FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 30, 2020) – The 2020 Northern Arizona men's indoor track & field season can be defined by the number one – achieving the first No. 1 national ranking in program history, earning the first National Athlete of the Year and Coach of the Year awards in program history and of course, rising to the top of the Big Sky Conference yet again.
Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mike Smith, who swept the Men's Coach of the Year awards for the Big Sky, Mountain Region and NCAA, guided the Lumberjack men to their 23rd all-time and ninth straight conference indoor championship in Pocatello, Idaho on Feb. 29. Behind five event wins, including individual victories by
Abdihamid Nur (3000, 5000m),
Luis Grijalva (mile) and
William Beaudry (weight throw), the 'Jacks posted a winning total of 141.5 points, significantly in front of runner-up Idaho State's 89.5 points.
The Lumberjacks scored points across the board in the sprints and hurdles, throws, jumps, mid-distance and distance in their convincing championship effort. At the end of the season, NAU qualified seven runners for the NCAA Indoor Championships before the event's cancellation.
Tyler Day, the National Men's Track Athlete of the Year,
Luis Grijalva and
Geordie Beamish were all double qualifiers to lead the school record contingent.
NAU held the No. 1 ranking in the country for two weeks and was slated to enter the national championships at No. 2. Grijalva (3000m) and Day (5000m) were ranked first in the country in their respective events.
The 2020 NAU men's indoor track & field team is the eighth and final feature in NAU Athletics' month-long Celebration of Champions. Be sure to follow the celebration on
www.nauathletics.com and NAU Athletics on
Facebook,
Twitter and
Instagram.
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"The 2020 Men's Indoor season put our program amongst the names of the best teams in the nation with some performances that were not just historical in our program, but in the NCAA. I would give anything for our athletes to have the opportunity to finish their season at the NCAA Championships, but if that was not to be their last performance at the Big Sky Championships is a fitting way to remember this group. They dominated by competing for each other. This is a team that showed the nation what's possible at Northern Arizona University." – Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Mike Smith
2020 NAU MEN'S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD BY THE NUMBERS
