Northern Arizona Men and Southern Utah Women Claim 2018 #BigSkyXC Championships

Northern Arizona Men and Southern Utah Women Claim 2018 #BigSkyXC Championships

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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It was a warm, sunny day at Haggin Oaks in California as the Northern Arizona men claimed its third straight cross country title with a score of 21 points. Meanwhile, Southern Utah won its first Big Sky championship in women’s cross country totaling just 28 points.
 
The No. 1 team in the country took the top four spots in the meet with Matt Baxter winning the individual title with a time of 22:46 in the 8k race. Last year’s Big Sky champion, Tyler Day came in second place running 4.5 seconds behind. Blaise Ferro and Geordie Beamish placed third and fourth as Ferro timed a 23:06.6 while Beamish recorded a time of 23:29.2. This is Northern Arizona’s 28th Big Sky title in men’s cross country.
 
Weber State finished runner-up to Northern Arizona with 70 points. The Wildcats top-five runners placed 21st or better including two All-Conference honorees in Christian Allen (eighth) and Tyson Green (tenth). Allen was also recognized as the Big Sky Freshman of the Year which goes to the highest finishing freshman in the championship. Weber State’s second place finish is the best finish the men’s team has had since 2012 when the Wildcats finished runner-up to Northern Arizona.

The 25 ranked Southern Utah Thunderbirds placed third with 76 points with three All-Conference members. Christian Ricketts was the first non-Lumberjack to finish placing fifth with a time of 23:43.5. Aidan Reed followed right behind finishing in sixth place while Nate Osterstock rounded out the All-Conference honorees for Southern Utah coming in ninth.
 
Idaho State’s Wyatt Diderickson became the first Bengal since Saheed Khan in 2007 to earn All-Conference. Diderickson came in seventh with a time of 23:48.0 to help Idaho State finish in eight place.
 
Southern Utah took home its first Big Sky women’s cross country championship since joining the league in 2012. The Thunderbirds took four of the top six spots in the race including Angie Nickerson who won the 5k race recording a time of 16:30.3. No Thunderbird had won the Big Sky women’s race before Nickerson’s victory. Maddy Kauffman (16:47), Madison Fruchey (16.48) and Alison Pray (16:51.2) finished 4th-6th in the championship.
 
Winner’s of the last two championships, Northern Arizona placed second with 65 points. Jesselyn Bries notched an eight place finish to not only earn All-Conference, but also Big Sky Women’s Freshman of the Year. Five Lumberjacks finished between 11-20 with Pipi Eitel finishing in eleventh place.
 
Three more schools were represented in the All-Conference awards as Montana State’s Kelsi Lasota finished runner-up with a time of 16:42.2. Heather Demorest was the last Bobcat to place as high of a finish as Lasota finishing in second at the 2013 championship. A pair of Vikings and Vandals closed out the All-Conference members. For Portland State, seniors Kaila Gibson and Sarah Medved finished in ninth and tenth place. Gibson ran a time of 16:58.7 while Medved finished right behind timing 17:01.2. Idaho’s Kara Story led the Vandals for the second half of the season and led the team again today with a third place finish. Andrea Condie also earned All-Conference recognition in her last Big Sky Cross Country Championship finishing in eight place.

The complete results from the race can be found here.
 
The NCAA Regionals will take place on Nov. 9 with #BigSkyXC teams split between the Mountain Regional in Provo, Utah and the West Regional right back at Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento, Calif. The NCAA Championships will be held in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 17. The 2019 Big Sky Cross Country Championships will be hosted by Northern Colorado.
 
Women’s Team Results
  1. Southern Utah – 28 points
  2. Northern Arizona – 65 points
  3. Weber State – 92 points
  4. Idaho – 117 points
  5. Portland State – 128 points
  6. Montana State – 138 points
  7. Sacramento State – 193 points
  8. Idaho State – 205 points
  9. Montana – 216 points
  10. Northern Colorado – 255 points
  11. Eastern Washington – 354 points
 
Women’s All-Conference Honorees
  1. Angie Nickerson – Southern Utah – 16:30.3
  2. Kelsi Lasota – Montana State – 16:42.2
  3. Kara Story – Idaho – 16:44.9
  4. Maddy Kauffman – Southern Utah – 16:47.0
  5. Madison Fruchey – Southern Utah – 16:48.0
  6. Alison Pray – Southern Utah – 16:51.2
  7. Jesselyn Bries – Northern Arizona – 16:52.0
  8. Andrea Condie – Idaho – 16:57.0
  9. Kaila Gibson – Portland State – 16:58.7
  10. Sarah Medved – Portland State – 17:01.2
 
Men’s Team Results
  1. Northern Arizona – 21 points
  2. Weber State – 70 points
  3. Southern Utah – 76 points
  4. Montana State – 100 points
  5. Idaho State – 117 points
  6. Idaho – 187 points
  7. Sacramento State – 196 points
  8. Portland State – 227 points
  9. Northern Colorado – 239 points
  10. Montana – 259 points
  11. Eastern Washington – 288 points
 
Men’s All-Conference Honorees
  1. Matt Baxter – Northern Arizona – 22:46.0
  2. Tyler Day – Northern Arizona – 22:50.5
  3. Blaise Ferro – Northern Arizona – 23:06.6
  4. Geordie Beamish – Northern Arizona – 23:29.2
  5. Christian Ricketts – Southern Utah – 23:43.5
  6. Aidan Reed – Southern Utah – 23:44.3
  7. Wyatt Diderickson – Idaho State – 23:48.0
  8. Christian Allen – Weber State – 24:00.0
  9. Nate Osterstock – Southern Utah – 24:04.2
  10. Tyson Green – Weber State – 24:05.8