FARMINGTON, Utah (May 21, 2024) – Following a successful year of competition that saw the Northern Arizona University athletic department claim three Big Sky Conference titles in sponsored women's programs, NAU has finished runner-up in the Big Sky Women's All-Sport Trophy standings.
The Women's All-Sports Trophy standings are determined by a formula that takes into account each school's regular-season finish or conference tournament/championship result for all conference-sponsored sports the institution offers. Basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball and tennis awards points based on regular-season finishes, while points for track & field, cross country and golf are awarded based on conference tournament/championship results. Indoor and outdoor track & field points are averaged to create one score for track & field.
Montana State won the trophy with 7.6 points, just edging the Lumberjacks with 7.3. Prior to this year, Northern Arizona had claimed the All-Sport Trophy for three-straight years and 11 times total in school history, the most in league history.
Northern Arizona won titles in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track to complete the calendar sweep. After cruising to its fifth-straight conference title in cross country with the lowest point total in conference championship history, the Lumberjacks finished runner-up at the NCAA National Championships. The indoor squad then won its fourth-straight title indoors with 204 points, the highest women's point total in championships history, before completing the sweep with its fourth-straight outdoor title.
Women's basketball finished runner-up in both the regular season and the tournament while golf finished second at its championships as well. Hoops set a program-record with 25 single-season victories and placed four on All-Big Sky teams, including unanimous first team selection,
Sophie Glancey.
Lizzie Neale won the Big Sky's individual golf title in April and went on to compete at NCAA Regionals, helping guide the golf program to two team victories over the year.
Soccer finished fourth during the regular season before advancing to its second-straight Big Sky title game and boasted the conference's defensive MVP,
Allie Larsen. Women's tennis qualified for the conference tournament after finishing sixth in the regular season and volleyball finished ninth in the league standings.
Not to be forgotten even though they did not factor into the All-Sport Trophy standings, the swimming and diving team captured their 11th straight Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Championship in February. Head diving coach Nikki Kelsey and head swimming coach Andy Johns each earned their 10
th career Coach of the Year honors, while Mackenna Stocker was named Diver of the Year and went on to represent NAU at the NCAA Diving Championships in the 3-meter.
The men's All-Sport Trophy results will be announced on May 22.
Women's All-Sports Trophy Standings
1. Montana State – 7.6
2. Northern Arizona – 7.3
3. Sacramento State – 6.6
T4. Idaho – 5.3
T4. Montana – 5.3
6. Weber State – 5.2
7. Northern Colorado – 5.1
8. Idaho State – 4.3
9. Eastern Washington – 4.1
10. Portland State – 3.1
