FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 18, 2026) – Northern Arizona track & field closed out a loaded weekend of competition with standout performances across the Bryan Clay Invitational, Tom Jones Memorial, and Pacific Coast Invitational, highlighted by national-caliber marks, Big Sky leaders, and continued depth across all event groups.
Day three of the Bryan Clay Invitational showcased the strength of NAU's distance program, particularly in the 1500 meters. On the women's side, Hayley Burns delivered one of the top performances in the NCAA this season, running 4:08.14 to finish third in a loaded field. The mark ranks No. 7 in the NCAA, No. 1 in the Big Sky, and moves her to No. 2 all-time in NAU history, continuing to highlight her elite range. Burns was backed by a deep group of Lumberjacks, including Grace Copeland (4:18.03), who moved to No. 9 all-time at NAU, along with Nikita Moore (4:18.62), Ava Mitchell (4:19.93), and Payton Godsey (4:22.72), all contributing strong Big Sky marks.
On the men's side, NAU placed multiple athletes among the NCAA's top performers across the weekend. Colin Sahlman (3:36.03) led the way, followed closely by Rheinhardt Harrison (3:36.28) and Tor Hotung-Davidsen (3:37.28). All three marks rank among the top in the Big Sky this season and position the trio firmly in NCAA regional qualifying and national contention. Clay Shively added to the momentum with a 3:39.35 performance, ranking No. 4 in the Big Sky and moving to No. 9 all-time at NAU.
NAU's sprint group competed against elite national fields at the Tom Jones Memorial in Florida, with early morning race times presenting challenging conditions. Despite that, several Lumberjacks delivered strong performances. Shanye Harris ran 11.79 in the 100m, backing up her 11.76 from UC San Diego and showing consistency at a high level. Blaise Nelson clocked 10.91 in the men's 100m.Sydnie Watkins, the defending Big Sky indoor 60m hurdles champion, ran 14.06 in the 100m hurdles. Jordann Germain posted 56.75 in the women's 400m and Nicolas Martinez ran 48.96 in the men's 400m.
In the field events, Alexa Hamilton delivered one of the top performances of the weekend in the triple jump, recording a 12.51 personal best. Hamilton produced the best series of her career, with four of six jumps marking personal bests, advancing to the final and moving to No. 4 all-time at NAU and No. 2 in the Big Sky.
On the men's side, Justin Cardoza jumped 14.38 in the triple jump, ranking No. 7 in the Big Sky this season.
At the Pacific Coast Invitational in Long Beach, NAU's throws group continued to build momentum. Sariyah Horne-Kemp led the way in the discus with a mark of 48.94m, ranking No. 13 in the Big Sky and trending upward as the season progressed. She was followed by Amar Elmore (50.68m), who moved to No. 15 in the Big Sky, along with teammates Trig Riefkohl (47.96m) and Nikolas Strait (47.59m), adding depth to the event group. In the shot put, Larissa Francois recorded a mark of 13.39m, continuing her steady development this season.
The Lumberjacks will continue building momentum as they move deeper into the outdoor season, with multiple distance athletes positioning themselves for NCAA West Regional qualification and conference title contention.
Bryan Clay Invitational results.
Tom Jones Invitational results.
Pacific Coast Memorial results.
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