Lumberjacks Sweep Big Sky Cross Country Championships

BOZEMAN, Mont. (November 1, 2025) – Northern Arizona cross country once again proved its dominance in the Big Sky Conference, sweeping both the menS and women’s team titles on Saturday morning at Bridger Creek Golf Course. The Lumberjacks combined for an exceptional performance across both races, with the women scoring just 16 points and the men securing a 20-point victory to complete the program’s first championship sweep under Director of Cross Country Jarred Cornfield.

The women’s squad delivered one of the moast complete team showings in recent conference history. Sophomore Hayley Burns,competing in her hometown of Bozeman,captured the Big Sky individual title in a time of 16:05.7, leading a powerful front pack that included Ava mitchell (2nd, 16:14.3), Keira moore (3rd, 16:22.1), Kiki Vaughn (4th, 16:28.9), and Payton Godsey (6th, 16:42.3). With five runners in the top six and all seven scorers inside the top 20, NAU finished averaging 16:22 per runner with just a 36-second spread. Vaughn’s fourth-place finish also earned her Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors.

The NAU men matched the women’s energy with an equally dominant performance, led by Colin Sahlman, who claimed the Big Sky individual championship with a time of 23:41.3. The Lumberjacks packed tightly through the front, with Manny Perez (3rd, 23:58.4), erik Le Roux (4th, 23:59.5), Cael Grotenhuis (5th, 24:01.4), and Ethan Godsey (7th, 24:15.0) rounding out the top five scorers. NAU averaged 23:59 per runner with a 33-second spread.

“The Big Sky Championships are an integral focus of our program here at NAU,” Cornfield said. “We care deeply about the execution and composure it takes to perform in thes environments, and both groups came in fully prepared. I’m really proud of how they executed.To come away with both titles feels incredibly rewarding, that’s always a major priority for us, and it’s special to see the team rise to the moment.”

Cornfield credited both Colin Sahlman and Hayley Burns for setting the tone at the front of their respective races, capturing individual conference titles to lead the Lumberjacks to their team victories. “Both Colin and Hayley have been incredibly consistent and professional this season,” he said. “Colin had a slightly delayed start after a long track campaign, but the way he’s leading now, with