FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (March 11, 2026) - Northern Arizona Track & Field will compete at the 2026 NCAA Division I Indoor Track & Field Championships on March 13-14 at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark. The Lumberjacks will be represented in the men's 3000 meters, men's mile, women's mile, women's 3000 meters and the men's distance medley relay.
Northern Arizona enters the national meet with aspirations of a strong team performance. The Lumberjack men have reached the NCAA Indoor Championships podium twice in program history, finishing fourth in both 2022 and 2024, including a program-record 31 team points at the 2024 championships.
NAU has also produced multiple individual NCAA indoor champions in recent seasons. Abdihamid Nur won the 3000 meters in 2022, George Beamish captured the 3000-meter title in 2023 and Nico Young claimed the 5000-meter national championship in 2024.
Senior Colin Sahlman will represent the Lumberjacks in the men's 3000 meters. Sahlman enters the championship meet seeded fourth nationally with a season-best time of 7:36.71.
Earlier this season, Sahlman set the NCAA indoor record in the 800 meters with a time of 1:44.70. At the national championships, however, Sahlman will focus on the 3000 meters and the men's distance medley relay.
Sahlman's range and closing speed will be key factors in the 3000 meters, particularly in what is expected to be a fast championship race. His speed developed in the shorter distances gives him the ability to close quickly over the final laps while competing among the nation's top distance runners.
Tor Hotung-Davidsen will compete in the men's mile after running 3:53.51 to qualify for the national meet. The senior transfer from Lynchburg previously won the NCAA Division III indoor national title in the 800 meters and the NCAA Division III outdoor championship in the 1500 meters.
Northern Arizona will also compete in the men's distance medley relay, entering the national championships seeded sixth nationally with a time of 9:16.98. The Lumberjacks' relay pool includes Rheinhardt Harrison, Josiah Johnson, Hotung-Davidsen, Sahlman, Nicolas Martinez and Clay Shively. The final lineup will be determined closer to race time.
The relay is expected to feature several of the nation's top programs, including Oregon and Virginia Tech, both of whom enter the championship meet with strong relay squads.
On the women's side, junior Hayley Burns qualified for both the mile and the 3000 meters. Burns enters the mile seeded eighth nationally with a season-best time of 4:25.76. She also qualified for the 3000 meters with a time of 8:48.10.
Burns recently delivered a standout performance at the 2026 Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships, winning conference titles in the 800 meters and 3000 meters while finishing second in the mile. Her performance earned Big Sky Women's Most Valuable Athlete honors and helped lead Northern Arizona to its fifth consecutive Big Sky Women's Indoor Championship.
Competition begins Friday with the women's mile semifinal at 3:05 p.m. MST featuring Burns, followed by the men's mile semifinal at 3:20 p.m. MST with Hotung-Davidsen. The men's distance medley relay final is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. MST.
Championship finals continue Saturday beginning with the women's mile final at 2:10 p.m. MST and the men's mile final at 2:20 p.m. MST. The women's 3000 meters final will take place at 4:10 p.m. MST, followed by the men's 3000 meters final at 4:25 p.m. MST.
The meet will be streamed live on ESPN+ on Friday, March 13, and Saturday, March 14. Broadcast coverage is scheduled to begin in the early afternoon, with sessions at 10 a.m. MST and 4 p.m. MST on Friday, and 10:30 a.m. MST and 3 p.m. MST on Saturday.
Live results and real-time updates will be available throughout the championships on NCAA.com and FloTrack.
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