Lumberjack Assistant Track & Field Coach Nathan Ott enters his fourth season at Northern Arizona University, concerning himself primarily with the throws unit. Ott joins NAU after a season as the throws coach for Texas State and six seasons at his alma mater, Southern Utah, from which he graduated in 2007.
His throwers took huge strides in his third year with the Lumberjacks, highlighted by Brooke Andersen's runner-up performance in the hammer throw at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. She recorded a throw of 68.62m to earn All-American status in her first national meet. Her finish was the highest finish of any Big Sky athlete, men's or women's, in a field event since 2001. It was also the highest Lumberjack finish in an event since 1996.
Andersen also broke the Big Sky's women's weight throw record with a toss of 70-0.75 (21.66m) at the NAU Tune-Up. She also earned another All-American honor with her 11th place performance in the women's weight throw at the NCAA Outdoor Championships (66-7, 20.29m). She capped her season by placing 10th at the USATF Outdoor Championships.
Northern Arizona standout Adam Keenan, who ended his NAU career as a two-time All-American and Big Sky Champion in the hammer throw, won the men's hammer throw at the 2017 Canadian Track & Field Championships.
Keenan's event-winning mark came on his last and final throw when he heaved the hammer 69.81 meters. Prior to that he was clinging to a second-place throw with a meet best 67.22m heading into the final round.
The Canadian title adds to a stellar national resume for Keenan, who already holds the U20 Canadian record of 74.11m and the championship record of 71.31m, set back in 2012.
During his first two seasons in Flagstaff, Ott’s athletes have experienced plenty of success and have won an array of Big Sky Conference titles. Two of those conference championships belong to stud Canadian hammer thrower Adam Keenan, who—during his only season with NAU—shattered the school and conference record in the hammer event (230-01, 70.14m). Keenan went onto pick up All-American accolades at 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships, logging the single-greatest mark (227-10, 69.45m) from a Big Sky throws athlete competing at nationals in conference history.
Throwers Brooke Andersen and Julia Viberg saw big improvements under Ott’s leadership during his first two years with the program. Notably, Andersen has won 11 individual events (eight in hammer, three in weight) since Ott has arrived on campus, including a 2015 conference title in the hammer. She also competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials and holds the fourth-best hammer throw mark in Big Sky history.
On the flip side, Viberg—who redshirted in 2016—has six individual meet titles in the discus throw, which include two Big Sky Championships since Ott has taken over. Viberg’s discus PR (187-3, 57.07m) ranks third all-time in conference history.
At Texas State, Ott coached one national qualifier, four west preliminary qualifiers and eight Sunbelt Conference Champions. He also had athletes break records in the men’s indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw and hammer throw – which was set and reset by two different athletes – and the women’s weight throw.
At Southern Utah, Ott coached 19 conference champions, 11 NCAA Regional qualifiers and one All-American.
Under his tenure, the Thunderbird throwers broke 13 school records, posted 142 top 10 marks and boasted three team MVPs.
In 2013, Ott coached Kayla Kovar to an indoor Big Sky Championship in the shot put and a Most Outstanding Performer honor. In total, Kovar notched six conference championships under Ott’s coaching. She also holds school records in the indoor and outdoor shot put, weight throw, discus and is second all-time in the hammer throw.
As a student-athlete at Southern Utah, Ott set the school record in the hammer throw with a distance of 201-05. He won the Mid-Continent Conference Championship for the hammer throw in 2007 and was the team’s leading scorer in 2006. He was also a two-time NCAA West Regional qualifier.
