Day Three Results

EUGENE, Ore. –The Northern Arizona Track & Field team had its third participant of the week compete at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. This time representing the Lumberjacks was Weston Strum in the 5,000-meter race. In front of 11,168 fans at Hayward Field, Strum would end his career at Northern Arizona finishing in 11^th place with a time of 13:55.93.

"Weston ran his guts out today," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Eric Heins. "He ran close to two-flat his last 800 and it was good enough for 11^th so the top guys were running 1:54. I am proud of the way he approached his training and his dedication to the program this year. Weston is going to be hard to replace."

Strum got out to a strong start as the senior was in third place through the first four laps of the race.  

"The race went exactly how I wanted it to," said Strum. "I sat in third for almost the entire race and I was not worried if someone passed me because I just wanted to stay in lane one for the finish."

Strum ended the last three laps moving back-and-forth from 8^th-11^th place and Strum made his final push in the last 400-meters running a near 2:00-flat in his last 800-meters. The senior from San Jose, Calif. would finish in 11^th place, leaving everything he had on the track.

"I was thinking to myself at the last lap that this would be my final lap ever and use that to motivate me," said Strum. "It has been a fabulous year for me at NAU and even throughout my injuries throughout the year I was able to make it back to nationals and I am very proud of that."

Northern Arizona's final competitor at the NCAA Outdoor Championships is Julia Viberg in the discus. The event will begin at 1:35 p.m. on Saturday, June 13, at the University of Oregon and can be seen on ESPN2.