Lumberjacks capture Big Sky Conference titles in Pocatello

FINAL RESULTS

Champions, times two.

The Northern Arizona cross country teams will be bringing some hardware to Flagstaff as both programs defended their Big Sky Conference titles today in Pocatello, Idaho, during the conference championships. In addition, the Lumberjacks also won the individual titles with David Mullarkey winning the men’s championship and Ali Upshaw bring home for the women.

For the second straight season, the Lumberjack women set a Big Sky championship record by finishing first with a perfect 15 points, claiming their sixth straight championship. The NAU men claimed their fourth title in a row with 25 points.

It’s the fourth year in a row that both programs have won, as the men claimed the 33^rd team title and their 16^e over the past 20 seasons. The women won their 26^e team title and eighth in the past nine seasons.

“Today feels great. Always performing at these championships is a big hallmark of our program and I am very proud of our men and women today,” said the head coach. Michael Smithwho coached at his final Big Sky cross country championships after announcing in August that he will retire in June 2025. “I give it to our athletes. When you achieve success it’s easy to not be ambitious or as committed and think it will be easy for you, but that’s not the case for our athletes. We recruit the very best and they come to NAU wanting to be part of great teams, and this is a testament to our kids.

Mullarkey, a transfer from Florida State who has led NAU in all five races this season, took an early lead in the men’s race and never looked back. He clocked a time of 23:06.6 on the men’s 8km course and was followed by teammate Colin Sahlman who took second place in 23:14.2.

The native of Leeds, England, is the ninth straight individual champion for the Lumberjacks and the 33^rd overall, as NAU has won an individual title in 19 of the past 20 seasons.

Northern Arizona placed six runners in the top ten, all earning All-Conference honors. After Mullarkey and Sahlman, Santiago Prosser finished fifth in 23:29.6. The Lumberjacks then owned spots eight through 10, led by Ford Washburn (8^e23:43.5), Manny Perez (9^e23:48.4), Justin Keyes (10^e23:50.2).

Zack Munson (23:56.4) and Kang Nyoak (24:13.3) finished in 12th place^e and 13^eto help NAU place all eight competitors in the top 13.

As with the men, Upshaw went out hot and held the lead for almost the entire race. The senior, a transfer from New Mexico in her sophomore season at NAU, crossed the line in the women’s 5K race in 16:10.4.

Upshaw is the fifth straight individual champion for NAU and the third different lumberjack to claim the title in the past five years, giving Northern Arizona the 21st spot.^st individual title.

Elise Sternsthe two-time defending Big Sky champion who won in 2022 and 2023 finished second to Upshaw in 16:27.4 in her first race of the season.

NAU occupied the top six and placed all eight runners in the top 10. Anna Fenske finished third to his right in 16:46.1 Ava Mitchell who finished fourth in 16:46.3. Alex Kebbe was the team’s final scorer, placing fifth with a time of 16:53.2.

The top ten was rounded off Emma Stutzman who clocked a time of 16:59.0 and finished sixth, Keira Moore who finished eighth with a time of 17:01.0 and Hayley Burns who finished ninth in 17:01.0.

“It’s pretty rare in cross country, any time you get a perfect score like that in cross country, it’s not common in what we do,” Smith said of his team’s perfect score for the second year in a row. “It just means that our athletes hold themselves accountable during the race and obviously want to be pushed by their competitors, but push themselves when necessary.”

Montana State finished second in both the men’s (49 points) and women’s (54 points) races, followed by Weber State, Eastern Washington and Idaho State who also finished third through fifth on both sides.

The 2024 cross country season is anything but over. Northern Arizona will now turn its attention to NCAA Mountain Regionals taking place in Reno, Nevada, on November 15.