BOZEMAN, Mont. (May 11, 2024) – The NAU women's track & field team won their fourth-straight Big Sky Conference Outdoor Championship title while the men placed second.
The women scored a total of 240.5 points, the third-highest point total in conference championships history.
Madeline Wilson was named Women's Most Valuable Athlete, while
Annika Reiss was named Women's Most Outstanding Performer.
Madeline Wilson was a double event winner, taking gold in both the 100-meter and 200-meter. Wilson ran a time of 11.70 in the 100-meter and 23.00 in the 200-meter.
Kyairra Reigh also competed in the 200-meter, running a personal best time of 23.63 to place second and score eight points.
Annika Reiss took the event win in the 1,500-meter after running a time of 4:17.71 to earn 10 points.
Maggi Congdon and
Nikita Moore placed third and fourth, respectively, with times of 4:21.93 and 4:22.78 to score six and five points.
Gracelyn Larkin placed fifth with a time of 4:23.84 to add four points to the team total, while
Keira Moore placed sixth with a time of 4:24.01 to earn three points.
Bryn Morley and
Karrie Baloga also scored in the 1,500-meter, with Morley placing seventh with a time of 4:25.21 to score two points and Baloga placing eighth with a time of 4:25.86 to add one point.
Ava Mitchell finished ninth in the event after running a personal best time of 4:29.16.
Congdon won gold in the 800-meter after running a time of 2:06.38 to earn 10 points.
Annika Reiss placed third in the event with a time of 2:07.50 to score six points.
Nikita Moore and
Keira Moore finished fourth and fifth respectively, running times of 2:09.20 and 2:10.52 to score five points and four points.
Odessa Zentz placed seventh in the event with a time of 2:13.24 to earn two points.
Kyairra Reigh took the event win in the 400-meter with a school and conference record time of 52.19 to score 10 points.
Piper Pfister took gold in the javelin with a personal best mark of 46.04 meters to earn 10 points for NAU. Pfister's mark was the fifth best in NAU history.
Emilia Betlej scored one point after finishing eighth with a mark of 38.20 meters.
The women's 4x100-meter relay ran the second-fastest time in school history as they finished first to earn 10 points.
Kyairra Reigh,
Madeline Wilson,
Kenashalee Kerr, and
LiNay Perry combined to run a time of 44.44.
Kenashalee Kerr placed first in the triple jump with a personal best mark of 12.99 to add 10 points to NAU's lead. Kerr's mark is third on NAU's all-time performance list in the event.
Brenna Rodriguez finished seventh in the event with a mark of 12.13 meters to earn two points.
LiNay Perry earned the Big Sky individual title in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 58.08 to score 10 points.
Gracelyn Larkin won the event title in the 5,000-meter after running a time of 16:32.59 to earn 10 points. Aliandrea Upshaw placed second with a time of 16:44.77 to score eight points, while
Bryn Morley placed third with a time of 16:52.79 to earn six points.
Ruby Smee finished fourth with a time of 17:08.79 to earn five points, with
Anna Fenske close behind in fifth with a time of 17:13.41 to add four points.
Ava Mitchell earned three points after placing sixth with a time of 17:15.97.
Meagan Van Pelt also competed, placing 11
th with a time of 18:06.04.
The NAU women's 4x400-meter relay set a new school and conference record as they took the gold.
Madeline Wilson,
LiNay Perry,
Maggi Congdon, and
Kyairra Reigh combined to run a time of 3:34.54.
Sariyah Horne-Kemp placed second in the discus with a throw of 47.47 meters to score eight points for the 'Jacks.
The NAU men scored 185 points to place second, falling by only one point to Montana State.
Garret Bernt took the event win in the hammer throw with a mark of 62.09 meters to score 10 points.
Parker Bays threw a personal best 62.03 meters to place second in the event and score eight points. Bays' mark is 10
th on NAU's all-time performance list.
Cole White also competed in the event, placing 13
th with a mark of 52.13 meters.
Mitchell Effing took gold in the triple jump with a personal best mark of 15.80 meters to earn 10 points. Effing's mark puts him third on NAU's all-time performance list.
Sirr Butler placed sixth in the event with a mark of 14.83 meters to score three points.
Christian Mutengela also competed in the event, placing 13
th with a mark of 12.70 meters.
The NAU men's 4x100-meter relay took gold, with
Mitchell Effing,
Kyle Smith,
MarcAnthony Sanchez, and
Khamis Hassan combining to run a time of 39.86. The relay scored 10 points, and tied the second-fastest time in school history.
Colin Sahlman took the event win in the 1,500-meter after running a time of 3:47.28 to score 10 points.
Nico Young placed second with a time of 3:47.59 to earn eight points.
Kang Nyoak placed fifth with a time of 3:50.50, scoring four points.
Caleb Easton scored one point after finishing eighth with a time of 3:52.39.
Brodey Hasty and
Aaron Las Heras placed ninth and 10
th, respectively, with times of 3:53.47 and 3:54.30.
Sahlman also won the 800-meter, running a time of 1:48.80 to score 10 points. Young placed third with a time of 1:49.68 to score six points.
Young took gold in the 5,000-meter after running a time of 14:02.70 to score 10 points for the Lumberjacks.
Cael Grotenhuis placed fourth with a time of 14:09.74 to add five points.
Kang Nyoak finished fifth with a time of 14:18.94 to score four points.
Brodey Hasty and
Aaron Las Heras placed sixth and seventh, with Hasty running a time of 14:19.73 to score three points and Las Heras running a time of 14:20.72 to score two points.
Ford Washburn also competed in the event, placing 14
th with a time of 15:05.44.
Zack Munson and
Caleb Easton placed 17
th and 18
th, respectively, with times of 15:09.77 and 15:16.42.
Kyle Smith took the event win in the 200-meter, running a personal best time of 20.70. Smith's time is the fourth-fastest in NAU history.
Tyson Givens and
Cannon Booker placed third and fourth in the 400-meter hurdles, respectively, running times of 52.47 and 52.71 to score six and five points.
Ethan Seppala ran a time of 53.29 to place eighth and score one point. Booker and Seppala each ran personal best times.
Kyle Smith placed second in the 100-meter after running a time of 10.56 to score eight points.
Khamis Hassan placed fourth with a time of 10.65 to score five points.
Parker Bays placed third in the shot put with a mark of 17.45 meters to score six points.
Jake Tucker placed 14
th in the event with a mark of 14.93 meters.
Christian Mutengela competed in the high jump, placing sixth with a mark of 2.00 meters to score three points.
The men's 4x400-meter relay placed fifth, with
Joshua Anderson,
Sirr Butler,
Ethan Seppala, and
Colin Sahlman combining to run a time of 3:11.94.
The Lumberjacks will have a week off before traveling regional qualifiers to the NCAA West Regional in Fayetteville, Ark. from May 22-25. Stay up to date with NAU Cross Country and Track & Field by following us on Twitter and Instagram.
