the fourth spot in the 400 meters. Haley Lawrence will take the track as the third and fourth seeds in the 1500 and 800 meters, respectively.

Relay teams have run the fourth- (4x100) and sixth-fastest (4x400) times in the Big Sky this year, with Weber State and Sacramento State holding the first and second spots in each race.


Championship Notes
Overall the women's team has 22 top-eight, and 12 top-three places on paper in the 19 events in which they will compete. The men's team has leaders in six events, and 14 individual and two relay top-three seeds.

The Lumberjacks own 45 Big Sky track and field titles including 15 men's outdoor, and seven women's outdoor crowns. The men are looking for their third consecutive Big Sky outdoor title, as the women look to break a two-year drought.

Preliminary races of events of 800 meters and under will be run Friday, as will the finals of the steeplechase and 10,000 meters starting at 3:00 p.m. MST. All remaining finals will be run on Saturday beginning at 12:15 p.m.

Field events open Friday at noon with finals of the men's hammer, long jump, and discus and women's javelin, pole vault, shot put, high jump and, long jump. Saturday's field events will be the men's triple jump, pole vault, javelin, shot put, and high jump, and women's hammer, triple jump, and discus.


Northern Arizona Track and Field Notes

*The Lumberjack track and field program has the chance to capture two triple crowns if they can sweep the outdoor titles as they did at this year's cross county and indoor championships.

*Northern Arizona can break its own Big Sky record of seven conference titles in a single year. In 2008-09 NAU has already captured six championships (men's cross country, women's cross country, women's soccer, men's indoor track and field, women's indoor track and field, women's golf).

*Veronica Pohl looks to keep the women's 1500 meter title at NAU as the Lumberjacks have won the event at every Big Sky Championship since 2002, a streak of seven years.

*David McNeill (1500m, 5000m), Javier Villarreal (shot put), and Aisha Goynes (triple jump) all won titles in their respective events and are looking to repeat in 2009.

*McNeill can be the second athlete since 1991 to win the same two events in consecutive years. Lumberjack Lopez Lomong (800, 1500) accomplished the feat in the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

*The men's team has captured the last two Big Sky Outdoor championships, another title this weekend would tie the second-longest NAU men's outdoor streak (1985-88, 1990-92).

*Jami Michaud can become the first Lumberjack ever to score in the women's pole vault. She enters ranked No. 2 in the conference at 12-7.5 (NAU record).

*NAU could become the first school ever to repeat as men's hammer throw champions with two different athletes. Pascal Tang, who finished second to fellow-Lumberjack Curtis Durocher last year, comes in leading the conference in 2009.

*Since the women's outdoor championships began in 1983, teammates have finished in the top-two spots in the discus on two occasions (Idaho State 1983, Northern Arizona 2000). Lumberjacks Maria Braun and Michelle Baltimore enter the championship ranked first and second, respectively.