Career Achievements
Big Sky Men’s Cross Country Championships: 6
Big Sky Women’s Cross Country Championships: 6
NCAA Men’s Cross Country Championships: 5
Big Sky Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championships: 7
Big Sky Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championships: 6
Big Sky Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships: 4
Big Sky Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Championships: 6
Athletes Qualified for NCAA Indoor National Championships: 40
Athletes Qualified for NCAA Outdoor National Championships: 46
Michael Smith is entering his eighth full year as the Director of Cross Country and Track & Field after joining the NAU staff in August of 2016. Smith assisted in coaching the 2016 NCAA National Championship winning men’s cross country team, taking over as director of the program the following spring and quickly becoming one of the top coaches in the country.
During his tenure at Northern Arizona University, Smith has earned 34 Big Sky Coach of the Year awards, 7 Chick Hislop Awards for USTFCCCA Mountain Region Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, 7 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Coach of the Year awards, 5 Bill Dellinger Awards for the National Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, and 1 USTFCCCA National Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year awards.
Cross Country
Smith led the Lumberjacks to their best season in school history in 2023, with the men’s and women’s teams each placing second at the NCAA National Championship meet. Throughout the season, both teams saw strong performances, culminating in both teams being ranked first in the nation for weeks four through six. This was the first time in school history that both teams were ranked first in the nation at the same time.
Both the men and women took home the Big Sky and Mountain Region titles, with Nico Young and Elise Stearns earning individual Big Sky titles. Gracelyn Larkin placed first at the Mountain Regional with a 6K time of 19:19.7, later being named the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women’s Athlete of the Year.
At the NCAA National Championships, the women scored 124 points while the men scored 71 points to both finish second. Drew Bosley and Nico Young placed fifth and sixth, with Bosley running a time of 29:03.8 and Young running a time of 29:04.2. Aaron Las Heras finished 18th with a time of 29:29.1, with Santiago Gomez-Prosser and Brodey Hasty not far behind in 21st and 25th. Gomez-Prosser ran a time of29:32.6 while Hasty ran a time of 29:36.3. All five scorers for the men earned All-American Honors.
Gracelyn Larkin was the top finisher for the women, placing 13th with a time of 19:35.6. Annika Reiss finished 15th with a time of 19:36.8. Elise Stearns was the final NAU woman to earn All-American honors, placing 20th with a time of 19:52.2.
Fall of 2022 saw the NAU men’s cross country team complete their second three-peat of the NCAA National Championship title. The men completed a sweep of their postseason competition, taking the Big Sky, Mountain Region, and NCAA National Championship titles.
Nico Young was the individual champion at both the Big Sky Conference Championships and the NCAA Mountain Regional. Young (28:44.5) and Drew Bosley (28:55.9) placed second and third at the NCAA National Championships to earn All-American honors. Also earning All-American honors were Santiago Gomez-Prosser (29:19.5) who placed 19th, Brodey Hasty (29:27.2) who finished 25th, and George Kusche (29:34.9) who placed 39th.
The Lumberjack women saw a similarly successful year, earning their highest national ranking ever at the time as they ranked fourth in the country in weeks three through six. The women easily took the Big Sky title with a score of 22 points and Elise Stearns took the individual title with a 6K time of 16:25.3. At the Mountain Regional the women tied for second before ultimately placing third after a tiebreaker and earned a trip to the national meet.
At the NCAA National Championships, the women placed sixth with a team score of 257 points. Elise Stearns placed fourth with a time of 19:43.9 to earn All-American honors, while Annika Reiss finished 47th with a time of 20:16.0. Jesselyn Bries (20:24.1) placed 67th, while Bryn Morley (20:36.6) finished 95th and Alexis Kebbe (20:37.2) placed 99th.
Smith led the cross country teams to great success once again in 2021, with the men’s and women’s teams both sweeping the Big Sky Championships. The men also repeated as NCAA Cross Country National Champions, making it the fourth National Championship title in five years. Smith collected even more cross country hardware as he was named Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, and was awarded the Chick Hislop Award as well as the Bill Dellinger Award.
Abdihamid Nur was the top performer for the Lumberjacks at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships, with a time of 28:52.9 to place seventh. Nico Young (28:57.7) and Drew Bosley (29:13.8) were close behind, placing 11th and 13th respectively. George Kusche (29:29.5) and Brodey Hasty (29:30.3) were also important contributors to the team as they placed 37th and 39th respectively.
The 2020 men’s cross country team returned to full form as they reclaimed their NCAA National Championship title. The women’s cross country team also saw success as they won the Big Sky Championship. Smith was awarded the Big Sky Women’s Coach of the Year, the Chick Hislop Award, and the Bill Dellinger Award.
