Lumberjack Team Challenge: Skydome Welcomes Track & Field Back in Style!

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Jan. 16, 2025) – The Northern Arizona track and field squads are resuming from where they stopped and will host its second of four regular season home competitions this Friday, Jan. 17 at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome for the Lumberjack Team Challenge.
 
Field events commence at 2 p.m. Mountain Standard Time, followed by track events at 4 p.m. MST. A complete event schedule can be found HERE along with the live results link HERE.
 
In addition to various non-Division I teams and regional track clubs, the Lumberjacks will welcome CSUN, Grand Canyon, UNLV, and UTSA.
 
Northern Arizona kicked off the year 2025 by hosting the Friday Night Axe ‘Em open on Jan. 10. During this event, the Lumberjacks established two school records, recorded 12 new top-10 marks, and claimed victory in 11 events.
 
Both Maggi Congdon and Colin Sahlman set school records in the 600-meters, with Congdon also achieving the seventh-fastest time in program history during her inaugural indoor 400-meter competition. NAU dramatically rewrote the 600-meter record books, securing five new top ten marks for women and three for men in the event.
 
The distance events will feature 12 competitors in the women’s mile led by Ali Upshaw and Elise Stearns, with nearly the same group also entered in the 3,000-meters later that day. The men will have nine entries in the mile, spearheaded by Drew Bosley and Caleb Easton, alongside eight entries in the 3,000-meters for the first time this season. Northern Arizona will additionally contest the 800-meters for the first time this year.
 
In the sprints, Sydnie Watkins had an impressive collegiate debut. She posted a time of 8.58 in the 60-meter hurdles, which ranks second in Northern Arizona history. Jordann Germain completed the 300-meters in 41.05, ranking eighth all-time in program history. Watkins will compete in both the 60-meters and 60-meter hurdles on Friday, while Germain will participate in the 400-meters.
 
Shon Martin also had a significant collegiate debut last week, clocking 8.05 in the 60-meter hurdles to tie for ninth all-time. Martin is set to compete in the 60-meters, 60-meter hurdles, and will make his high jump debut on Friday.
 
In the throws, Desmond Lott achieved personal bests in both the shot put and weight throw, climbing up NAU’s all-time top ten lists. He now ranks eighth in the shot put (17.17m) and fifth in the weight throw (21.03m). Lott will again partake in both events on Friday, while Garret Bernt will make his second appearance in the weight throw, aiming to enhance his current Big Sky and NAU record in the event.
 
Sariyah Horne-Kemp triumphed in the weight throw last week and will compete in the event again this week along with Larissa Francois and Ronan Gallagher, who will also represent NAU in the shot put.
 
Alexa Hamilton was the sole female jumper last week and achieved a new personal best. This Friday, she will compete again in the long jump and will make her season debut in the high jump.
 
Northern Arizona will have nearly two weeks off before its next event, hosting the Ron Mann Classic on Jan. 31 in the Skydome. A group of athletes will also head to Boston, Mass., for the John Thomas Terrier Classic occurring on Jan. 31-Feb. 1.