SPOKANE, Wash. (July 23, 2022) – Originally scheduled to take place 28 months ago before the COVID-19 pandemic prematurely put a halt to the Big Sky Conference basketball tournaments in Boise, Idaho, the Big Sky Conference officially honored the 14 members of its inaugural Hall of Fame class Saturday night as part of the Big Sky Football Kickoff.
Fittingly, Northern Arizona's trio of inductees into the first Big Sky Conference Hall of Fame class come from the cross country and track and field programs. Angela Chalmers, Lopez Lomong and Ron Mann, whose careers in Flagstaff span 1980 to 2007 and included countless Big Sky Conference titles, multiple NCAA Championships, and eventually Olympic appearances.
One of those Olympic Games even tied together Lomong and Mann, with both representing the United States in Beijing in 2008 and now officially entered the Big Sky Hall of Fame on the same night after originally being announced as members of the class in December 2019.
"It's a great honor for both of us, with our love for Northern Arizona No. 1 and then we were on the Olympic Team together in 2008," Mann said. "To have the opportunity to be on the Olympic floor for opening ceremonies with the flag bearer, it doesn't get any better than that. And both of us from Northern Arizona University, who would have thought it."
Mann's coaching career at Northern Arizona began in 1980 until 2004 and followed his own running career for the Lumberjacks that included the Big Sky Conference title in 1971.
"It's a fantastic day to be a Lumberjack because this is a great coach who had a vision of this sport and where NAU needed to be on the world stage," Lomong said. "And we literally put NAU on the map. It's a great celebration, it brought it full circle, and this is exactly where it all began, because of him."
One of Mann's first athletes, Angela Chalmers, rounded out the trio with Mann sharing stories of the two-time Olympian's time with the Lumberjacks. The Big Sky's first NCAA National Champion in cross country, Chalmers was truly one of the first premier runners at Northern Arizona with a career that included a bronze medal in the 3,000-meter run at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.
The timing of the inductions for Northern Arizona coincides with the Northern Arizona track and field program continuing its presence on the national and international stage. Sunday night,
Abdihamid Nur and
Luis Grijalva will both run the 5,000-meter run at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore.
"It's amazing to see the performances, but what is so outstanding to me is the people that are behind those two individuals that are representing Northern Arizona right now," Mann said. "They represent all of us. All the way back through history to the beginning of Northern Arizona cross country and track and field, so what an honor it is to bring into fruition what we all dreamed of."
Nur and Grijalva will run the 5K finals at 6:05 p.m.MST/9:05 p.m. EDT on Sunday as the most recent runners to reach an elite performance level with Lopez a crucial example of proving the level of success was possible.
"For all those guys putting their feet in that water, to feel the hard work they have done, look back and say they didn't get there by themselves, they got there because of the community and people around NAU," Lopez said. "We have these two athletes who are competing at the highest level possible, it's growing."
Angela Chalmers – Northern Arizona, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field, 1982-87
Chalmers became the Big Sky's first NCAA National Champion in cross country in 1986 and was a six-time All-American. She also placed eighth at the 1985 NCAA Cross Country Championships. Chalmers finished second at the 1984 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championship in the 1500 meter and third in the mile at the 1983 NCAA Indoors. At the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championship meets, she placed fifth in the 1,550 meters in 1984, second in the 3,000 meters in 1985, and was third in the 1,500 meters and fifth in the 3,000 meters during the 1987 season. Chalmers was a 1988 and 1992 Olympian and captured the bronze medal in the 3,000 meters at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. She capped her career as NAU's indoor record holder in the 1,500-meter run. She also holds three outdoor records at NAU in the 800 meters, 1,5000 meters and 3,000 meters.
Lopez Lomong – Northern Arizona, Men's Cross Country/Track & Field, 2005-07
Lomong, a two-time Olympian, served as the U.S. delegation Opening Ceremony flag bearer at the 2008 Olympic Games. The 2012 Visa Humanitarian of the Year is one of the most decorated cross country and track & field athletes to compete in the Big Sky as he has set American records and won numerous USATF Championships. The 2007 NCAA Indoor 3,000m Champion and 2007 NCAA Outdoor 1,500m Champion was named the NCAA Mountain Region Individual Champion and Mountain Region Male Track Athlete of the Year. Lomong recorded top-four finishes at the 2006 and 2007 NCAA XC Championships. He is a two-time Big Sky XC Individual and Team Champion, and 12-time Big Sky Athlete of the Week. He's one of four Big Sky triple champions - 2007 Big Sky Indoor 800m, mile and 3,000m. The two-time Big Sky Indoor Athlete of the Meet won the 800m and mile in 2006. In 2007, Lomong was named the Big Sky Outdoor Outstanding Athlete of the Meet. He won the 800m, 1,500m and 5,000m. In 2006 he won the Big Sky Outdoor 800m and 1,500m races. He is the Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field all-time record holder in the 800m and 1,500m.
Ron Mann – Northern Arizona, Cross Country/Track & Field Coach, 1980-04
Mann was the NAU Director of Cross Country & Track & Field from 1980-2004, when he led the Lumberjacks men's and women's cross country and track & field programs. He coached the 1991 women's cross country team to a third-place finish in the NCAA Championships, the highest national finish by any women's cross country program in Big Sky history. Mann's teams made history in 1998, as NAU became the first school in conference history to win all four cross country conference titles (men, women, team, and individual) in the same year. He produced at least one Olympian in every summer Games from 1984 thru 2004. Mann coached a total of 103 student-athletes who earned All-America honors and 16 that finished among the top 10 at the NCAA National Championships. Mann had athletes compete at 115 NCAA cross country and track and field championship meets. Mann was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2018. Overall, Mann earned 56 Big Sky Coach of the Year awards, 58 Big Sky Team Championships across men's and women's cross country, indoor and outdoor track & field.