Nico Young was an important part of NAU’s 2020 cross country championship, with a time of 29:58.3 to place fourth. His teammates were not far behind as Blaise Ferro (30:02.0) placed sixth, Abdihamid Nur (30:05.3) placed seventh, and Luis Grijalva (30:10.2) placed ninth. The team scored a school record low of 60 points en route to winning the championship with the lowest NCAA Nationals point total since 2005.
Fall of 2019 saw the streak of men’s cross country national championships come to an end as they were the runner-ups that season. Both the men’s and the women’s team saw success at the Big Sky Championships that year, however, as they swept the competition. Smith was once again named both the Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, and was presented with the Chick Hislop Award.
Drew Bosley led the Lumberjacks with a time of 31:10.8 to place 22nd. Abdihamid Nur (31:14.0) and Geordie Beamish (31:18.3) were not far behind as they placed 33rd and 37th respectively.
In 2018, the men’s cross country team once again won the Big Sky Championship as well as their third consecutive NCAA National Championship. Smith was honored with awards for the Big Sky Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year, the Chick Hislop Award, and the Bill Dellinger Award.
This marks the first three-peat since the 1998, 1999, and 2000 Arkansas squads. NAU also became the first non-power five school to win at least three consecutive national championships since the 1978, 1979, 1980, and 1981 UTEP teams.
The top scorer for the Lumberjacks was Tyler Day, who ran a 29:12.9 to place sixth. Matthew Baxter (29:35.7) and Luis Grijalva (29:44.3) were not far behind as they placed 15th and 23rd respectively. Blaise Ferro (29:50.8) and Peter Lomong (29:52.3) were also important scorers as they placed 26th and 29th respectively.
After taking full control of the cross country program, Smith led the men’s team to their second-consecutive NCAA National Championship in 2017. Both the men’s and women’s teams swept the Big Sky Championships that year en route to Smith picking up the Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year Awards. Smith was also honored with the Chick Hislop Award and the Bill Dellinger Award.
Matthew Baxter (29:00.8) and Tyler Day (29:04.6) went back-to-back as they placed second and third. Peter Lomong (29:33.1) wasn’t far behind as he finished in eighth place. Andy Trouard (29:58.1) and Geordie Beamish (30:01.2) were important contributors as well as they finished 35th and 40th respectively.
Track & Field
The 2024 outdoor season started off just as strong as the indoor season, with Nico Young breaking the NAU, Big Sky, and NCAA record in his first ever 10K with a time of 26:52.72.
Ali Upshaw broke the women’s NAU 10K record soon after, running a time of 32:53.65. Madeline Wilson broke the NAU record in the 200-meter as well, running a time of 22.98.
Colin Sahlman ran the second-fastest 1,500-meter in collegiate history, running a time of 3:33.96 to break the school and conference record in the event. Sahlman also broke the school and conference record in the 800-meter with a time of 1:45.63.
The NAU women placed first at the Big Sky Conference Championships, with Kyairra Reigh and LiNay Perry each breaking a school record at the meet. Reigh set a new 400-meter record while Perry set a new 400-meter hurdles record. The men finished second at the meet. 23 athletes earned individual titles.
27 athletes competed at the NCAA West Regional, with 13 moving on to the national meet.
Nico Young placed second in the 5K to earn first-team All-American honors. Colin Sahlman placed fourth in the 1,500-meter with a time of 3:39.92 to earn first-team All-American honors.
Aaron Las Heras and Cael Grotenhuis both earned second-team All-American honors in the 10K after placing 11th and 14th. Grotenhuis also earned second-team honors in the 5K after placing ninth.
Brodey Hasty finished 14th in the 5K to earn second-team All-American honors.
The women’s 4x400-meter relay team broke a school and conference record as they placed 14th in the event. Madeline Wilson, LiNay Perry, Maggi Congdon, and Kyairra Reigh combined to run a time of 3:31.28 to earn second-team honors.
Maggi Congdon broke a school and conference record in the first round of the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:07.81, placing ninth in the finals to earn second-team honors.
Karrie Baloga finished as a first-team All-American in the 3K steeplechase, running a time of 9:42.22 to break the U20 American record as well as the NAU school record after finishing eighth in the event.
Ali Upshaw placed 21st in the 10K to earn second-team All-American honors, while Annika Reiss and Gracelyn Larkin both earned second-team honors in the 5K after finishing ninth and 10th. Reiss’ time of 15:30.64 set a new NAU and Big Sky record in the event.
Smith’s teams saw a historic 2023-24 indoor season, with numerous records falling throughout the season. Nico Young opened the season with the third-fastest collegiate 3K time at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Young continued to impress throughout the regular season, running the first sub-four minute mile at 7,000-feet at the Lumberjack Team Challenge before breaking the NAU, Big Sky, and NCAA record in the 5K at the John Thomas Terrier Classic with a time of 7:36.42.
