Brenden Martin

Arizona Daily Sun • August 23 2025

Flagstaff Eagles cross country gains talent ahead of state title defense

The Flagstaff High School boys and girls cross country teams are back and seemingly better than ever, coming off a sweep of the Division II state championship meets last year.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 21 2025

Northland Prep Academy boys soccer looks full and refreshed for 2025

Spartans second-year head coach Zalma Batrez-Cardoza has put the pieces together and now knows more of what to expect in 2025. The process started with tough decisions on who would make the team this year.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 20 2025

NPA girls soccer shuts down Show Low in 6-0 season opener

The three-time defending state champion Spartans -- and winners of seven of the past eight fall soccer state titles -- opened the 2025 season with a 6-0 blowout win over the Show Low Cougars (0-1) at Peaks View County Park in a rematch of the last two state title matches.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 19 2025

Flagstaff Sports Foundation inducts 2025 Hall of Fame Class

The Flagstaff Sport Foundation held its annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony Saturday night at the High Country Conference Center on the Northern Arizona University campus. Janet Martin (Natt), Richard Estrella, Shauna Kifer (Isbell), Paul Sweitzer, Greg Stroud, Matt Kendall, Mike Moran, Terry Mahan and the 1977 state champion Coconino cross country team were officially inducted into the organization’s 2025 Hall of Fame class.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 17 2025

Northland Prep girls soccer looking for another championship 4-peat

It is hard to find a stronger sports dynasty in Flagstaff than the one Northland Preparatory Academy’s girls soccer team is ruling. The Spartans enter the 2025 fall soccer season having won seven of the last eight 2A Conference state championships and are poised to keep their run going.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 14 2025

Flagstaff Sports Foundation sees rapid growth ahead of Hall of Fame banquet

The Flagstaff Sports Foundation has taken the mantle of representing and recognizing high school athletics in the city since its creation in January 2008. Over time, the nonprofit organization has provided resources for young student-athletes to use in order to further their academic, athletic and professional capabilities.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 11 2025

What we learned from NAU soccer’s exhibition matches

It is rare for a team like Northern Arizona soccer to workshop its playing style against the caliber of teams it played last week. The Lumberjacks played two exhibition matches recently at home against Arizona and Arizona State.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 9 2025

Blaise McCallie wins USATF National Junior Olympic Championships in pole vault

Weeks before Blaise McCallie started his freshman year at Flagstaff High School, he won gold at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympic Championships in the 13-14 age group in Georgia. In the months leading up to junior nationals, McCallie won the pole vault at various state and regional meets.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 7 2025

Lumberjacks football gears up for 2025 with start of fall camp

The Northern Arizona football team commenced fall camp last week ahead of the kickoff of the 2025 season later this month.

Arizona Daily Sun • August 2 2025

NAU soccer looks for a bounce-back year with new personnel and objectives

Alan Berrios and the Lumberjacks are prepared for 2025 after their first losing season since he became head coach.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 29 2025

Former NPA volleyball standout Bella Moseng named associate head coach at Phoenix Christian

Bella Moseng will be the associate head coach for the Phoenix Christian girls volleyball team this season and is set to become the head coach in 2026.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 27 2025

Coconino’s Kaitlyn Tso claims fourth Daily Sun athlete of the year award

Panthers pitcher Kaitlyn Tso has been named the Arizona Daily Sun Softball Player of the Year for the fourth consecutive season.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 24 2025

Shane Burcar coaches up his kids in Little League during NAU basketball's offseason

Northern Arizona University men’s basketball head coach Shane Burcar is an avid member of the Flagstaff community. The longtime high school coach in Phoenix has truly made Flagstaff a home for him and his four kids.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 22 2025

Coconino’s punter transfers to IMG Academy ahead of senior season

Panthers punter Jaxon Guerrero will be leaving the football program and transferring to high school football powerhouse IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for his upcoming senior season.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 22 2025

Diadora picks Flagstaff for 1st local pop-up as it enters the running space

Diadora, an Italian sportswear company, is expanding its reach into the running market. In collaboration with Run Flagstaff, Diadora has opened its first-ever running pop-up store on Historic Route 66.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 21 2025

Northland Prep athlete signs with Whatcom Community College to play women's soccer

The former fall conference defensive player of the year committed to Whatcom Community College during a signing ceremony at NPA’s gymnasium, with friends and family in attendance.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 19 2025

SportsCenter features Grand Canyon whitewater rafting as part of ‘50 States in 50 Days’ series

This activity caught the eye of ESPN, which looked for a way to showcase Arizona just like the other 49 states of the Union. This summer, ESPN introduced “SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days,” a series that displays sporting or recreational activities or events in a different state each day.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 17 2025

Eric Freas’ legacy lives on after retiring as Coconino's athletic director

Athletics at Coconino High School is seeing its biggest shift in leadership. The school announced on July 1 that athletic director Eric Freas would retire from the position after 16 years.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 17 2025

New Coconino athletic director brings experience and ideas to Panthers

The Coconino High School athletic director position has undergone some changes. The most important of those is the person who has assumed the role. Kyle Hofmann took over as the school’s new athletic director on July 1 following Eric Freas' retirement from the role after 16 years.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 15 2025

New NAU athletic director shares commitment to Big Sky Conference

Uri Farkas was officially introduced as Northern Arizona's new vice president of intercollegiate athletics on July 9 during a press conference, the first change of that position since 2017. He reaffirmed the university's commitment to the conference it has been a member of since 1970.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 14 2025

Farkas brings familiarity and focus as NAU’s next vice president for intercollegiate athletics

Uri Farkas was named NAU’s athletic director on June 30, taking over for Mike Marlow, who retired from the position on Feb. 28. Farkas has been with the department since 2017 and was named the senior associate athletic director in 2018.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 12 2025

Flagstaff Little League 11s All-Stars start state tournament with 13-run shutout

The Flagstaff Little League 11s All-Star team steamrolled its way to a District 1 championship a few weeks ago in Snowflake. The team’s first matchup in the Arizona Little League State Tournament was more of the same as Flagstaff shut out District 12 champion Copper Hills Little League, 13-0, at Mark Grace Field.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 10 2025

Coconino golfer Jada Dickson signs with Haskell University to play women's golf

Dickson committed to play golf at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, during a signing ceremony at Continental Country Club on June 6.

Arizona Daily Sun • July 8 2025

NAZ Elite: Paige Wood finishes third in first marathon since childbirth

The NAZ Elite runner recently completed her first marathon since welcoming Nolan into the world, securing a third-place finish at Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota, on June 21, with a time of 2:30.24 amid less-than-ideal weather conditions.