NAU Men's XC Clinches Fourth Straight NCAA Mountain Regional Title; Women's Team Likely to Qualify for Nationals

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (November 15, 2019) - Northern Arizona University's cross country program found itself in the national spotlight yet again as the Lumberjack men raced their way to their fourth straight NCAA Mountain Regional title. The NAU women put on a show as well as the 'Jacks placed sixth in a stacked region. NAU saw six men and two women earn All-Region honors from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) for their performances in Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon. This years meet was held at the Rose Park Golf Course.

NAU's men came to Salt Lake City with the longest active NCAA Division I streak, according to the USTFCCCA, as the No. 1 ranked team in modern-era history at 28 weeks. The Lumberjack women were fresh off a return to conference prominence as they won the Big Sky Championship two weeks ago in Greeley, Colo., and were ranked No. 16. The Mountain Region is one of the most talented regions in all of NCAA Division I cross country. The top-three teams in the USTFCCCA's latest Men's National Coaches' Poll were in attendance, while the NAU women had to face five teams that were ranked higher than them entering the meet.

It was another day at the office for the Lumberjack men as they proved why they were the three-time defending champions at this meet. Six of the seven runners wearing Blue & Gold pushed their way into the top-25 and were led by the 1-2-3 punch of Geordie Beamish, Brodey Hasty and Luis Grijalva. Northern Arizona owned the men's podium this weekend as four of those six runners placed in the top-10.

"The big thing about these meets is that we keep our guys engaged in the right stuff and we keep them healthy," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Michael Smith. "We never talk about national championships or that kind of stuff. We go all season long talking about our process. We are focused on the right things and we closely monitor what we put value on."

In regards to team points throughout the race the Lumberjacks never dropped out of the top-two on the leaderboard in a close contest with No. 2 ranked BYU and No. 3 Colorado. 

Beamish would take first-place in the Men's 10K race with a time of 30:25.6. The senior was part of a large group of 'Jacks that stayed in the front of the pack for the majority of the race.

"Knowing I had my teammates out there was what got me through the race," said Beamish. "We hold ourselves' accountable before, during and after the race and that is the kind of mentality this program has. We are always out there for each other."

Junior Luis Grijalva was not far behind as he clocked in at 30:27.8 to take second. The pair was followed by redshirt freshman Brodey Hasty's third-place performance of 30:30.8.

Freshman Abdihamid Nur was the sixth runner to cross the finish line at 30:39.0. Sophomore Ryan Raff played a major role in sealing a Lumberjack victory as he came in as NAU's fifth runner at ninth-place with a time of 30:44.1.

BYU and Colorado gave a good fight as they placed three runners into the top-10. The Buffs even had their fourth and fifth runners finish back-to-back in 11th- and 12th-place, with the Cougars snatching the 13th spot. However, it would not be enough to contain the high octane group of Lumberjack runners as NAU ended the 10K Race with just 21 team points compared to Colorado's 53 and BYU's 56. 

Just outside of the top-10 was junior Blaise Ferro who came in 15th-place not even ten full seconds behind Raff at 30:52.2. NAU's seventh man would come in the form of another junior in Cade Burks who was just outside of the top-25 in 26th-place with a time of 31:16.7

The NAU women's squad made its prescene felt throughout the Women's 6K Race. A season full of belief and confident running from the Lumberjack women earned them a spot on the line against the nation's most talented female region. Northern Arizona took sixth-place and is likely to qualify for NCAA XC Nationals next weekend in Terre Haute, Ind. The NCAA's Selection Show will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16th to make it official.

The 'Jacks came to Salt Lake knowing they belonged here. The task before them was an appropriate one that took the team a few years to get to but was well earned.

"Our women's team performance is the story of the day yet again," said Smith. "This was three years in the making. After the race we told them it was not just the race that got us here; all the things they do when no one is watching and how they take care of each other, that is where it happens. This is a fantastic team and I am really happy for them."

Yet again senior Mikayla Malaspina would lead the way for the ladies from Flagstaff as she placed 18th with a time of 20:27.8. As per usual this season sophomore Taryn O'Neill was in the thick of the fight with Malaspina and would not be far behind. O''Neill came in at 20:41.4 earning All-Region honors along with Malaspina.

"We used each other throughout the race," said Malaspina. "I would just look for Taryn and know that she was right there with me."

"We also knew that our other teammates were racing just as hard," added O'Neill. "Knowing that we all hold each other accountable and that they're fighting just as hard as we are makes this worth doing."

Senior Miranda Myers ended as the 'Jacks third finisher with a time of 20:45.8 to take 26th-place. Like Burks she found herself right outside of All-Region honors but the effort never faded as she helped provide NAU with valuable team points in an extremely close race. 

Junior Pipi Eitel and senior Shannon Molvin rounded out the scoring for Northern Arizona coming in at 31st- and 47th-place, respectively, to earn 146 team points.

Every member of the women's XC team played an important role in returning the Lumberjacks to the national stage. As the Lumberjacks await the announcement for their ticket to Terre Haute, they have already made huge strides in relation to where the program was at last year. Throughout the 2019 season the 'Jacks would use each other, finding yellow uniforms in races and talking positively to each other during those trials.

"When I came to NAU I told people that there was no reason we could not have a successful men's and women's team," said Smith. "There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes with the athletes, coaches, staff and administration that makes a season like this happen. It did not happen overnight but I promised that would happen and I meant that. Both teams are here to stay."

NCAA Division I National Championships will be held next weekend on Nov. 23 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. The NAU men have punched their ticket and it is high likely the women will as well. This will be the first time the women have reached National Championships since 2008 and the 16th time in team history.

"We will let our athletes enjoy the moment," concluded Smith. "Then we will instantly tell them to forget about this for now when we get back and be ready to get back to work tomorrow morning for NCAA National Championships."