Track and Field to Close Regular Season with Double Dual
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – In its final regular season meet, the Northern Arizona track and field team will head down to Tucson to take part in the Double Dual. The meet is a three-way battle between the Lumberjacks and in-state rivals Arizona and Arizona State. It is also the first scored meet of the season for NAU. The action begins with the hammer throw at 4:00 p.m. PDT.
Interim Director of Track and Field & Cross Country Eric Heins looks forward to taking part in the three-way meet every year because of the fierce competition.
"I enjoy taking part in the Double Dual every year because it is great for our athletes to face competition from two PAC-10 schools in one meet," Heins said. "It is also a chance for the team to get behind one another in every event and really improve the team morale as we head into the postseason."
Senior David McNeill will take part in the 1,500-meter run as he attempts to pick up another qualifying time to go along with his national-best mark of 13:25.63 in the 5,000-meter run. This will be the first competition for McNeill since he qualified for the Commonwealth Games with a third-place finish in the 5K in his native country of Australia two weeks ago.
The Lumberjacks look to finish off their postseason rosters as well Saturday. With only one spot open on the men's side, and four for the women, the effort will be turned up a notch for those on the cusp of representing the team at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships in Ogden, Utah.
Tucson won't be the only place the team will be competing this weekend as five members of the distance squad will head to Palo Alto, Calif., to take part in the Jordan Payton Cardinal Invitational Saturday. Seniors Veronica Pohl (5K), Nell Rojas (steeplechase), junior Ben Ashkettle (10,000-meter run) and sophomores Diego Estrada (10K) and Ahmed Osman (5K) will all be looking to improve their marks in the regional rankings.