Colin Sahlman and Maggi Congdon had similarly impressive seasons as they each broke the 800-meter and mile school record, with Sahlman’s mile time also being a conference record and Congdon’s times breaking Big Sky records.
Sahlman and Young, along with Trenton Givens and Theo Quax ran the second-fastest distance medley relay time in NCAA history at the Alex Wilson Invitational, combining to run a time of 9:17.43 to become the first NAU DMR team to qualify for the national meet.
Also breaking school records this season were Garret Bernt in the weight throw, Mitchell Effing in the triple jump, Madeline Wilson in the 200-meter, and Alyson Churchill in the 3K.
At the Big Sky Championships, the men’s and women’s teams swept the conference, with the women’s team totaling the highest score in conference championships history. The teams won a total of 18 individual titles, with 11 athletes going on to compete at the NCAA National Championship meet. At the NCAA National Championships, the NAU men scored the most points in team history, totaling 31 points to place fourth and tie the best finish in program history.
Nico Young became a double national champion after taking first in the 3K and the 5K. Young’s 3K time of 7:50.54 was a meet record.
Garret Bernt finished third in the weight throw at the national meet with a school and conference record throw of 23.09 meters, earning first-team All-American honors.
Aaron Las Heras finished ninth in the 3K and sixth in the 5K, while Theo Quax placed 13th in the 3K and 14th in the 5K. Each earned second-team All-American honors in the 3K, while Quax earned second-team honors in the 5K, and Las Heras earned first-team honors.
Colin Sahlman became a first-team All-American in the mile after placing sixth. Maggi Congdon competed in the mile and the 800-meter, placing eighth in the 800-meter to earn first-team All-American honors and ninth in the mile to earn second-team honors.
Mitchell Effing placed 15th in the long jump to earn second-team All-American honors, while Gracelyn Larkin finished 15th in the 5K to earn second-team honors.
Drew Bosley, Trenton Givens, Kang Nyoak, and Colin Sahlman earned second-team All-American honors in the distance medley relay after placing 11th in the event.
The 2023 outdoor season proved to be just as strong as the indoor season for Smith’s team. Two school record fell during the regular season, with Trevor Hook breaking the javelin record at the Texas Relays with a mark of 68.49 meters. Alyssa Colbert, Kyairra Reigh, Kenya Coburn, and LiNay Perry combined to run a 4x100-meter relay time of 44.67 at the Desert Heat Classic, breaking the school record in the event.
The teams swept the Big Sky Outdoor Conference Championship once again, earning a total of 15 individual titles. Nico Young broke the conference championships 5K record with a time of 13:59.63 as he won the gold. Both the women’s 4x100-meter relay team and 4x400-meter relay teams broke the conference championships records as they won gold.
Smith saw a total of 24 athletes qualify for the NCAA West Regional, with four continuing on to the NCAA National Championship meet.
David Dunlap broke the school record in the 200-meter as he ran a time of 20.16 to place seventh at the national meet to earn first-team All-American honors. Nico Young placed eighth in the 5K with a time of 14:10.17 to also earn first-team All-American honors.
Colin Sahlman finished 17th overall in the 1,500-meter with a time of 4:42.02 to earn honorable mention All-American honors. Alyssa Colbert finished 21st overall in the 100-meter with a time of 11.39 to earn honorable mention All-American honors.
Smith’s Lumberjacks began the 2022-23 indoor season in a big way as Elise Stearns and Drew Bosley each broke the NAU and Big Sky record in the 5K at the Sharon Colyear-Danville Season Opener. Stearns ran a time of 15:33.74 while Bosley ran a time of 13:13.26.
The ‘Jacks would continue to break records throughout the season, with the triple jump, men’s and women’s 60-meter, and men’s 200-meter records falling at the home opening meet. Mitchell Effing jumped 15.81 meters to break the triple jump record, while David Dunlap ran a 60-meter time of 6.62 and a 200-meter time of 20.68.
Alyssa Colbert ran a 60-meter time of 7.30, later breaking her own record at the Ron Mann Classic with a time of 7.24. Madline Wilson also broke a record at the Ron Mann Classic, scoring 3,882 points in the pentathlon.
Dunlap went on to break the 400-meter school record later in the season while Colbert broke the 200-meter record.
In one of the defining moments of NAU’s indoor season, Drew Bosley ran a 3K time of 7:36.42 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic to break the NAU, Big Sky, and NCAA record in the event.
