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OGDEN, Utah (March 21, 2017) - Officially the defending champion on both sides in three Big Sky Conference sports in the past calendar year, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks have accumulated quite the target on their backs. Both the NAU men and women were strong favorites in the 2017 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field coaches' preseason poll.
 
The Lumberjack men were a unanimous choice to win their sixth straight title outdoors, garnering all of the maximum 144 points and 12 first-place votes. Southern Utah was the runner-up with 129 points, while Montana State (113), Sacramento State (99), Montana (97) and Idaho State (79) rounded out the top six of the poll.
 
Headed by a distance program that claimed the 2016 national title in cross country in the fall, NAU has dominated the Big Sky track & field scene particularly in the past decade. Indoors, the Lumberjacks have won six straight titles and eight of the past nine. Outdoors, NAU has won five straight championships and eight of the past 10.
 
On the women's side, NAU garnered eight first-place votes and a total of 140 points. Montana claimed the other four first-place votes and 129 points in the poll. Following the Grizzlies was Sacramento State (118), Montana State (100), Weber State (96) and Eastern Washington (82).
 
Sac State won six straight outdoor titles from 2008-2013, but NAU is now trying to establish itself as the new dynasty on the women's side. NAU is searching for its third title in the past four years, having swept the 2014 and 2016 titles along with the Lumberjack men. NAU enters its first outdoor season under Mike Smith, who took over for legendary coach Eric Heins in the winter. Smith was named Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year on both the men's and women's sides.
 
The Montana women have established themselves as contenders in the past year, having led the outdoor meet last season heading into the final day and finishing as runners-up this past indoor meet. The Griz women are seeking their first-ever Big Sky track & field title this spring.
 
The 2017 Big Sky Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be held on May 10-13 in Sacramento, Calif., and hosted by Sacramento State. The Hornets swept the men's and women's team titles the last time they hosted the Big Sky meet in 2011. Hornet Stadium will also be the site of the 2017 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships on June 22-25.
 
 
 

2017 Big Sky Conference Men's Preseason Outdoor Track & Field Polls
Rank. School	Points (First-Place Votes)
1. Northern Arizona	144 (12)
2. Southern Utah	129
3. Montana State	113
4. Sacramento State	99
5. Montana	97
6. Idaho State	79
7. Weber State	76
8. Idaho	65
9. Eastern Washington	61
10. North Dakota	29
11. Portland State	27
12. Northern Colorado	18

 

2017 Big Sky Conference Women's Preseason Indoor Track & Field Polls
Rank. School	Points (First-Place Votes)
1. Northern Arizona	140 (8)
2. Montana	129 (4)
3. Sacramento State	118
4. Montana State	100
5. Weber State	96
6. Eastern Washington	82
7. Northern Colorado	66
8. North Dakota	55
9. Portland State	51
10. Idaho State	49
11. Southern Utah	26
12. Idaho	24