FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Feb. 15, 2025) – Records fell and the all-time top ten lists were rewritten on the second and final day of the Husky Classic and the Don Kirby Elite Invitational for the Northern Arizona women's and men's indoor track and field squads.
In Seattle,
Colin Sahlman,
Maggi Congdon and
Elise Stearns set new Big Sky Conference and Northern Arizona all-time records in their respective events. The trio were part of 13 new all-time top ten marks set by NAU today.
Also at the Husky Classic, Congdon,
Nikita Moore,
Ava Mitchell,
Ali Upshaw,
Hayley Burns,
Alexandra Carlson and
Agnes McTighe all ran personal bests that rank within the top ten all-time at NAU in the mile.
Odessa Zentz jumped into the top ten all-time in the 800-meters, while Stearns, and
Karrie Baloga now rank first and second all-time in the 3,000-meters.
On the men's side,
Caleb Easton now ranks sixth all-time in the mile in addition to Sahlman's school and Big Sky record in the 800-meters. In Albuquerque,
Desmond Lott threw a personal best in the shot put that ranks eighth in program history.
Additionally, Sahlman and Congdon won their events, with Congdon and Stearns setting Husky Classic meet records.
Stearns shined in the invite section of the 3,000-meters. She placed third overall with a time of 8:40.07, setting a new NAU and Big Sky Conference record. Stearns was not even on Northern Arizona's top ten list in the 3,000 prior to today, breaking her previous personal best of 9:21.50. She breaks her current teammate Carlson's previous Big Sky and NAU record of 8:53.77 set earlier this season. The time is also a Husky Classic meet record.
In the same race, Baloga also put on an impressive showing, jumping from sixth to second all-time on NAU's top ten list, running 8:52.33 which also would've broken Carlson's record. It was her first time breaking nine minutes in the event, finishing seventh in the field. Churchill also broke nine minutes, running 8:59.29 to place 10
th.
Sahlman made history once again, breaking his own school record in the 800-meters with a time of 1:46.40. The record also breaks the Big Sky's record by a second, giving Sahlman two conference records in his name as he also owns the indoor mile record set this season. In the same race,
Ford Washburn ran a personal best of 1:51.29, just missing the top ten list.
All Lumberjack competitors in the women's mile ran a personal best in Seattle, setting seven new all-time top ten marks in the process. Congdon, Carlson and McTighe raced in the invitational section of the mile. Congdon won the race, breaking her own Big Sky Conference and NAU record by three seconds, crossing the line in 4:27.77 for a new Husky Classic meet record. Carlson ran the second fastest time in program and conference history, clocking 4:29.14 which would've beaten Congdon's previous school record (4:30.24). The duo are the only two in Big Sky and NAU history to break 4:30 indoors in the mile. McTighe rounded things out with an impressive personal best of 4:38.31, good for eighth all-time in program history.
Nikita Moore finished second overall in the field with a time of 4:33.83, jumping from sixth to fourth on NAU's all-time list. Mitchell finished third in 4:35.25, improving from 10
th all-time to fifth. Upshaw and Burns also finished in the top ten and launched themselves onto Northern Arizona's all-time top ten list. Upshaw finished seventh in 4:38.98, good for ninth all-time, and Burns finished eighth in 4:39.68 for 10
th all-time.
In the men's mile, Easton finished third with a time of 3:57.51 for a new personal best that ranks sixth all-time in program history. Clay Shively ran a personal best of 4:00.59 to finish 21
st, while
Kang Nyoak (4:01.67) finished 26
th and
Aidan Puffer ran a personal best of 4:03.10 to finish 37
th.
Zentz also launched herself onto NAU's all-time list in the 800-meters, running a two second personal best of 2:08.21 for fourth all-time in program history.
In Albuquerque, Lott threw a personal best in the shot put once again. He placed fifth with a toss of 17.57-meters which ranks eighth all-time in program history.
The men's squad had four hurdlers finish in the top 21 of the 60-meter hurdle prelims, led by
Shon Martin and
Tyson Givens who finished 15
th and 16
th, respectively, with a time of 8.17.
Josiah Johnson finished 19
th (8.30) and
Zachary Taylor finished 21
st (8.32).
Khamis Hassan competed in the men's invitational section of the 60-meters, clocking a time of 6.97 to finish 18
th.
Lamar Smith was the top finisher for NAU in the men's unseeded 60-meter dash, finishing 21
st after crossing the line in 7.01.
Blaise Nelson placed 29
th in the same event with a time of 7.05, followed by
Ian Lipsey in 31
st (7.06).
Luke Yruretagoyena competed in the invitational section of the men's 400-meters, clocking a time of 47.73 to finish ninth.
In the men's 4x400-meter relay,
Dallas Miller,
Kaleel Galloway, Nicholas Martinez and
Tyson Givens teamed up to run 3:13.97 to finish sixth.
Sirr Butler led the way in the men's triple jump, leaping 13.87-meters.
Jordan Netherly followed with a personal best jump of 13.62-meters and
Malachi Marshall jumped 13.35-meters.
Sydnie Watkins was the top finisher in the women's 60-meter hurdles, finishing 17
th with a time of 8.76. Watkins also ran the 60-meter dash, finishing 28
th in 7.73.
In the invitational section of the women's 60-meter dash,
Shanye Harris ran 7.68.
Alaynah Reed led the 'Jacks in the unseeded 60-meters, running a personal best of 7.65 to finish 23
rd overall in the field.
Reed,
Jordann Germain,
Taylor Jacobs and
Ariel Haygood came just shy of NAU's all-time top ten list in the 4x400-meter relay, finishing 15
th in 3:44.92.
Larissa Francois was the lone Lumberjack in the shot put, tossing 12.49-meters to place 24
th.
The regular season finale is set for Friday, Feb. 21 at the Skydome for the NAU Tune-Up meet.
