FINAL EVENTS
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Jan. 17, 2025) – Picking right back up where it left off, the Northern Arizona track and field teams were back at the Skydome on Friday night, hosting the Lumberjack Team Challenge.
As a team, the Lumberjacks set seven new all-time top marks. On the women's side, Alex Carlson now ranks fifth all-time in the mile and 10
th in the 800-meters, while
Ronan Gallagher threw the eighth-farthest weight throw mark in program history and
Shanye Harris clocked the eighth fastest 60-meters time at NAU.
For the men,
Desmond Lott threw personal bests in both the weight throw and the shot put for the second-straight meet, now ranking fifth and eighth in the events.
Joshua Anderson also ran the 10
th-fastest time in the 400-meters.
Carlson ran 4:37.27 in the mile, which is the fastest time in Division I this year when converted for altitude.
Ford Washburn also ran 4:04.08, which is the third fastest time in the country when converted.
Additionally, the Lumberjacks won 10 different events.
The women's field events began on a high note with
Sariyah Horne-Kemp and Gallagher finishing first and second in the weight throw, respectively. Horne-Kemp tossed 18.23-meters for a season best, while Gallagher threw 18.21-meters for a new personal best that ranks eighth all-time at NAU. All NAU competitors advanced to the finals of the event, and
Larissa Francois placed fourth with a throw of 16.32-meters. In her first collegiate event,
Jamie Jacobs placed sixth with a mark of 14.93-meters.
Francois was NAU's top-finisher in the shot put, placing sixth with a toss of 12.68-meters. Gallagher also set her second personal best of the day in the shot put with a mark of 12.22-meters.
In the women's long jump,
Alexa Hamilton made the finals and finished eighth overall with a new personal best of 5.59-meters. Hamilton also made her collegiate debut in the high jump, finishing ninth in the event after clearing 1.57-meters.
Sydnie Watkins advanced to the finals of the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 8.81 seconds. She improved to 8.69 in the finals, finishing fifth overall.
Harris also advanced to the finals of the 60-meters, clocking a personal best of 7.51 that ranks ninth all-time in program history. In the finals, she improved to 7.49 for the eighth fastest time in program history, finishing fifth.
The Lumberjack women set seven personal bests in the women's mile. Carlson won with a time of 4:37.27, good for fifth all-time at NAU.
Agnes McTighe, in her first race for Northern Arizona, was second in 4:44.92. Right behind her was
Ali Upshaw in third after clocking a time of 4:45.02. The Lumberjacks were also represented by
Ava Mitchell (5
th, 4:48.09),
Elise Stearns (6
th, 4:48.27),
Emma Stutzman (7
th, 4:48.69),
Alyson Churchill (9
th, 4:51.93) and
Hayley Burns (10
th, 4:55.07) to round out the top ten.
Carlson also notched a new top ten mark in the women's 800-meters, finishing second (but first out of collegians) with a new personal best of 2:09.49 in her first collegiate indoor 800-meters, ranking 10
th in program history.
Odessa Zentz followed with a personal best of her own in 2:10.36 to finish third. She was followed by
Agnes McTighe (4
th, 2:12.66) and
Kiki Vaughn (5
th, 2:17.49).
In the 3k, Stearns took home first with a time of 9:50.00. Upshaw placed second in 9:55.89, while Burns (4
th, 9:57.94) and Stutzman (5
th, 9:58.19) rounded things out.
Taylor Jacobs clocked 57.15 in the women's 400-meters to place third.
Ariel Haygood placed eighth in 58.49 followed by
Alaynah Reed in 10
th with 58.51.
Janelle Sanchez ran a personal best of 59.88 to round things out.
In the women's 200-meters,
Brooklyn Grizzell and
Taylor Jacobs each made their collegiate debuts. Grizzell finished seventh in 25.84 while Jacobs finished sixth (26.05).
The women's 4x400-meter relay team finished first in 3:51.71.
NAU also took home first in the men's throw with
Garret Bernt tossing 21.94-meters. Lott finished second with a new personal best throw of 21.25-meters, ranking fifth all-time in program history.
Nikolas Strait also made the finals and finished fourth with a mark of 18.88-meters for a new personal best.
Lipsey was the top-finisher in the men's long jump, placing fifth with a personal best leap of 6.85-meters.
In the men's high jump, all three competitors set personal bests.
Christian Mutengela finished second with a mark of 1.95-meters along with
Carter Anderson.
Shon Martin finished fifth after clearing 1.90-meters.
Three Lumberjacks advanced to the finals of the men's 60-meter hurdles in
Josiah Johnson (8.10),
Tyson Givens (8.14) and Martin (8.20). All three improved their times significantly in the finals, with Johnson and Martin running 8.09 to finish fifth and sixth, respectively, and Givens clocking 8.13 to finish seventh.
In the men's 60-meters,
Lamar Smith (6.86) and
Ian Lipsey (6.92) both advanced to the finals. Both improved their times in finals, with Smith finishing fourth in 6.85 and Lipsey finishing sixth in 6.89. Smith also placed third in the 200-meters with a personal best time of 21.75.
In a competitive men's mile, Washburn took home the win with a new personal best of 4:04.08. From there, the Lumberjacks claimed spots three-through-nine with
David Mullarkey finishing third (4:05.93),
Drew Bosley finishing fourth (4:07.32) and
Caleb Easton rounding out the top five in fifth (4:09.40).
Mullarkey then turned around and won the men's 3k, crossing the finish line in 8:23.81.
Erik Le Roux placed second (8:27.07) and he was followed by
Randy Espinoza (4
th, 8:44.48).
Caleb Easton won the men's 800-meters with a personal best of 1:56.09. Clay Shively was right behind him, finishing third in 1:56.47 and
Santiago Prosser was fourth in 1:57.78.
Anderson placed seventh in the 400-meters with a new personal best of 48.08 which ranks 10
th all-time in program history.
The men's 4x400-meter relay team finished first with a time of 3:14.06.
Northern Arizona has nearly two weeks off before its next event, hosting the Ron Mann Classic on Jan. 31 in the Skydome. A handful of athletes will also be off to Boston, Mass., for the John Thomas Terrier Classic on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.
