Powerful Lumberjacks Programs Seek Sweep Of Big Sky Titles

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

The No. 1-ranked Northern Arizona men's cross country team appears ready to show more of its cards Friday at the Big Sky Cross Country Championships, hosted by Portland State, at Meriwether National Golf Club in Hillsboro. 

It's the first time the Big Sky meet has been held in Oregon since 2008. The women will start at 11 a.m. Pacific and then men go at Noon. 

The NAU men won the NCAA Pre-National meet at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee two weeks ago, with Nebraska transfer George Kusche continuing to make an impact for the Lumberjacks as their No. 4 scorer in 20th place overall. Kusche, who is from South Africa, won the Big Ten Cross Country title last January. 

Kusche has joined a lineup that includes 2020 Big Sky champion Abdihamid Nur, 2019 conference winner Drew Bosley, along with Nico Young, Aldo Marquez, Caleb Easton, Kang Nyoak, Tristian Merchant and Corey Gorgas.

Northern Arizona has won the NCAA men's cross country title four of the past five years, but the 'Jacks aren't the defending Big Sky champions. Last year, Southern Utah beat NAU 35-38 to claim the title. NAU has 29 Big Sky men's cross country titles overall. 

The No. 19 Northern Arizona women have won the past two conference titles and are led by one of the top runners in the country, reigning Big Sky champion Taryn O'Neill. Along with her on this trip are Pipi Eitel, Bryn Morley, Annika Reiss, Jesselyn Bries, Meagan Van Pelt, Elise Stearns, Maggi Congdon and Alexis Kebbe. Morley and Eitel were both top-10 finishers at the last Big Sky Conference meet. 

The men will have to contend with No. 30 Montana State and a strong Southern Utah team that received votes in the latest national coaches' poll. 

The 11-team conference also includes Montana, Sacramento State, Weber State, Northern Colorado, Idaho, Idaho State, Eastern Washington.

Portland State is hosting for the third time (1999 and 2008).