Elise Stearns Takes Advantage Of Homecoming And Wins Second Straight Big Sky Title and Leads 'Jacks To Perfect Score 

Story and Photos by Keenan Gray of DyeStat

MISSOULA, Mont. – As dominant as Northern Arizona's women have been this season, it was only a matter of time before they would be chasing perfection. 

The top-ranked Lumberjacks achieved the first perfect score of 15 points in the history of the women’s Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships on a snowy Friday at the University of Montana Golf Course. The team went 1-through-7. 

Elise Stearns defended her individual title from last year in Cheney, Wash., running a time of 16:21.10 over the 5-kilometer course to guide the NAU women to a fifth consecutive conference title and 25th overall in program history. 

Stearns, a native of Missoula by way of Hellgate High, led eight NAU runners into the top 11, including the first seven podium spots.

“It’s really great to be back home doing this,” Stearns said. “It’s a lot of fun. It’s a lot more rewarding with everyone here.”

Behind Stearns was Annika Reiss (16:44.30) in second, Aliandrea Upshaw (16:46.20) in third, Gracelyn Larkin (16:47.60) in fourth and Maisie Grice (16:51) in fifth to round out the Lumberjack scoring. Ruby Smee (16:53.30) and Nikita Moore (17:08.40) were sixth and seventh, respectively, while Meagan Van Pelt (17:33.80) finished 11th. 

“It’s great to be doing this with the team and get my last Big Sky Conference cross country,” said Reiss, a fifth-year senior. “It’s a fun one to come back and do it every year.”

The NAU women also held the previous scoring record of 18 points set back in the 2002 meet in Pocatello, Idaho, with Ida Nilsson winning her second of four individual conference titles in a four-year stretch.

Kyla Christopher-Moody and Grace Gilbreth of Montana State finished ninth and 10th, respectively, to lead the Bobcats to second place with 57 points as Christopher-Moody ran 17:25.90 and Gilbreth ran 17:33.70.

Idaho’s Katja Pattis, representing Italy, earned her first all-conference honors for the first time since her freshman season, finishing eighth overall in 17:15.90 to lead the Vandals to fourth place, scoring 109 points.

Weber State, led by Laurie Murphy in 12th in 17:35.20, finished third with 107 points.

Despite the absence of Drew Bosley and Brodey Hasty, the top-ranked NAU men prevailed with a 20-45 win over No. 28 Montana State to win its third consecutive conference title, with eight runners also finishing in the top 11.

Nico Young collected his second consecutive individual title, running an impressive 22:49.80 for the 8-kilometer race that followed a runner-up finish at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 13 in Madison. 

Teammate Aaron Las Heras, a Wake Forest transfer, hung with Young for three miles in his Big Sky Conference debut before eventually settling in second when he crossed the finish line in 23:10.70. Kang Nyoak (23:37.70) and Corey Gorgas (23:38.90) provided an extra boost in the top five finishing fourth and fifth, respectively, with Theo Quax completing the scoring for NAU in eighth in 24:02.90.

“Everybody ran this race hard today,” Young said. “The goal was to get a really good effort in and I think that was fantastic across the board. I’m really proud of it.”

Cael Grotenhuis (24:07) and Jack Scherer (24:07.60) cracked the top 10 for the Lumberjacks, finishing ninth and 10th, respectively, with Colin Sahlman wrapping up the NAU contingent in 11th in 24:16.70.

Second-place Montana State earned top 10 placings from Ben Perrin and Matthew Richtman, with Perrin finishing third in 23:33 and Richtman finishing sixth in 23:46.10.

Peter Visser managed a seventh-place finish in 23:51.40 to lead Weber State to third place with 79 points.