2018 #BigSkyXC Year in Review

2018 #BigSkyXC Year in Review

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OGDEN, Utah – As we head into the new year, 2018 will be a year not soon forgotten across #BigSkyXC. Northern Arizona capped off its season with another National Championship making seniors Matt Baxter, Tyler Day and Peter Lomong a part of the most successful class to ever go through the storied NAU program. The success doesn’t end there as many great achievements were made across Big Sky country with ten Big Sky schools making either the men’s or women’s USTFCCCA regional polls throughout the season. Here are some of the top moments:
 
Men’s #BigSkyXC Highlights
  • Northern Arizona became the sixth team in history to win the Men’s NCAA National Championship three years in a row.
  • Matt Baxter won the individual title at the conference championship running the 8k in 22:46.0.
  • The Lumberjacks clinched their 27th Men’s Big Sky Cross Country Championship scoring 21 points and placing the top-four finishes of the meet.
  • Tyler Day posted his second top-ten finish at the NCAA Championship in a row leading the team with a sixth-place finish.
  • Northern Arizona won every meet the team participated in this season including the Nuttycombe Invitational and NCAA Pre-Nationals.
  • Idaho State’s Wyatt Diderickson became the first Bengal since Saheed Khan in 2007 to earn All-Conference.
  • Montana State’s Ty Mogan qualified for the NCAA Championship after placing 25th at the Mountain Regional timing 29:57.4 in the 10k event.
  • Southern Utah placed 21st in the NCAA Championships with Aidan Reed finishing 51st for the Thunderbirds.
  • Southern Utah had three student-athletes earn Big Sky All-Conference in Christian Ricketts, Aidan Reed and Nate Osterstock.
  • Weber State finished runner-ups in the Big Sky Conference Championship, the fifth straight year that the Wildcats have finished top-three in the championship.
  • The Wildcats had two runners earn All-Conference in Christian Allen and Tyson Green.
  • Northern Arizona’s Mike Smith was recognized as the USTFCCCA Men’s National Coach of the Year.
  • NAU had six NCAA All-Americans in Tyler Day, Matt Baxter, Luis Grijalva, Blaise Ferro, Peter Lomong and Geordie Beamish.
  • Weber State’s Christian Allen earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year after his eighth-place finish at the conference championship.
  • Southern Utah made its fifth straight appearance at the NCAA Championships. 
Men’s All-Conference Honorees (Top-ten places at Big Sky Championship)
  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
Women’s #BigSkyXC Highlights
  • Southern Utah won its first Big Sky Championship totaling 28 points.
  • SUU’s Angie Nickerson won the conference meet running the 5k in 16:30.3.
  • Southern Utah qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history finishing 25th.
  • Southern Utah cracked the USTFCCCA National Poll for the first time in school history.
  • Northern Arizona’s Jesselyn Bries finished in eighth place to earn All-Conference and earn Big Sky Freshman of the Year.
  • Montana State’s Kelsi Lasota notched a second-place finish in the Big Sky Championship to help the Bobcats to a fourth-place finish.
  • Idaho had a pair of All-Conference honorees in Kara Story (3rd place) and Andrea Condie (8th place).
  • Portland State clinched a top-five team finish at the Big Sky Championships with Sarah Medved and Kaila Gibson both earning Big Sky All-League.
  • PSU’s Medved and Gibson were the first Vikings’ duo to ever crack the top-50 at the NCAA West Reginal with as both runners placed in the top-40.
  • SUU’s Angie Nickerson was the top Big Sky athlete at the NCAA Championships placing 47th.
  • Southern Utah’s Eric Houle was recognized as the league’s Coach of the Year after winning the conference title.
  • Northern Arizona placed top-ten of the Pre-National Invitational and earned a spot in the USTFCCCA National Poll the following week.
Women’s All-Conference Honorees (Top-ten places at Big Sky Championship)
  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