Lumberjacks Sweep Big Sky Conference Titles in Pocatello

Men's Results
Women's Results

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Nov. 1, 2024) – Champions, times two. 
 
The Northern Arizona cross country teams will be bringing some hardware back with them to Flagstaff, as both programs defended its Big Sky Conference titles today in Pocatello, Idaho, at the conference championships. Additionally, the Lumberjacks also won the individual titles with David Mullarkey winning the men's championship and Ali Upshaw bringing it home for the women.
 
For the second-straight season, the Lumberjack women set a Big Sky championship record by finishing first with a perfect 15 points to claim their sixth-straight championship. The NAU men claimed their fourth-straight title with 25 points.
 
It's the fourth-straight year both programs have won, as the men claimed its 33^rd team title and their 16^th in the last 20 seasons. The women won their 26^th team title and the eighth in the last nine seasons.
 
"Today feels great. Always executing at these championships is a huge hallmark of our program and I'm very proud of our men and women today," said head coach Michael Smith, who coached in his final Big Sky cross country championships after announcing in August that he will retire in June of 2025. "I give it to our athletes. When you're having success, it's easy to not be ambitious or as committed and think it will come easy to you, but that's not the case for our athletes. We recruit the very best and they come to NAU and want to be part of great teams, and this is a testament to our kids."
 
Mullarkey, a transfer from Florida State who has led NAU in all five races this season, took early command of the men's race and never looked back. He clocked a time of 23:06.6 on the men's 8k course and was followed by teammate Colin Sahlman who notched a second-place finish in 23:14.2.
 
The Leeds, England, native is the ninth-straight individual champion for the Lumberjacks and the 33^rd overall, as NAU has earned and individual title in 19 out of the past 20 seasons.
 
Northern Arizona placed six runners in the top ten, all earning All-Conference honors. After Mullarkey and Sahlman, Santiago Prosser finished fifth in 23:29.6. The Lumberjacks then owned spots eight through 10 led by Ford Washburn (8^th, 23:43.5), Manny Perez (9^th, 23:48.4), Justin Keyes (10^th, 23:50.2).
 
Zack Munson (23:56.4) and Kang Nyoak (24:13.3) finished in 12^th and 13^th, respectively, to help NAU place all eight competitors in the top 13.
 
Similar to the men, Upshaw went out hot and commanded the lead for almost the entirety of the race. The senior, a New Mexico transfer in her second season with NAU, crossed the line in the women's 5k race in 16:10.4.
 
Upshaw is the fifth-straight individual champion for NAU and the third different Lumberjack to claim the title in the past five years, earning Northern Arizona its 21^st individual title.
 
Elise Stearns, the two-time defending Big Sky Champion having won in 2022 and 2023, finished second behind Upshaw in 16:27.4 in her first race of the season.
 
NAU occupied the top six spots and placed all eight runners in the top 10. Anna Fenske finished third in 16:46.1 right alongside Ava Mitchell who was fourth in 16:46.3. Alex Kebbe was the team's final scorer, placing fifth with a time of 16:53.2.
 
Rounding out the top ten were Emma Stutzman who clocked a time of 16:59.0 to finish sixth, Keira Moore who finished eighth with a time of 17:01.0 and Hayley Burns who was ninth in 17:01.0.
 
"It's pretty rare in cross country, any time you get a perfect score like that in cross country, it's not common in what we do," said Smith on his team's perfect score for the second-straight year. "It just means that our athletes are holding themselves accountable inside the race and obviously want to be pushed by their competitors, but are pushing themselves if that's necessary."
 
Montana State finished runners up in both the men's (49 points) and women's (54 points) race, followed by Weber State, Eastern Washington and Idaho State who finished third through fifth on both sides as well.
 
The 2024 cross country season is anything but over. Northern Arizona will now turn its attention to NCAA Mountain Regionals which take place in Reno, Nevada, on Nov. 15.