FARMINGTON, Utah (March 27, 2025) – The Northern Arizona men's and women's track and field teams have been forecasted to win the 2025 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track and Field titles, sitting atop the 2025 Men's and Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Polls, as announced by the league office this afternoon.
The polls were voted on by the league's head coaches. Coaches are able to vote for their own teams. The full results of the polls can be found below.
On the men's side, the Lumberjacks claimed eight out of the 10 available first place votes, finishing with 98 points to edge the defending champions, Montana State. The Bobcats were picked second with the remaining two first place votes, finishing with 92 points.
Last season, MSU won the outdoor title with 186 points, just edging NAU who placed second with 185 points. Prior to that, the Lumberjacks had won three-straight outdoor titles on the men's side. As a team, Northern Arizona has won four out of the last six championships and three out of the last four.
On the women's side, the Lumberjacks were picked first with nine out of 10 available first-place votes for 99 points. The Bobcats claimed the other first place vote and were picked second with 91 points. The Lumberjacks have won four-straight outdoor Big Sky titles and scored 240.5 points at last year's championships.
After winning both the men's and women's titles in cross country and indoor track and field, the Lumberjacks are looking for their third calendar sweep in the last four years should both squads win titles outdoors. The Big Sky Conference Championships are held from May 14-17 in Sacramento, Calif.
The men return five All-Conference performers from a year ago, including
Colin Sahlman who won both the 800 and 1500-meters and
Garret Bernt who won the hammer throw and placed third in the discus. NAU also returns a pair of defending champions in
Kyle Smith (200-meters), and
Cael Grotenhuis (10k) along with
Tyson Givens who placed third in the 400-meter hurdles. The NAU men are also the three-time defending champions in the 4x100-meter relay.
The women are poised to win their fifth-straight title, as they return six individual champions from a year ago in
Kyairra Reigh (400-meters),
Maggi Congdon (800-meters),
Anna Fenske (10,000-meters)
LiNay Perry (400-meter hurdles),
Karrie Baloga (steeplechase), and
Sariyah Horne-Kemp (hammer throw) and won both the 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. Additionally, Reigh placed second in the 200-meters, Congdon took home third in the 1,500-meters, and Horne-Kemp placed second in the discus throw.
Ali Upshaw, the 2024 Big Sky Cross Country Champion, earned a second-place finish last season in the 5,000-meters and returns for NAU again this season.
The Lumberjacks have a break from competition this week and will split squads next week, as the distance runners will head to the Stanford Invitational in Palo Alto, Calif., and the sprinters, jumpers and throwers will all compete at the UNLV Rebel ELITE in Las Vegas, Nev., from April 4-5.
2025 Big Sky Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll
1) Northern Arizona (8) – 98
2) Montana State (2) – 92
3) Montana – 75
4) Northern Colorado – 68
5) Idaho – 56
T6) Eastern Washington – 44
T6) Sacramento State - 44
8) Weber State – 37
9) Idaho State – 26
10) Portland State – 10
2025 Big Sky Women's Outdoor Track & Field Coaches' Poll
1) Northern Arizona (9) – 99
2) Montana State (1) – 91
3) Sacramento State – 79
4) Montana – 65
5) Idaho State – 56
6) Idaho – 49
7) Eastern Washington – 42
8) Weber State – 39
9) Northern Colorado – 20
10) Portland State – 10
