by TUCSON, Ariz. – The Northern Arizona University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in their second meet of the season Friday afternoon, with both squads placing third at the Dave Murray Invitational hosted by the University of Arizona.
“We use this meet to give these young guys a chance to race, but also to figure out who’s going to be our eighth man moving forward,” said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Eric Heins. “Our front three guys competed really well, and to see them battling toward the end was exciting and a positive for us.”
The men’s side raced all freshmen for the four and a quarter mile meet Friday afternoon, with Mike Lowrie recording a first-place finish for NAU and a seventh-place time overall at 22:10.00. Walk-on Jackson Crose was the next ‘Jack to cross the finish line, scoring second for NAU and 15th overall with a time of 22:59.00.
For the Lumberjack women, senior Rolonda Jumbo (Navajo Nation) led the way on the three-mile meet route, securing 16th-place with a time of 18:08.00.Caitlin Heldt was also a highlight for the ‘Jacks on Friday, improving her finish time by 12 positions compared to her last time out at George Kyte. The freshman ended the day with a time of 18:38.00, good enough for 22nd overall and second-place for NAU.
NAU will be back in action next Saturday, Sept. 26, when both teams travel to Stillwater, Okla., to compete in the Cowboy Jamboree. That meet is set for a 7 a.m. MST start.
Keep up to date with the cross country team by following us on Twitter at @nautrackfieldxc.
