NAU Cross Country Heads to Indiana for Joe Piane Invitational

Photo byCross Country

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (October 2, 2024) – The Northern Arizona University (NAU) cross country teams are set to compete in the Joe Piane Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on Friday, October 4, 2024, at the Burke Golf & Cross Country Course in South Bend, Indiana.

The women's team will kick off the event with their first 5k of the season at 7:30 a.m. Mountain Standard Time, while the men's team will follow with an 8k race at 8:15 a.m. MST. Fans can follow the live stats for both races through the provided links. The NAU women will compete in the Blue 5k Division, and the men will participate in the Blue 8k race.

National Rankings

This week, the NAU women's team made waves by securing the No. 1 spot in the Mountain Region rankings and tying with NC State for the top national ranking in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll. The Lumberjacks will face a competitive field that includes No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 5 BYU, alongside regional rivals Texas Tech and Wyoming, contributing to a total of 50 teams competing.

On the men's side, the Lumberjacks hold the No. 2 position regionally and rank No. 4 nationally. They will compete against 41 other teams, including the ninth-ranked hosts, Notre Dame.

Recent Performances

Following their recognition as Big Sky Athletes of the Week, Ava Mitchell and Justin Keyes are eager to continue their momentum after standout performances at the Dave Murray Invitational in Tucson last weekend. Keyes claimed victory in the 8k race with an impressive time of 23:04.6, while Mitchell finished second in the women's 6k with a time of 20:45.3. Both teams achieved team titles, scoring 15 and 20 points, respectively.

Competing Athletes

The following athletes will represent the women’s team at the Joe Piane Invitational: Karrie Baloga, Hayley Burns, Alex Carlson, Alyson Churchill, Maggi Congdon, Anna Fenske, Maisie Grice, Alexis Kebbe, Keira Moore, Nikita Moore, and Emma Stutzman.

The men’s squad will include Caleb Easton, Randy Espinoza, Corey Gorgas, Cael Grotenhuis, Erik Le Roux, David Mullarkey, Zack Munson, Kang Nyoak, Manny Perez, Santiago Prosser, Aidan Puffer, Colin Sahlman, and Ford Washburn.

Upcoming Events

Following the Joe Piane Invitational, NAU will return to action on Saturday, October 19, for their fourth meet of the season at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals in Madison, Wisconsin. This event will provide the Lumberjacks an opportunity to race on the NCAA National Championship course against some of the best teams in the nation.