FARMINGTON, Utah (March 12, 2020) – Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mike Smith was voted the Big Sky Men's and Women's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year in an announcement by the league office on Thursday.
Smith earned his fourth consecutive Men's Indoor Coach of the Year honor and second Women's Indoor Coach of the Year award after leading both Lumberjack squads to Big Sky Conference championships two weeks ago.
Smith, who was also named the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Men's Coach of the Year, guided the Lumberjack men to their ninth consecutive Big Sky Indoor Championship with the last four coming under his watch. For the NAU women, it was their third conference indoor title in four years under Smith's leadership.
Between the two programs, the Lumberjacks captured eight event victories at the 2020 Big Sky Indoor Championships. Five of them came on the men's side where the 'Jacks dominated to the tune of 141.5 points, significantly in front of runner-up Idaho State's 89.5 points, on their way to their 23rd all-time indoor title.
Senior
Mikayla Malaspina, the Big Sky Women's Most Valuable Athlete, won two of the women's three gold medals as the Lumberjack women regained their spot atop the conference after a year hiatus. NAU edged Sacramento State with 103 points to the Hornets' 100.5 points in earning its 14th indoor team championship.
Smith also qualified seven men's distance runners for this weekend's NCAA Indoor Championships. Led by junior
Luis Grijalva and senior
Tyler Day's nation-leading times in the 3000m and 5000m and senior
Geordie Beamish – the defending national indoor mile champion in the mile – the seven qualifiers are a new program-best for the NCAA indoor meet.
The Lumberjack men are currently ranked No. 2 in the country and for the first time ever, they earned the USTFCCCA No. 1 ranking in the indoor season – a spot they held for two weeks.
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