Lumberjacks Conclude Successful Weekend at Sun Angel Classic
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona track and field team returned to the track Saturday for the Sun Angel Classic on the campus of Arizona State. With the weather beginning to heat up, the Lumberjacks turned in some hot marks as three more members of the squad picked up Big Sky qualifiers to cap off the successful weekend.
Interim Director of Track and Field & Cross Country Eric Heins was pleased with the effort his athletes put forth in their first back-to-back meets of the year.
"It was a productive weekend from top to bottom," Heins said. "Not only did we get huge throws from Curtis Durcoher and Andres Rossini, but competing back-to-back days proved to be beneficial for the entire team."
Along with the conference qualifiers, the relay teams from NAU picked up faster times in the men and women's 4x400-meter relays. The men's squad shaved off over a second, crossing the finish line in a time of 3:17.00. The women's relay of senior Annie Skordas, juniors Shekila Wilkinson, Rashinda McKinnon and Jackie Shea finished the premiere heat in 3:52.13, five seconds better then their previous best time of 3:57.62.
The women's relay team now ranks second amongst 4x400m relays in the conference.
Junior DeVaughn Shead turned in his Big Sky qualifying time in the 400-meter dash with a personal-best mark of 48.81. The first-time conference qualifier currently ranks sixth in the Big Sky.
In the men's 800-meter run, sophomore Darius Terry picked up a qualifying time as he crossed the stripe in 1:53.10. The season-best time for the California native ranks fourth in the Big Sky. Terry also holds the conference-leading mark in the 1,500-meter run.
Freshman Charles White will return to the Big Sky Conference Championships in the long jump as he leaped 22-09 in the final flight Saturday afternoon. White currently ranks fourth in the conference.
Several Lumberjacks improved on their season-best marks at the meet, including junior Amber Anderson who currently ranks second in the conference after she leaped 39-10 in the triple jump. Anderson is atop the Big Sky in the long jump and ranks 15th in the West Region.
NAU heads out west next weekend as the team will compete in three meets in the Los Angeles area, including the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut, Calif. This marks the first time the Lumberjacks will travel out of state to compete this outdoor season.
