NAU Men Top Big Sky Conference Preseason Indoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll; Women Receive Four First-Place Votes

Big Sky Conference Press Release

FARMINGTON, Utah (January 6, 2020) – In the 2020 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Coaches Poll last year's champions, the Northern Arizona men and the Sacramento State women, were picked to finish at the top of the conference again.
 
On the men's side, Northern Arizona is the heavy favorite after receiving nine first-place votes and totaled 119 points.  The Lumberjacks return four Big Sky Conference Champions from last year's team. Headlining the returners for Northern Arizona is senior Geordie Beamish who was a 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Champion in the mile.  He also won the same title at the Big Sky Indoor Championships.

The Lumberjacks will also be returning Luis Grijalva and Blaise Ferro who each won an individual title at last year's indoor championship.  Grijalva was the 5,000-meter champion and Ferro was crowned the 3,000-meter champion. A strong returning group of throwers led by Parker Joens and Kevin Cooney will look to continue to provide valuable points for the 'Jacks in the field events. A youthful freshmen class of sprinters, hurdlers and jumpers will play a key factor in earning NAU points at conference this February in Pocatello.
 
Montana State was voted second in the coaches poll and received one first-place vote and totaled 96 points.  The final first-place vote was given to Weber State who finished tied for fifth in the poll.
 
On the women's side, Sacramento State was picked to repeat after receiving seven first-place votes and a total of 116 points.  The Hornets return four athletes that were instrumental in their success last season.
 
Northern Arizona placed second in the poll with four first-place votes and finished with 108 points. Despite losing key seniors in Maggie Carruth and Jasmine Malone, the Lumberjacks will see the return of a veteran women's distance crew and last year's Female Outdoor Athlete of the Year and Female Freshman of the Year in Matilde Roe. Roe, a thrower from Bergen, Norway, competed in three different events at the 2019 Big Sky Outdoor Championships and finished second-place in all three to score 24 points for the Lumberjacks; she will look to bring the same success to the 2020 indoor campaign.  Roe competed in the shot put (14.69 meters), the discus (48.11 meters), and the javelin (46.65 meters). Senior jumper Helena McLeod, the 2018 indoor women's long jump champion, enters 2020 as arguably one of the best female jumpers in the conference.
 
The remaining projected finish of teams for the men's and women's indoor season is below.
 

Men's Indoor Track & Field
1.	Northern Arizona (9)	119
2.	Montana State (1)	96
3.	Southern Utah	86
4.	Idaho	74
5.	Eastern Washington	72
5.	Weber State (1)	72
7.	Idaho State	69
8.	Montana	47
9.	Sacramento State	45
10.	Northern Colorado	32
11.	Portland State	14

 

Women's Indoor Track & Field
1.	Sacramento State (7)	116
2.	Northern Arizona (4)	108
3.	Montana State	92
4.	Weber State	83
5.	Southern Utah	76
6.	Montana	64
7.	Idaho	51
8.	Idaho State	49
9.	Eastern Washington	46
10.	Northern Colorado	27
11.	Portland State	14