FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — The No. 1 nationally ranked Northern Arizona University (NAU) Lumberjacks are set to defend their titles at the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships in Missoula, Montana. Both the men’s and women’s teams are reigning champions, with the women eyeing their fifth consecutive title and the men their third.
The event will take place on Friday, Oct. 27, starting with the women’s race at 10:00 a.m. MST, followed by the men’s race at 11:00 a.m. MST. Live results is available on Athletic, and a livestream broadcast of the races will be available on ESPN+.
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Defending Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships Champions
Both teams enter the championships as the No. 1 team in the country, marking the first time in conference history that two teams from the same school have held this distinction simultaneously. Last year’s individual title winners, Elise Stearns and Nico Young, will also compete.
Stearns has had a standout season, placing within the top-5 in each race she has participated in. Young, despite limited race time this season, impressed in his first race at the Nuttycombe Invitational, helping the men secure their top national ranking.
High Stakes
Should both teams clinch the title, it would mark the 20th time that the Lumberjacks have swept the team titles at the conference championships.
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Stearns and Young’s performances will be particularly scrutinized, given their previous successes and the high expectations that come with being the top-ranked teams in the nation.
The Lumberjacks are not just racing for titles; they’re racing for history. With both teams at the pinnacle of national rankings and individual athletes like Stearns and Young setting the pace, NAU is poised to sweep the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships for the third successive year and seventh time in the last nine seasons.