As they began the postseason, the Lumberjacks showed no signs of slowing down, sweeping the Big Sky titles while the women scored the most points in conference championship history. Smith saw athletes earn 13 individual Big Sky titles, with six athletes advancing to the NCAA National Championship.
At the national meet, Drew Bosley and Nico Young placed third and fourth in the 5K, each earning first-team All-American honors. Bosley also earned first-team honors in the 3K after finishing second.
Mitchell Effing and David Dunlap each placed 14th in their respective events, with Dunlap earning second-team All-American honors in the 200-meter while Effing earned the same in the long jump.
Elise Stearns finished 11th in the 5K to earn second-team All-American honors, while Annika Reiss placed eighth in the mile to earn first-team honors.
Former Lumberjacks Luis Grijalva and Abdihamid Nur both competed at the 2022 World Championships in the 5000-meter. Grijalva placed 4th, just missing out on a medal and finishing .35 seconds off his personal best time, running a season-best 13:10.44. Nur finished 11th with a time of 13:18.05.
After the uncertainty of the past two track & field seasons, the Lumberjacks returned to full form in 2022. Smith coached the men’s and women’s team to sweep of both the indoor and outdoor Big Sky Championships. He also swept the coaching awards for the season, being named Big Sky Coach of the Year for men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor. The women’s outdoor team scored 244 points in their win, the most in Big Sky history.
At the national level, Smith sent three athletes to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field National Championships and five to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Abdihamid Nur earned individual NCAA titles in both the indoor 3000-meter and 5000-meter. The team earned 29 points to finish 4th overall, the highest NCAA Indoor Championships finish in school history. Nur was later named both the indoor USTFCCCA National and Regional Men’s Track Athlete of the Year.
The 2021 Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Championships were canceled due to health concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, but both the men’s and women’s team stormed back to the Big Sky Outdoor Championships with a sweep of the competition. The men’s team scored 168 points, the most by any team at an outdoor meet since 2016. Smith also swept the Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year awards.
2020 was the year of the Tokyo Olympics in which Smith had two former track & field athletes compete. Brooke Andersen competed in the hammer throw for the United States while Luis Grijalva competed in the 5000-meter for Guatemala. Andersen placed 10th in the hammer throw while Grijalva finished 12th in the 5000-meter with a time of 13:10.09 to set a new Guatemalan national record.
2020 Track & Field faced a lot of adversity as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the latter half of the season. Smith led the men’s and women’s teams to Big Sky Indoor Championship victories before the Big Sky Outdoor Championships were canceled. Both the indoor and outdoor NCAA Championships were canceled due to the pandemic as well. Smith was named the Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, as well as the USTFCCCA Mountain Region Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year and the USTFCCCA National Men’s Indoor Coach of the Year.
The 2019 indoor track & field season saw Smith leading the men’s team to another Big Sky Championship as he claimed the Big Sky Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year award for the third time. Smith also led another athlete to an individual NCAA title as Geordie Beamish claimed victory in the indoor mile.
Smith continued his coaching success in his second year at the helm of the Track & Field program with the men’s and women’s team once again sweeping the 2018 Big Sky Indoor and Outdoor Championships. He was also named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field, as well as being named the 2018 USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women’s Coach of the Year for both indoor and outdoor.
In 2018 the Lumberjacks sent six athletes to the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and seven to the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Smith would see his first NAU athlete with an NCAA title as Andy Trouard won the Men’s Indoor 3000-meter that year.
In his first season as Director of Track & Field in the spring of 2017, Smith led the Lumberjacks to three Big Sky titles in both Men’s and Women’s Indoor and Women’s Outdoor. He was also named USTFCCCA Mountain Region Women’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, as well as the Big Sky Men’s Indoor and Women’s Outdoor Coach of the Year. Smith coached four athletes to All-American honors in track & field in 2017, along with sending four athletes to the indoor and outdoor NCAA Track & Field Championships.
Before NAU
Smith began his collegiate coaching career at Georgetown University. He spent four years there, serving as the Director and Head Coach of the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field programs during the 2015-2016 season. Smith found great success with the Hoyas, coaching the 2016 NCAA Champion Women’s Distance Medley Relay. In 2015, the Georgetown men’s cross country team won the Big East Championship, later placing 10th at the NCAA National Championships. During his time at Georgetown, Smith coached 47 All-Americans, 23 NCAA Championship qualifiers, and two Olympic Trials participants.
Prior to Georgetown, Smith lived in Flagstaff for six years where he founded Team Run Flagstaff, while also working under Dr. Jack Daniels at NAU’s Center for High Altitude Training – a U.S. Olympic Training Site for long distance running.
Smith is a 2003 graduate of Georgetown, where he was an All-Big East, All-Region, and All-American cross country runner. He was a 2007 qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials in the marathon, competing in November 2007.
