Big Sky Championships Preview: Throws
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – As the last day of practice concludes, the Northern Arizona track and field team is set to compete at the Big Sky Outdoor Championships in Ogden, Utah on the campus of Weber State Wednesday through Saturday. The men's team is seeking its fourth consecutive championship, with the women's squad looking for its first title since 2006.
This is how the NAU throwers look heading into the weekend...
Shot Put
Senior Javier Villarreal closes out his Big Sky career this weekend as he is in search of his fifth conference shot put title (two indoor, two outdoor). He once again leads the Big Sky heading into the meet with a mark of 59 feet, 4.25 inches. At the indoor championships, it was Villarreal's title in the event that gave the men's team the four-and-a-half point victory over host Montana State. The Eloy, Ariz., native currently sits at No. 10 in the West Region as well.
In the women's competition, senior Arshiya Hoseyni heads to her fourth and final Big Sky Outdoor Championships in search of her first conference points in the event. The Iran native is in the midst of her best season as a Lumberjack, having thrown a personal-best 48 feet, four inches at the Mt. SAC Relays to give her the fourth spot heading into the weekend. She is also on the verge of making her second-straight appearance at the regional championships.
Discus
It has been exactly 10 years since NAU has had a conference champion in the men's discus competition, but junior Andres Rossini is trying to change that for the Lumberjacks. With his personal-best hurl of 188 feet, 10 inches at the Double Dual, Rossini sits atop the conference by over 13 feet. The Argentina native has had a stellar season that kicked off with him winning the U-23 South American Discus Championship in Colombia this past March.
Joining Rossini in the competition will be senior Curtis Durocher and sophomore Pat Colonnelli. This will be the second time the duo has competed in the discus at the conference championships. Colonnelli enters the field at No. 6 with a personal-best mark of 164 feet, six inches which he collected at the Sun Devil Open earlier this season. Durocher ranks eighth, and holds a season-best mark of 159 feet, six inches.
The women's competition will feature four Lumberjacks with junior Shelby McCray headlining. The Pasadena native will be competing in her second outdoor championships, and holds the fifth-best mark at 153 feet, one inch.
Hoseyni returns for the discus and comes in at No. 7 after she recorded a personal-best throw of 151 feet, seven inches at the Double Dual. She also holds the Iran national record in the discus.
Freshmen Addie Tennant (14th) and Leigha Graziano (15th) will be making their conference championship debuts this weekend.
Hammer Throw
After redshirting the outdoor season last year, Durocher looks to win another hammer throw title, and make it three-straight years the Lumberjacks have won the event. The Belle River, Ontario native has been atop the conference the entire season, and leads by 15 feet heading into the weekend. Durocher won the weight throw competition at the indoor championships and would add a fourth Big Sky title to his name if he walks away as the champion this year.
Freshman Matt Post has quickly made a name for himself in his first collegiate season with the Lumberjacks. At the Double Dual earlier this month, Post collected a new season-best mark to move him into fifth place in the conference (179-11). With a big throw in this weekend's event, Post could move himself into the regional rankings as well.
Post isn't the only freshman making noise on a national level as Lauren Stuart looks to improve upon her No. 23 ranking in the region. The Smithers, B.C. native sits in second in the Big Sky with a hurl of 188 feet, three inches. Stuart could become the Lumberjack's first hammer throw champion since Anna Soderberg accomplished the feat in 1997.
McCray (12th) and Graziano (14th) will also be competing in the event as well for NAU.
Pole Vault
Junior Jami Michaud returns to the conference championships once again for the Lumberjacks hoping to improve upon her season-best mark of 12 feet, two inches which ranks her fifth in the Big Sky. Michaud is the indoor and outdoor school record holder for the Lumberjacks.
Decathlon
Redshirt freshman Dom Giovannoni will be the lone decathlete competing for the Lumberjacks this year. It will be the first decathlon of the season for the Napa, Calif., native who collected a seventh-place finish at the 2009 indoor championships in the heptathlon for NAU. Giovannoni is also qualified in the 110-meter hurdles.
Stay tuned for part three in a series of three Big Sky preview articles when we take a look at the NAU distance squad.
