GREELEY, Colo. (November 2, 2019) - For the 17th time in program history the Northern Arizona University cross country program has swept the Big Sky Conference XC Championships. The conference championship was held at the Boomerang Golf Course in Greeley, Colo., on Saturday morning. The Lumberjack men captured their 29th conference title, while the NAU women earned their 21st.Â
Despite a rough course and temperatures that reached as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit both NAU squads put on a show in the snow to make history yet again. Most racing conditions across the country during conference championship week were not similar to the type of course and environment the 'Jacks had to face on Saturday.
"The true nature of cross country is this kind of racing in brutal conditions" said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Michael Smith. "This is what the purity of the sport is. We take times and throw them out the window and teach our runners to compete with each other and against themselves."
NAU's men's team scored a total of just 24 points, beating out the next closest team Weber State by 16. Four Lumberjack men finished in the top-10, while also taking the No. 1, 2 and 3 spots on the individual leaderboard. This was the fourth straight year that the NAU men would win the Big Sky Conference title.
The women took first with 36 points, putting them 54 points ahead of Idaho. Just like the men the NAU women placed four runners into the top-10, including a second-place finish by senior Mikayla Malaspina.
Northern Arizona entered the meet as the No. 1 ranked team in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Men's National Coaches' Poll.
On the way to victory true freshman Drew Bosley became the 28th Lumberjack male to take home the individual conference championship, making it NAU's fourth-straight. Bosley won the Men's 8K Championship as he crossed the finish line at 26:50.8. He also took home the conference's Male Freshman of the Year award and All-Conference honors.
Bosely, a Wisconsin native, is no stranger to adverse weather and used the snow-covered course to his advantage.
"My race at Nuttycombe was a bit erratic so going into the race I wanted to make sure I was calm and under control during the first 5K," said Bosley. "These conditions are right up my alley. Being able to keep my composure is something that comes really easily on this team. Training and working with these guys every day is where that comes from. It is comforting when we get on the line because I know what we can do together."Â
Bosley would not be the only 'Jack to collect conference recognition in Greeley; a total of four men and four women will also leave the The Centennial State with All-Big Sky XC honors.Â
On the men's side redshirt senior Geordie Beamish was the next NAU runner to finish the 8K race with a time of 26:55.7, earning him second-place overall. This would be Beamish's third time receiving All-Conference honors in XC. Despite falling around the 4K mark and towards the end of the race Beamish powered through to still finish in the top-two.
"Harder conditions are great resilience training," added Smith. " It is an opportunity to practice being in the present moment even if you're frustrated with the conditions. Ultimately I think today will prepare both squads for NCAA's."
Brodey Hasty, another NAU freshman, was the men's third finisher coming in at third-place with a time of 26:56.2. Sophomore Ryan Raff was not far behind Hasty as he came in sixth-place at 27:06.2. In 2018 Raff was on the outside looking in when it came to All-Conference honors; 2019 would see the Utah native push himself into the top-10 as he gaining valuable points for NAU as the fourth finisher.
Jack Shea would round out the scoring for the NAU men as he ran is way to a 12th-place spot on the leaderboard with a time of 27:26.6. Shea's 12 points was the final nail in the coffin that sealed the NAU victory.
The NAU women never play second fiddle to the men and the 2019 Big Sky Championships proved why the Lumberjacks are a complete program on both sides. The 'Jacks were the No. 11 ranked team in the latest USTFCCCA Women's National Coaches' Poll.
Malaspina was in the front of the pack for the majority of the race. She would push through the last 600m to ensure that she took home second-place and ended up as the 'Jacks first finisher. Malaspina was redshirted last season and has had quite the journey back to the top of the NAU lineup.
"Knowing that I had a really good summer in training really helped me push myself throughout the season," said Malaspina. "With this being my last year I knew that I could help make a big impact, especially with the way my teammates raced here in 2018. Having my teammates out there helped a lot."
Junior Pipi Eitel (18:21.3) and sophomore Taryn O'Neill (18:21.9) earned the five and six spots, respectively, securing crucial points for the 'Jacks. Senior Miranda Myers would complete the 5K race in 18:36.4 to earn ninth-place and join Malaspina, Eitel and O'Neill on the podium with All-Conference honors.
Northern Arizona's final women's scorer would be sophomore Bryn Morley. Morley's time of 18:57.1 in the Women's 5K earned her 14th-place. Like Shea, the moment Morely crossed the finish line it was guaranteed that another conference title would be traveling back to Flagstaff with the 'Jacks.
"We look at racing as being a combination of physical and mental capabilities that have to expand together through training," said Smith. "In the past we have had women's teams that were physically able to compete at this level. However, at times there was a lack of belief; as much of the work that we put into the physical preparation, we have to show them its possible to race like this. We break it down and put them into a very competitive environment and then we give them really precise race plans to show them that it is possible. We move it from more than just words or dreams into actual potential."
Like any other NAU victory the memories will live forever but the celebration will be short lived. The 'Jacks will be right back on the course in just under two weeks in Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2019 NCAA Regionals on Nov. 15.
"The goal was to leave Greeley healthy," concluded Smith. "The ground was pretty hard today and that will take a toll on their bodies. As we prepare for NCAA Regionals we want to recover and show up ready to compete."
2019 Big Sky Cross Country Men's Team Results
1. Northern Arizona – 24
2. Weber State – 40
3. Montana State - 74Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
4. Southern Utah – 102
5. Northern Colorado – 148
6. Idaho – 149
7. Portland State – 223
8. Idaho State - 254
9. Eastern Washington – 258
10. Sacramento State – 284
11. Montana – 294
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2019 Big Sky Cross Country Men's Top 10 Individual Results
1. Drew Bosley, Fr., Northern Arizona – 26:50.8
2. Geordie Beamish, Sr., Northern Arizona – 26:55.7
3. Brodey Hasty, Fr., Northern Arizona – 26:56.2
4. Taylor Dillon, So., Weber State – 26:58.0
5. Jordan Cross, Weber State – 27:04.8
6. Ryan Raff, So., Northern Arizona – 27:06.2
7. Christian Allen, So., Weber State – 27:09.6
8. Collin Buck, Jr., Montana State – 27:10.8
9. Ty Mogan, Sr., Montana State – 27:14.7
10. Duncan Hamilton, So., Montana State – 27:16.9
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2019 Big Sky Cross Country Women's Team Results
1. Northern Arizona – 36
2. Idaho – 90
3. Southern Utah -Â 93
4. Weber State – 94
5. Montana State – 116
6. Montana – 137
7. Idaho State – 191
8. Portland State – 201
9. Sacramento State – 211
10. Eastern Washington – 312
11. Northern Colorado – 315
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2019 Big Sky Cross Country Women's Top 10 Individual Results
1. Camila Noe, Fr., Montana State – 17:41.3
2. Mikayla Malaspina, Sr., Northern Arizona – 18:15.3
3. Alison Pray, Jr., Southern Utah – 18:15.3
4. Lexie Thompson, Sr., Weber State – 18:19.8
5. Pipi Eitel, Jr., Northern Arizona – 18:21.3
6. Taryn O'Neill, So., Northern Arizona – 18:21.9
7. Abby Lawrence, Jr., Weber State – 18:22.2
8. June Eastwood, Sr., Montana – 18:25.7
9. Miranda Myers, Sr., Northern Arizona – 18:36.4
10. Beatrix Frissell, Fr., Montana – 18:39.7
