Big Sky Outdoor Championships: Day One Recap

BIG SKY PRESS RELEASE
LIVE RESULTS
 
MISSOULA, Mont. (May 10, 2019) - The Northern Arizona University track & field program participated in the 2019 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships at Dornblaser Field at the University of Montana in Missoula.

After sweeping the outdoor championships last season NAU's team arrived to Missoula with high expectations and are on the hunt to do the same this year. Seemingly walking in with a target on their backs the Lumberjacks were able to make their presence felt across all disciplines. The 'Jacks ended the day with a total of six individual medals ( 0 Gold, 3 Silver, 3 Bronze) and have a chance to add a few more tomorrow after multiple athletes qualified for the finals in their events.
 
The men ended the day in first-place after scoring 50 points. On the women's end of things NAU is in a tie with Idaho for fifth-place on the team leaderboard heading into the final day of competition with a total of 27 team points.
 
With only seven events scored across 21 events, the women's team is still very much in the hunt for the championship heading into Saturday.
 
"I am very excited about the way we competed today; the energy that we look for within our group was apparent," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Michael Smith. "This was a fantastic day one for us. We have had some athletes step up in a big way and tomorrow is going to be awesome."
 
DISTANCE
 
In the Women's 1500m Run qualifying round Northern Arizona put all five of their student-athletes into the Finals tomorrow. Maggie Carruth, Hannah Behunin, Emma Sjolund, Pipi Eitel and Delaney Rasmussen will each have to opportunity to secure crucial points for NAU in a race that will be fielded with almost half of the runners being Lumberjacks.
 
Mikayla Malaspina and Jenna McCaffrey earned a total of nine points for the women's total team score in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase Finals. Malaspina's time of 10:46.76 was just under ten full seconds from her previous PR of 10:56.72 earned at this year's Sun Angel Classic.
 
Carruth had the top qualifying time in the Women's 800m Run off of a 2:11.04 performance, putting her in tomorrow's finals.
 
The Women's 10,000m Run would end with Miranda Myers in sixth-place, good to earn NAU three more team points. Myers will also be running in the Women's 5000m Run tomorrow.
 
The NAU men were also able to achieve the feat of placing all of their attached runners into the 1500m Finals tomorrow. Seven athletes comprised of Luis Grijalva, Geordie Beamish, Theo Quax, Brodey Hasty, Tyler Day, Cade Burks and Blaise Ferro will make up more than half of the runners for that event.

Quax is also going to get the chance for some major championship experience after the true freshman placed fifth in the 800m Run. The initial qualifying race on Friday was his first time racing in the Men's 800m Run at the collegiate level for Quax.
 
Senior Kyle Havriliak and junior Jimmy Fitzgerald had some of the best efforts from the entire day as the duo took second and third-place in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Finals. Havriliak's time of 9:12.35 earned him the silver medal, and despite a slight fall over one of the steeples Fitzgerald was able to strive and fight back to not only earn the bronze put also six team points. With Havriliak's score of eight NAU earned a total of 14 points off of that one event.
 
Another 15 points were added to NAU's score after the Men's 10,000m Run. The 'Jacks were two points behind Montana before Harvey Nelson came in second to earn eight points. with Ryan Raff taking third bringing the total up to 49. In a meet where every single point matters Aldo Marquez was able to come in eighth-place in that event to put the team total to 50 at the end of the day.
 
JUMPS
 
Obang Odol scored some early points for the 'Jacks in the Men's High Jump. The senior was able to clear a height of 2.01m on his third attempt to place fourth in that event. His performance earned NAU five points.
 
Cameron Rayford placed seventh in the Men's Long Jump off of a leap of 7.20m, adding two more points to the Lumberjack total.
 
THROWS
 
Matilde Roe was able to turn some heads in the Treasure State as she was a surprise second-place finisher in the Women's Shot Put. The eight points that she was able to earn off of her 14.69m throw were the first of the day to put the NAU women on the team scoreboard. Roe also placed second in the Women's Javelin with a mark of 46.65m. Roe was less than half a meter (46.65m) from beating first-place finisher Madison Depker of Eastern Washington.
 
Roe has quickly established herself as one of the best throwers in the Big Sky Conference and Friday was a clear sign of the progress that she has seen over the indoor and outdoor seasons.
 
The Men's Hammer Throw saw sophomore Jacob Kaufman hit a mark of 58.76m to earn the bronze medal while also adding six points to the NAU score. Kevin Cooney hit a mark of 57.06m, putting him at seventh-place which would earn the 'Jacks two additional team points.
 
Parker Joens earned big points for NAU in the Men's Discus after also taking home a bronze medal off of a 53.79 throw, which would also set a new lifetime best for the sophomore.
 
SPRINTS/HURDLES
 
Khalil Dorsey will be racing in the Men's 110m Hurdles Finals and 100m Dash Finals tomorrow after qualifying during day one. He qualified with times of 14.44 and 10.56 respectively. Carter Bracken, who has set a new PR nearly every time he has competed this year, will be seeing one more round of the Men's 400m Hurdles after qualifying on Friday.
 
Junior Tyren Wolfe earned spots in the finals in both the Men's 200m and 400m Dashes.
 
Jasmine Malone is slated to be one of NAU's biggest contributors on the women's side and she did not disappoint the Lumberjack faithful. She was a top-three qualifying finisher in each event she competed in. Malone had the best preliminary time in the Women's 400m Dash at 54.47. The senior will also be participating in the Women's 100m Dash Finals tomorrow.
 
The Women's 200m Dash Finals has another NAU sprinter joining Malone in Helena McLeod, after the junior was able to qualify on a time of 24.53.
 
Malone will also be a major factor in the 'Jacks relay races on Saturday. With the final day opening up with the 4x100 Relays NAU fans will not have to wait long to see her back in action. 
 
Miracle Onyemaobi also qualified for the Women's 400m Dash along with Malone as well, giving NAU another chance to earn multiple points in one event.
 
If Friday's performances are any sign of what is to come NAU could have a huge day tomorrow with the results affecting not only the conference title, but regional and national marks too. The Lumberjacks will return for the final day of the 2019 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championships tomorrow starting at 9 A.M. (MST) with the Women's Hammer Throw.
 
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