RESULTS
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (November 23, 2019) - Northern Arizona's cross country program participated in the 2019 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships this past weekend at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind.
The Lumberjack men made podium for the fourth-straight season as they took second-place in the most talented field in all of collegiate cross country. Northern Arizona scored 163 team points, with Brigham Young University as the only team with a lower score than the 'Jacks at 109. NAU's women's team placed 14th in the squads first Nationals appearance since 2008.
Course conditions were wet and muddy as the temperature dropped to as low as 37 degrees. The downpour of rain was continuous throughout the Men's 10K and Women's 6K Championship Races.
Three NAU men's runners pushed through the muck and water to earn All-American honors after placing in the top-40. The Lumberjacks lineup was as youthful as ever as they raced four listed freshmen in the men's race.
Ever since winning the first NCAA Division I national championship in school history back in 2016 the Lumberjack men have had a target painted on their backs and Saturday morning saw NAU lined up against the nations best in a barn burner race in the grittiest of conditions.
NAU entered the weekend with the longest consecutive streak in the modern-era as the No. 1 ranked team in any U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll at 29 weeks. The Lumberjacks' run began in Week 3 of the 2016 season and has continued throughout each of the past three campaigns.
No. 2 Colorado and No. 3 BYU were considered to be the biggest threats to NAU's dynasty. The pair brought out the best in the 'Jacks at NCAA Mountain Regionals just a week prior. The BYU men led by 57 points at the 3K mark, 36 points at 5K, 46 points at 8K and 54 points by the end of the competition. NAU and Colorado battled throughout the race for runner-up honors. The 'Jacks topped the Buffaloes by just one point to take home silver, with Colorado scoring just 164 points.
"Our men's team had a rough race today," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Michael Smith. "A tough race for this group resulting in a second-place finish in this field says a lot about them. Our guys may feel like they have let people down but it is important to understand that this is part of their journey. We look forward to using today to write the next chapter of where this team goes from here. We have to equally accept our defeats in the same way we accept our victories."
True freshman Drew Bosley led the way for the 'Jacks just as he did at Big Sky Conference Championships earlier this month. The Wisconsin native took 22nd-place with a time of 31:10.8
"My teammates, family and coaches were what I thought of as I ran today," said Bosley. "The reason this team is so special is that the outcome will not change how we treat each other."
The next Lumberjack finisher would come in the form of another freshman, Abdihamid Nur, who came in at 31:14.0 to place 33rd. Nur has established himself as one of the top young runners in the country and Saturday would be no different.
"This year was truly an experience and I am grateful to be a part of the NAU XC family," said Nur. "Today was another learning experience and we'll use this to get even better."
Senior Geordie Beamish earned All-American status for the third time in XC as he closed out a storied collegiate career on Saturday. His time of 31:18.3 put him in 37th-place and was a key factor in securing a spot on the podium for the 'Jacks.
Redshirt freshman Brodey Hasty was NAU's fourth runner to cross the line at 31:28.7 earning him 46th-place. Junior Luis Grijalva was the 'Jacks final runner to score points in 52nd-place at 31:31.5. Grijalva's place ensured that NAU would beat out Colorado and take second-place.
"We raced tough in the second half of the race," said Smith. "In these conditions, it is really hard to get back into position. Even through the first kilometer we were in a tough spot. However, we had some young athletes step up in a big way. We're young and we have a lot ahead of us."
The Lumberjack women raced in a way during the entire season that set them apart from the pack. For the first time in over a decade the NAU women's XC squad joined the men in Terre Haute for a race that was just as exhilarating as the Men's 10K.
At the John McNichols Invitational earlier this fall the 'Jacks took fifth, placing four runners into the top-30 at that meet. NAU's second trip to the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course on Saturday saw NAU take 14th-place in the Women's 6K Championship Race.
The Northern Arizona women did what they have done throughout the 2019 campaign and toed the line against the best female distance runners in the country and did not bat an eye. Calm and composed was the tone as the 'Jacks held their own in an environment the program had not seen since 2008.
"Our women's team raced the way they have all season," said Smith. "14th-place was an exceptional day. I'm happy with the way our team stuck with it. Today is a day to celebrate them. They have come so far."
All year the Lumberjack women not only felt but proved that they belonged among the nations best and are here to stay. Senior Mikayla Malaspina was the first runner to cross the finish line for the 'Jacks with a time of 20:52.9 earning her 42nd-place, just barely missing All-American status by two seconds. What may have been most impressive about Malaspina's performance was that she moved up ten spots during the last stretch of the race, securing crucial points to put NAU in the top-15.
"Nationals was such a great experience," said Malaspina. "I knew it would be my last time racing for NAU and we each worked so hard to get to this point. We were out there competing and having fun. I knew we were all trying our best. I think the women's program has great things coming in the future. So many of our girls are ready and hungry to race. We have been getting the right recruits and this is just the start of our success."
"I am incredibly happy for Mikayla," added Smith. "To be only a second or two away from being an All-American is huge."
Fellow senior Miranda Myers was the second women's runner to finish the race for NAU as she ran for a time of 21:18.3 to place 108th.
"We know how to have balance now," added Myers. "We know how to put in hard work and be serious, but we also know when to be loose and have fun. We have a young team, full of girls who are committed that I think will take program far in the future."
Sophomore Taryn O'Neill was the third 'Jack to come in at 21:24.8 to earn 123rd-place. Junior Pipi Eitel and sophomore Bryn Morley closed out the scoring for the 'Jacks finishing back-to-back in 132nd- and 133rd-place, respectively. The two were separated by two milliseconds as Eitel crossed the line at 21:28.5, with Morley coming in at 21:28.7.
The laborious task of taking on an entire NCAA Division I XC campaign cannot be overlooked for both the men's and women's squads. The 2019 season stood on its own as a return to prominence for the women's crew and a continuation of success for the men.
Perhaps that is what has made these teams so different from the rest. The culture Smith and company have built is one of gratitude, hard work and accountability. It is not just the work of one runner, coach or supporter that has made NAU XC what it is today. It is the culmination of multiple people believing in a goal and putting the work and effort in to achieve it.
Come Monday, it will be back to business as usual as the Lumberjacks will set their eyes on the horizon and what is next. One thing can be made certain as the 'Jacks depart Terre Haute: the journey is not over and it will continue so long as there are trails to be ran in Flagstaff.
