FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (May 26, 2026) – The Northern Arizona University Athletic Department is proud to announce the 2026 Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame class, honoring a trio of all-time great student-athletes and a championship team that started a dynasty.
The Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2026 is comprised of George Beamish, an individual and three-time team national champion distance runner, Case Cookus, the all-time leading passer in NAU Football history, Amy Patton, NAU Women's Basketball's all-time leading scorer, and the 2013-14 NAU Swimming & Diving team that captured the program's first-ever WAC championship.
"On behalf of Northern Arizona University, I want to congratulate the members of this year's NAU Athletics Hall of Fame class," said Northern Arizona University President José Luis Cruz Rivera. "This group of Hall of Famers had a profound impact on Lumberjack Athletics and helped put NAU on the map nationally. We look forward to welcoming them back home to Flagstaff in September."
This year's class will be inducted during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11, in Flagstaff to kick off Hall of Fame Weekend. Tickets for the ceremony, to be held in NAU's Student-Athlete High Performance Center from 5-7 p.m., are available for purchase for $20 each at this
link. The class will also be recognized at the football team's game versus UIW on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The 2026 Class was voted on by the NAU Athletics' Hall of Fame committee, consisting of six Lumberjack Hall of Famers amongst a committee of eight total members.
The Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1981 and pays tribute to student-athletes, coaches, staff and teams who have made exceptional contributions and brought recognition, honor and distinction to NAU Athletics. Former student-athletes, coaches and staff are eligible for the Hall of Fame five (5) years after their careers at NAU have concluded. Student-athletes must have competed for a minimum of two (2) years at NAU. Teams are up for nomination based on extraordinary accomplishment (i.e. NCAA Championship, Regional or Conference Championship).
2026 Lumberjack Athletic Hall of Fame Class
George Beamish – Cross Country/Track & Field – 2016-20
George Beamish enjoyed a decorated distance running career as a Lumberjack, playing a pivotal role in elevating NAU men's cross country into a national championship program. Beamish was a three-time cross country All-American, including placing 39th (2018) and 40th (2017) at the NCAA Championships during NAU's first national title three-peat from 2016-18.
A member of 10 total Big Sky Championship teams between cross country and track & field, Beamish was not only part of national championship squads, but also captured an individual national title. Beamish claimed the indoor mile championship (4:07.69) at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and a year later, broke NAU's indoor men's mile record (3:56.90) at the 2020 Millrose Games.
Beamish's best outdoor national finish was 10th in the 5,000 meter in 2019, earning him second team All-American honors. Overall, Beamish's track & field career included a pair of individual Big Sky championships (2019 indoor mile, 2019 outdoor 1,500 meter) and five career medals. Prior to the COVID cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, Beamish had qualified for the mile and 3,000 meter.
Beamish, a 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District and All-American, has since gone on to represent his native New Zealand on the international stage. He is the reigning World Champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase and he also won the World Indoor 1,500 meter title in 2024. Beamish currently holds the New Zealand national 3,000 meter and 5,000 meter records, the Oceania 3,000 meter steeplechase record and he competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in the steeplechase.
Case Cookus – Football – 2015-19
Case Cookus exploded onto the scene as a freshman, instantly establishing himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the FCS and concluded his career with his name throughout the NAU football record book.
Cookus, a two-time All-Big Sky First Team selection and three-time honoree, remains NAU's all-time leader in passing yards (12,082), total offense (12,314) and touchdown passes (105) in addition to ranking second in completions (892). Cookus earned All-American honors as a freshman and a senior, highlighted by first team accolades by Walter Camp (2015) and The Associated Press (2019).
Cookus is the only Lumberjack to receive the Jerry Rice Award, awarded to the outstanding freshman in the FCS, in his breakout debut season. Cookus set single-season school records for touchdowns (37) and completion percentage (69.04%), while finishing in the top 10 nationally in just about every passing category. He became only the second player ever to earn the CFPA's National Performer of the Year, National Freshman Performer of the Year and Quarterback Award in the same season after breaking the FCS freshman record for touchdown passes.
