FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona track & field team will embark on its final meet of the 2015 season in Eugene, Ore. where four Lumberjacks will compete at the NCAA Track & Field Championships. Julia Viberg will represent the women in the discus event, Matt McElroy and Futsum Zienasellassie will participate in the 10,000-meter race. NAU's final participant this week is Weston Strum running in the 5,000-meter race.

With four athletes competing at nationals, NAU has the opportunity to score the most points ever in NAU history and a chance finishing as a top-25 team in the nation. The top-eight athletes in each event will score for their teams.

"It would be a huge accomplishment to finish top-25 in the country," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Eric Heins. "Deante Kemper scored for the team at indoors and if we can score this week then we will have three sports that scored at the national meets this season."

Distance

The men come into the meet with high expectations after an exceptional performance at the NCAA West Region Prelims two weeks ago in Austin, Texas. Zienasellassie looks to build of an impressive showing at the prelims finishing in fifth with a time of 29:44.78. This is Zienasellassie's second appearance at nationals but first time in the 10,000-meter race.

For the first time in his outdoors collegiate career, McElroy will appear at nationals with the hopes of scoring for the Lumberjacks after finishing eighth two weeks ago in Austin with a time of 29:45.44. A big-time race is nothing new to McElroy though as the fifth-year senior has competed at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and is an All-American that has raced against many of the runners in the event.

After a thrilling race at the west region prelims, Strum returns to nationals for the second straight season but first as a Lumberjack. Strum was the final Lumberjack to compete in Austin and ended the prelims with a bang taking fourth place in the 5,000-meter race coming in at 14:11.78. With less than two laps to go in the race, Strum moved from 12^th place all the way to battling for first place with Oregon's Edward Cheserek. Strum would finish in second place in his heat and return to the nationals looking to score for NAU.

"It is good to be able to go to nationals with three guys that have this much experience," said Heins as the three runners combine for five appearances at the national meet. "They will build off of the atmosphere rather than being overwhelmed by it."

Throws

After a seventh place finish at prelims, Viberg is in great position to score for Northern Arizona in the discus. Viberg will make her second appearance at the national meet after qualifying her freshman season. Pressure will be nothing new to Viberg as she had to qualify for nationals on her final throw in Austin, moving from 15^th place all the way to seventh with a throw of 54.51m.

"The goal is to get her near the scoring range," said throws coach Nathan Ott. "Her training has been up on track and she is doing everything she needs to in order to perform at her best in Eugene."

In the event, all 24 competitors will get three throws and the top-9 throws will advance for an additional three throws to determine the national champion.

"You have to get it done in your first three throws and Julia is mentally tough enough to get it done," said Ott. "Julia was there as a freshman so it is nice to have an athlete that knows what they are doing. She is mentally prepared to have success and she is ready to have a big throw."

The NCAA Championships will kick off Wednesday, June 10, and will go through Saturday, June 13, at the University of Oregon.  

Broadcast Schedule

June 10: 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

                  2 p.m. – 10:45 p.m. (ESPN3)

June 12: 7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m. (ESPN)

                  7 p.m. – 10:15 p.m. (ESPN3)

June 13: 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

                  4:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (ESPN3)

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