FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 4, 2021) - The Northern Arizona track & field program will return to Myron Partridge Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev. for the second time this season, competing at the UNLV Spring Opener on Saturday.
The field events commence with the women's hammer throw at 9 a.m. MST, while the women's 4x100m will open the running events at 11:30 a.m. MST.
Both Lumberjack squads will face New Mexico, Southern Utah, Utah Valley, and BYU whereas Dixie State, UNLV, and Utah will only be competing on the women's side.
To start the day, there will be a total of seven Lumberjacks competing in the hammer throw, including sophomore women's thrower
Kimberly Buchanan and senior men's thrower Jacob Kaufamn who both placed second overall with a personal best of 54.02m, and a mark of 57.47m respectively at the UNLV Winter Challenge on Feb.13.
The next event will be men's and women's shot put, featuring nine Lumberjack throwers.
The NAU men and women both swept the top-two slots in this event at the UNLV Winter Challenge last month, with sophomore
Jake Arnold (17.04m) and senior
Nicholas Coghill (17.00m) earning first and second place sequentially on the men's side, while the 2019 Big Sky Female Most Valuable Athlete junior
Matilde Roe (13.97m), and freshman
Carly Watts (12.92m) finished first and second respectively.
Also competing for the men is senior
Parker Joens. Joens is currently ranked 34th on the shot put Division I Indoor National Qualifying List after throwing a mark of 18.41m in late February.
The men's and women's long jump, highlighting nine NAU athletes as well, will begin next. Freshmen
Jack Normand and Courtney Wiesenberger headlined this event for the NAU jump squad At the UNLV Winter Challenge a few weeks ago, with Normand placing first (6.73m) and Wiesenberger (5.49m) finishing third overall sequentially.
Following the long jump, freshman
Joelle Santiago will also be making her pole vault season debut this Saturday.
Later, the men's 110-meter hurdlers, and the women's 100-meter hurdlers will take off, with senior
Carter Bracken, sophomore
Karsen Burke, and sophomore
Wil Peralta for the NAU men, while freshmen
Kiana Kai, and Madline Wilson will compete for the Lumberjack women.
Junior
Melanie Loff (56.60), and senior
Ryan Lanley (49.53) will once again be competing in the women's and men's 400-meter race, an event that was swept by both of them at the UNLV Winter Challenge.
Six more NAU sprinters will join Loff and Lanley in the 400-meter.
The men's and women's 100-meter races will begin next and will feature five Lumberjacks who have yet to enter this event in an outdoor season.
The men's and women's discus throw will showcase seven Lumberjack throwers including freshman
CJ McMullen who championed the men's event with a mark of 48.70m at last month's UNLV Winter Challenge.
Loff and Lanley will also be participating in the 800-meter race later in the day.
After the 800-meter run, the men's and women's triple jump will commence.
At the UNLV Winter Challenge a few weeks ago, freshman
Mitchell Effing secured first place (14.28) for the NAU men and junior
Jenna Figueroa set a personal best to place second (11.66m) for the NAU women in the triple jump.
Meanwhile, freshmen
Kiana Kai and
Marissa Milos are entered to compete in the 400-meter hurdles. Kai finished second overall at the UNLV Winter Challenge on Feb. 13.
The Lumberjacks will also be competing in the men's and women's 200-meter.
Junior
David Dunlap (22.10) championed this event at the UNLV Winter Challenge last month for the NAU men while senior women's sprinters
Jada Jackson and
Miracle Onyemaobi tied for second with a time of 25.70.
A total of 48 Lumberjacks are slated to compete this weekend at the UNLV Spring Opener.
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