Cookus led the Lumberjacks to an FCS Playoff appearance in 2017, snapping NAU's four-year playoff drought, and also quarterbacked NAU to a convincing 30-10 FBS road win at UTEP the following year.
Cookus capped his prolific career by setting school records in passing yards (4,114) and completions (290) in 2019. Cookus remains the only Lumberjack to eclipse 4,000 passing yards in a season. He was named the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS' most outstanding offensive player, narrowly missing out on becoming only the second-ever NAU recipient.
Following his NAU career, Cookus signed as an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants, and later spent time with the Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Rams and Edmonton Elks (CFL).
Cookus made his mark professionally in the USFL, leading the Philadelphia Stars to the championship game in 2022. In four seasons in the USFL/UFL between the Stars (2022-23), Memphis Showboats (2024) and Birmingham Stallions (2025), Cookus threw for a combined 5,163 yards and 39 touchdowns.
Amy Patton – Women's Basketball – 2009-13
Amy Patton, more than a decade later, remains the all-time scoring leader in NAU women's basketball history following a productive career in Flagstaff.
A Tempe native, Patton made the move north to 7,000 feet and immediately made her name known in the conference. She was a unanimous selection for Big Sky Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big Sky Second Team after ranking 24th in the country in scoring (18.6). The fourth-highest scoring Division I freshman in 2009-10, she also became the first freshman and non-post player in Big Sky history to lead the league in rebounding (8.6) and double-doubles (13).
After breaking NAU's single-season scoring (539) and field goals made (207) records as a freshman, Patton twice led the Big Sky in scoring as a sophomore (16.4) and a senior (17.2). Patton finished her career as the fifth-leading scorer in Big Sky Conference history with a school record 1,938 points.
Patton's 831 career rebounds were also an NAU all-time mark at the time of her graduation and currently places her second. She is also second in scoring average (16.7), 3-pointers made (193) and steals (225) and still holds the school record for all-time field goals made (738). Patton's 41 points is the second-highest scoring game in school history and she is the only Lumberjack to ever record 10 steals in game, both of which were totaled against Bradley during her senior season.
Patton's First Team nod as a senior made her only the second player in program history to be a four-time all-conference selection after garnering Second Team accolades during her first three years.
Since graduating, Patton has enjoyed a professional playing career overseas in Australia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany and Lebanon.
2013-14 Swimming & Diving
It took nine years for the NAU swimming & diving team to finally reach the mountain top of the Western Athletic Conference and since the 2013-14 team's triumph, the program has yet to stop winning conference championships.
The 2013-14 swimming & diving team made school history, winning the program's first-ever WAC Championship after four runner-up finishes in its first nine seasons in the league – including in the two seasons immediately prior to the landmark title. The 2013-14 championship became the first in a string of 12 straight victories before the program made it 13 consecutive titles this past spring in its first season in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.
Coached by
Andy Johns and
Nikki Kelsey, the 2013-14 Lumberjacks utilized a complete team effort to capture their historic championship. Twenty different student-athletes (16 swimmers, four divers) scored points in at least one individual event. Of the 20, 16 placed in the top eight in at least one event.
The collective effort made the championship even more impressive, as NAU did not win a gold medal until the final day of the meet. Yet, through the first three days, the Lumberjacks led or had a share of the lead on the scoreboard at the end of each day.
Buoyed by individual wins from Jordan Burnes (200 breaststroke) and Kendall Brown (1,650 freestyle), NAU dominated the last day of competition to pull away from Idaho. NAU entered the fourth day of the meet leading Idaho by only 19 points, but wound up winning by a margin of 101 points.
The Lumberjacks finished the season ranked No. 25 in the CollegeSwimming.com Mid-Major Poll.
