MISSOULA, Mont. (Oct. 27, 2023) – The Northern Arizona University cross country teams successfully defended their Big Sky Conference Champion titles, sweeping the conference championships for the 20
th time in school history.
The women dominated the field, sweeping the top seven places en route to earning the lowest point total in women's conference championship history and their fifth straight team title. They scored a total of 15 points, led by
Elise Stearns who won the individual title for the second consecutive year with a time of 16:21.10.
Annika Reiss placed second with a time of 16:44.30, with
Aliandrea Upshaw finishing third with a time of 16:46.20.
Gracelyn Larking and
Maisie Grice were the final Lumberjack scorers, placing fourth and fifth respectively with times of 16:47.60 and 16:51.00. All five NAU scorers earned All-Conference honors.
Also running but not scoring were
Ruby Smee,
Nikita Moore, and
Meagan Van Pelt. Smee placed sixth with a time of 16:53.30, while Moore finished seventh with a time of 17:08.40 and Van Pelt finished 11
th with a time of 17:33.80. Smee and Moore both earned All-Conference honors following their impressive performances.
The men earned their third straight team title, scoring 20 points as they placed all their scorers in the top eight.
Nico Young claimed his second consecutive individual title, finishing first with a time of 22:49.80.
Aaron Las Heras had an outstanding Big Sky Championships debut, finishing second with a time of 23:10.70.
Kang Nyoak and
Corey Gorgas were the next Lumberjack pair to finish. Placing fourth and fifth respectively. Nyoak ran a time of 23:37.70 while Gorgas ran a time of 23:38.90. The final NAU scorer was
Theo Quax, who placed eighth with a time of 24:02.90. All five scorers earned All-Conference honors.
Also competing but not scoring were
Cael Grotenhuis,
John Scherer, and
Colin Sahlman. Grotenhuis placed ninth with a time of 24:07.00, Scherer finished 10
th with a time of 24:07.60, and Sahlman placed 11
th with a time of 24:16.70. Grotenhuis and Scherer earned All-Conference honors for their efforts.
This is the third straight year that the Lumberjacks have swept the Big Sky Conference Championships, claiming both the team and individual titles. The men's team win was their 32
nd total conference title, while the women won their 25
th total championship.
The 'Jacks will have a week off before continuing their postseason at the NCAA Mountain Regional in Lubbock, Texas on November 10. Stay up to date with NAU Cross Country and Track & Field by following us on Twitter and Instagram.
