FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (January 22, 2020) – The Northern Arizona University track & field will get its unique 2021 season underway this Saturday as it heads down the mountain for a meet in Phoenix with the Grand Canyon Lopes.
While the meet will be outdoors, only indoor events will be held on Saturday including the 60-meter, 60m hurdles and other sprint events through the 5000m. Shot put, pole vault and high jump will begin on the field at 11 a.m., with track events kicking off at 12 p.m. with the 60m hurdles.
More than 30 NAU athletes will compete in the season opener, including nearly 20 qualifiers from the 2020 Big Sky Conference Indoor Championships. For many members of the Lumberjack program, it has been nearly a year since competing against another program. With the indoor season halted at the NCAA championships and the outdoor season canceled, the Big Sky Championships at the end of February is the program's most recent meet.
For the men, sprinters
Carter Bracken,
Karsen Burke and
Wil Peralta, throwers
Parker Joens and
Jacob Kaufman, and jumper
Jack Normand will begin their 2021 seasons after reaching conference a year ago.
Bracken recorded a sixth-place finish in the 60m hurdles while also running a leg on the sixth-place 4x400m relay team. Burke and Peralte also competed in the 60m hurdles at Big Sky. Joens earned a bronze medal in the shot put a year ago, while Kaufman scored in weight throw with a fifth-place finish. Normand recorded a sixth-place finish in high jump and a ninth-place result in triple jump.
On the women's side, multiple Big Sky medalists will compete in Phoenix.
Jada Jackson, a second-place finisher in the 60m, will begin her season after also qualifying for the 200m and running a leg of the 4x400m at conference last season. The third-place finisher in the conference's 400m,
Miracle Onyemaobi returns to the track after also taking fourth in the 200m and joining Jackson on the 4x400m team.
Another member of the program's 4x400m last year,
Melanie Loff took second in the 800m and earned a gold as a member of the program's distance medley team a year ago.
Chloe Barylski also earned gold with the distance medley team in addition to her run in the 60m, while
Madeline Wilson rounded out the 4x400m team while competing in high jump and finishing seventh in the pentathlon.
Other Big Sky qualifiers set to compete Saturday include sprinters
Kenya Coburn and
Marissa Milos, throwers
Alaina Diggs and
Carly Watts, and jumpers
Jenna Figueroa,
Kenashalee Kerr and
Courtney Weisenberger.
You can stay up to date with the team on Saturday by following live results
here and stay up to date with by following NAU Cross Country and Track & Field on
Twitter and
Instagram.
