OGDEN, Utah (March 25, 2016) - Each having recently won seven titles in less than a decade, it's easy to see why the Northern Arizona men and Sacramento State women were both heavy favorites in the 2016 Big Sky Conference Outdoor Track & Field coaches' preseason poll. Coaches were allowed to vote for their own team in the poll, which was released Friday after voting was conducted earlier in the week.
The Lumberjack men were a unanimous choice to win their fifth straight title outdoors, garnering all of the maximum 144 points and 12 first-place votes. Sacramento State, who tied with NAU for the team title last season, was picked second with 120 points. Southern Utah (104), Idaho State (102), Montana State (98) and Weber State (94) rounded out the top six.
Despite the sport seeing its first co-champions last season, the coaches expect the Lumberjacks to keep the momentum rolling as they have won four straight outdoor titles and seven of the last nine. NAU is coming off its fifth consecutive indoor championship, putting itself in a position to claim its 10th track & field title in five years.
The Hornet women picked up 10 first-place votes and 141 points in the poll. Eastern Washington (124) and Weber State (120) followed in the poll each picking up one of the remaining first-place votes. North Dakota (96), Northern Arizona (90) and Portland State (81) rounded out the top six of the poll.
Sac State is eying its eighth outdoor title in the past nine seasons and its 14th track & field championship since 2008. NAU was the last women's team other than Sac State to win an outdoor championship, doing so in 2014. In fact, NAU and Sac State have won 11 of the past 12 titles outdoors.
Last season, both the men's and women's team races came down to the final event, the 4x400 relay. The NAU men won the event to move into a tie with Sac State at 157 points. The Hornet women outlasted Montana State in a photo finish of the 4x400, finishing with 145.9 points to MSU's 142.2
The 2016 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held in Greely, Colo., and hosted by the University of Northern Colorado. It will be the first time in Big Sky history that a track & field championship has been contested in the state of Colorado.
Â
| 2016 Big Sky Conference Preseason Outdoor Track & Field Polls |
| MEN |
| Rank | Team (First place votes in parenthesis) | Points |
| 1 | Â Â Â Â Northern Arizona (12) | 144 |
| 2 | Â Â Â Â Sacramento State | 120 |
| 3 | Â Â Â Â Southern Utah | 104 |
| 4 |     Idaho State   | 102 |
| 5 | Â Â Â Â Montana State | 98 |
| 6 | Â Â Â Â Weber State | 94 |
| 7 | Â Â Â Â Eastern Washington | 74 |
| 8 | Â Â Â Â Montana | 58 |
| 9 | Â Â Â Â Idaho | 56 |
| 10 | Â Â Â Â Portland State | 35 |
| 11 | Â Â Â Â North Dakota | 28 |
| 12 | Â Â Â Â Northern Colorado | 23 |
| WOMEN |
| 1 | Â Â Â Â Sacramento State (10) | 141 |
| 2 | Â Â Â Â Eastern Washington (1) | 124 |
| 3 | Â Â Â Â Weber State (1) | 120 |
| 4 | Â Â Â Â North Dakota | 96 |
| 5 | Â Â Â Â Northern Arizona | 90 |
| 6 | Â Â Â Â Portland State | 81 |
| 7 | Â Â Â Â Montana State | 77 |
| 8 | Â Â Â Â Montana | 74 |
| 9 | Â Â Â Â Northern Colorado | 49 |
| 10 | Â Â Â Â Idaho | 35 |
| 11 | Â Â Â Â Idaho State | 30 |
| 12 | Â Â Â Â Southern Utah | 19 |
Â
