FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (May 16, 2026) – Northern Arizona closed the 2026 Big Sky Outdoor Championships Saturday with the men's team capturing back-to-back conference outdoor titles while the women finished as conference runners-up at Earl L. Klapstein Stadium in Portland, Oregon.
The Lumberjack men finished with 163 points to secure the Big Sky championship and complete a conference triple crown after also winning the 2025 cross country and 2026 indoor conference titles earlier this academic year. The NAU women scored 128 points to finish second in the team standings.
Saturday was led by another massive day from NAU's distance group. Tor Hotung-Davidsen opened the track finals with a Big Sky title in the men's 1500 meters, running 3:44.56 to lead a 1-2-3-4 finish for the Lumberjacks. Rheinhardt Harrison finished second, Clay Shively placed third and Colin Sahlman took fourth, while Kang Nyoak added sixth-place points.
Hayley Burns followed with a Big Sky title in the women's 1500 meters, running 4:17.91 as the Lumberjacks placed four scorers in the event. Grace Copeland finished fifth, Emma Stutzman placed sixth and Ava Mitchell took eighth.
Burns later doubled back to win the women's 800-meter title in 2:04.69 for her second conference championship of the day. Stutzman finished fourth and Nikita Moore added eighth-place points for Northern Arizona.
Sahlman also returned later in the meet to win the men's 800-meter title in 1:47.48, leading a 1-2 finish with Hotung-Davidsen, who placed second in 1:47.88.
Northern Arizona distance closed the meet with a dominant performance in the men's 5000 meters as Rheinhardt Harrison captured the Big Sky title in meet record fashion, running 13:45.77. The Lumberjacks placed four athletes in the top seven behind Harrison, Aidan Puffer, Clay Shively and Randy Espinoza as NAU continued building its team lead late in the meet.
Josiah Johnson added a Big Sky title for the Lumberjacks in the men's 400-meter hurdles, winning in 51.09. Nico Martinez finished third in 51.65, giving NAU 16 points in the event.
Christian Mutengela delivered one of the biggest performances of the meet for Northern Arizona, clearing a lifetime-best 2.12 meters (6-11.5) to win the Big Sky high jump title and punch his ticket to the NCAA West First Round.
Alexa Hamilton added a podium finish in the women's triple jump, placing third with a mark of 12.27 meters, while Sariyah Horne-Kemp scored in the women's discus with a fourth-place throw of 45.44 meters.
Northern Arizona sealed the men's title in the final event of the meet as Luke Yruretagoyena, Nico Martinez, Colin Sahlman and Josiah Johnson won the 4x400-meter relay in 3:09.13 to deliver 10 final points for the Lumberjacks.
Saturday capped one of the most successful championship seasons in recent NAU history, as the Lumberjack men completed a sweep of the Big Sky cross country, indoor and outdoor titles.
Next up for Northern Arizona is the NCAA West First Round, hosted by the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, beginning May 27.
Results can be found here.
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