Brooke Andersen, Matt Baxter and Ashley Taylor Earn Big Sky Athlete of the Week Honors

OGDEN, Utah - Brooke Andersen, Matt Baxter and Ashley Taylor all earned Big Sky Conference Athlete of the Week honors after the Lumberjacks had successful performances across three Los Angeles area meets over the weekend, per the conference's release on Tuesday.

Andersen was named the Women's Field Athlete of the Week after she recorded the fifth-best mark in NCAA history as she won the women's invitational hammer throw at the Mt. Sac Relays on Thursday. Andersen's performance of 72.15-meters set a new record in both NAU and Big Sky history.

The performance was the seventh-best toss recorded in the world in 2018 and moved the senior to No. 2 overall in the nation in the event.

It was the fourth athlete of the week awarded earned by Andersen this outdoor season.

Baxter ran the fastest men's  5000-meter race at Azusa Pacific University's Bryan Clay Invitational on Thursday to pick up the conference's Men's Track Athlete of the Week honor. His time of 13:31.00 was the third-fastest time ran in NAU and Big Sky history.

It was the debut race for Baxter this outdoor season.

In the first outdoor running of the 800-meter dash in her career, Taylor ran the second-fastest time in NAU history in the event and helped the women's 4x400-meter relay team record the fourth-fastest time in Big Sky history at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday. With her performance, Taylor was named the conference's Women's Track Athlete of the Week.

The 800-meter mark of 2:04.36 slots 10th overall in the country and is the third-best time recorded in conference history.

The women's 4x400-meter relay team, who just a week before set the school and conference record in the event, just missed out on a new best mark at 3:41.46.

Northern Arizona has just two meets remaining in the outdoor regular season. The Lumberjacks travel to the University of Arizona's Desert Heat Classic on April 28 and the University of Stanford's Payton Jordan Invitational on May 3.

2018 Outdoor NAU Big Sky Athlete of the Week Winners
- Brooke Andersen, Women's Field Athlete of the Week (4/24, 4/10, 4/3, 3/20)
- Matt Baxter, Men's Track Athlete of the Week (4/24)
- Tyler Day, Men's Track Athlete of the Week (4/3)
- Luis Grijalva, Men's Track Athlete of the Week (4/3)
- Parker Joens, Men's Field Athlete of the Week (4/10)
- Jasmine Malone, Women's Track Athlete of the Week (4/3)
- Ashley Taylor, Women's Track Athlete of the Week (4/24)