FARMINGTON, Utah (Feb. 8, 2024) – With multiple records being broken and a current national ranking on both sides, the Northern Arizona Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Program has been named Big Sky Conference Commissioner’s Team of the Month for January 2024, the league office announced today.
The Lumberjack men are currently ranked No. 2 in the NCAA according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association, while the women are currently coming in at No. 21 in the nation.
Both programs have seen some incredible individual performances this season, highlighted by Nico Young on the men’s side. Young set a new collegiate indoor 5,000-meter record to further improve on his already wildly impressive resume.
Young’s time of 12:57.14 at the John Thomas Terrier Classic became the first sub-13 minute 5K in NCAA history and bested the previous record by nearly six seconds.
Northern Arizona now accounts for three separate collegiate records with Young (Indoor 5K), Drew Bosley (Indoor 3K) and Abdihamid Nur (Outdoor 5K) all currently holding the title in their respective events.
That same weekend, NAU Maggi Congdon broke the women’s indoor mile record. Congdon ran the mile in 4:30.24 at the Bost University John Thomas Terrier Classic, securing the best time in NAU and Big Sky history.
The previous Big Sky record was set by Katie Camarena of Portland State in 2022.
In the men’s throws area, Lumberjack Garret Bernt broke the Big Sky record in the men’s weight throw. Bernt had a toss of 22.05m at the Ron Mann Classic this past weekend to improve on his record mark and now ranks No. 10 in the NCAA for the event.
In women’s sprints, Northern Arizona’s Madeline Wilson broke the Big Sky record in the women’s 200-meter and keeps getting better. At the Lumberjack Team Challenge, she ran a 23.29 to break her own record she set the week before.
Both teams were projected to be unanimous preseason favorites in the Coaches’ Poll prior to competition heating up this winter.
The Lumberjacks will be competing in the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships from February 22-24 at The Podium Powered by STCU in Spokane, Washington.
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