Track & Field May 04, 2018

Day Posts Best 10,000m Time in Nation, Trouard Runs Second-Fastest Time in NCAA in 5000m and Baxter Adds Third-Best Mark in 10,000m as NAU Competes at Payton Jordan Invitational

RESULTS

STANFORD, Calif. - Tyler Day recorded the best time in the nation in the men's 10,000-meter race, Andy Trouard ran the second-fastest time in the country in the men's 5000-meter event and Matt Baxter added the third-best mark in the NCAA in the 10,000-meter as the Northern Arizona University track and field program competed at Stanford University's Payton Jordan Invitational on Thursday.

Day posted a time of 28:04.44 to finish fifth overall and as the top collegiate athlete in the 10,000-meter invitational race. The time was the second-fastest mark recorded in NAU and Big Sky Conference history and a new personal best for the redshirt junior.

In the same section of the event, Matt Baxter posted a new personal best of 28:10.05 to finish eighth. The time slots as the third-best mark in the nation this season and ranks No. 3 in NAU and No. 4 in Big Sky history.

"Our 10k guys were awesome tonight," director of track and field Michael Smith said. "They are racing professional runners and holding their own. 28:04 and 28:10 are massive marks and that came from really competing,"

"Tyler and Matt are the best distance duo in the country, we saw it in cross country and we saw it tonight," Smith added. "They were out really fast and kept a lot of composure when it got hard. Both of them are mechanically better in the late stages of the race which we've been working on a lot. I'm really proud of them."

Trouard came in sixth in the men's 5000-meter invitational with a 13:21.07 performance. The time was the second-best ran in school and conference history. The senior shaved 35 seconds off his old personal record.

"Andy ran with courage tonight and it paid off with a fantastic race. It was pretty flawless and he's learning more and more about racing this distance with each 5k he runs," Smith said. "Tonight he did a great job listening to his instincts with the pace and trusted his instruments. 13:21 is an amazing mark for a collegian. This is only his second race outdoors and he'll be even better in June."

Ashley Taylor continued her strong senior campaign with a fifth-place finish in the women's 800-meter dash with a 2:04.48 showing. It is the second-best time ran in the Big Sky this outdoor season, falling just behind her own time of 2:04.36 that she posted at the Bryan Clay Invitational back on April 21.

Paige Gilchrist also ran the third-best time in the conference this season in the women's 5000-meter race as she finished 12th with a 16:22.53 showing.

In a meet that featured countless professional athletes, NAU set five personal bests across four races.

The Lumberjacks return to action with the 2018 Big Sky Outdoor Championships, hosted by the University of Idaho, May 8-11.

NAU COMPETING ATHLETES

Women's 800m Invitational
5. Ashley Taylor - 2:04.48

Women's 5000m (Section 2)
12. Paige Gilchrist - 16:22.53
13. Miranda Myers - 16:29.17*
14. Emily Roughan - 16:38.75

Men's 5000m Invitational
6. Andy Trouard - 13:21.07*

Men's 10000m Invitational
5. Tyler Day - 28:04.44*
8. Matt Baxter - 28:10.05*
23. Peter Lomong - 30:01.55*

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Players Mentioned

Matt Baxter: Distance; Redshirt Junior

Tyler Day: Distance; Sophomore

Paige Gilchrist: Distance; Redshirt Junior

Miranda Myers: Distance; Sophomore

Andy Trouard: Distance; Redshirt Junior

Peter Lomong: Junior

Emily Roughan: Graduate Student

Ashley Taylor: Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

Matt Baxter
: Redshirt Junior
: Distance

Tyler Day
: Sophomore
: Distance

Paige Gilchrist
: Redshirt Junior
: Distance

Miranda Myers
: Sophomore
: Distance

Andy Trouard
: Redshirt Junior
: Distance

Peter Lomong
: Junior

Emily Roughan
: Graduate Student

Ashley Taylor
: Redshirt Senior