EUGENE, Ore. (June 13, 2026) – Headlined by Northern Arizona’s Colin Sahlman claiming an Individual National Championship in the men’s 800-meter, the Big Sky Conference had an incredibly strong showing across the board at the 2026 Outdoor Track & Field National Championships.
Four days of intense competition at Hayward Field came to a close on Saturday.
On Friday evening, Sahlman claimed his third individual National Championship this calendar year with a first place finish in the men’s 800-meter. He capped off his career as a Lumberjack with a personal best time and Big Sky Conference Record of 1:44.2. His title was the first on the outdoor circuit for the Big Sky since 2010, and the first-ever in the men’s 800-meter.
Sahlman was the men’s 3,000-meter champion indoors, along with serving as the anchor leg on NAU’s National Championship distance medley relay team.
He wasn’t the only Lumberjack with a big showing on Friday, however, as teammate Josiah Johson claimed First Team All-American honors in the men’s 400-meter hurdles with a time of 50.56. Johnson finished in eighth place at Hayward Field.
Cael Grotenhuis also had a strong race that evening, finishing 13
th in the men’s 5,000-meter with a time of 13:57.00.
As a team, the Lumberjack men scored 11 points to finish the season No. 23 in the nation.
Idaho’s Blake Sturgis set a strong tone for the Big Sky on Wednesday, securing Second Team All-American honors in the men’s javelin. He finished in 14
th place with a mark of 70.59m (231-7).
On Thursday evening, the Montana State Bobcats picked up a pair of Second Team All-Americans. Big Sky Freshman of the Year Tilde Bjerager finished in 11
th place in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, clocking a time of 56.36. In the field, Bobcat Sydney Brewster placed 14
th in the women’s shot put with a mark of 16.61m (54-6).
With a 12
th place finish in the men’s discus, Idaho State’s Axel Tirado-Sanchez secured Second Team All-American honors on Friday with a mark of 59.21m (194-3).
Capping off the meet on Saturday, the Big Sky saw two more female student-athletes secure Second Team All-American honors. Northern Arizona’s Hayley Burns finished 10
th in the women’s 1,500-mter with a time of 4:15.81 to secure the title. In the very next event, Idaho’s Constanze Paoli finished 11
th in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase with a time of 10:08.28.
A full breakdown of Big Sky honors from the meet can be found below.
With the conclusion of the meet, the 2025-26 athletic season for the Big Sky Conference has officially come to a close.
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Big Sky 2026 Outdoor Track & Field All-Americans
First Team All-American
Josiah Johnson, Northern Arizona (Men's 400H)
Colin Sahlman, Northern Arizona (Men's 800m)
Second Team All-American
Tilde Bjerager, Montana State (Women's 400H)
Sydney Brewster, Montana State (Women's Shot Put)
Hayley Burns, Northern Arizona (Women's 1,500m)
Cael Grotenhuis, Northern Arizona (Men's 5,000m)
Constanze Paoli, Idaho (Women's 3K Steeplechase)
Blake Sturgis, Idaho (Men's Javelin)
Axel Tirado-Sanchez, Idaho State (Men's Discus)
Honorable Mention
Cort Gebbers, Eastern Washington (Men's Discus)
Tor Hotung-Davidsen, Northern Arizona (Men's 1,500m)
Rob McManus, Montana State (Men's 3K Steeplechase)
Kevin Swindler, Montana (Men's Pole Vault)
Peter Visser, Weber State (Men's 3K Steeplechase)
Montana State Women's 4x400m Relay Team
(Bjerager, Peyton Garrison, Giulia Gandolfi, Caroline Hawkes)