NAMPA, Idaho – The Western Washington University men's track & field program continued its recent dominance repeating as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Champions.

 

Competition in the two-day indoor championships wrapped up Saturday at Jackson's Indoor Track, with the Viking men scoring points in 16 of the 17 events. This marks the sixth indoor team title for the WWU men, also winning titles in 2005, 2006, 2013, 2014 and 2019. 

 

WWU has now won the last four GNAC men's team titles in track & field and cross country, a reign that began a year ago at the 2019 indoor championships. The Vikings distanced themselves in the team standings with 137 points, with Concordia (87), Central Washington (86) and Simon Fraser (85) all within a point for the 2-4 spots.

 

The Vikings featured 12 All-GNAC performers for top 3 individual finishes and members of the winning 4x400 relay team. Senior Cordell Cummings won the 60m Hurdles for his sixth career GNAC individual title and sophomore Ethan Sterkel took top honors in the long jump on Friday. The men's 4x400 relay was also victorious with Sonny Chhim, Mark Daniels, Jon Oglesby and Myles Smith closing out the team title in grand fashion.

 

The Viking women placed 6^th out of 10 teams finishing with 61.66 points, led by All-GNAC performances from junior Devon Olson (Triple Jump), senior Lexi Perry (Pole Vault) and seniorSophia Galvez (5,000m). Concordia won its first team indoor title finishing with 128.33 points, just ahead of second-place Seattle Pacific with 121 points.

 

"It was a great team effort on the men's side with everyone contributing and battling all the way until the end," said 33^rd-year head coach Pee Wee Halsell. "The team gave it their all the entire weekend – both the men and women –   and I am very proud of their effort. We had several team members step up that gave some amazing performances. It was really great to see."

 

 

A total of 14 Vikings received All-GNAC awards for top-3 individual finishes or for being part of a winning relay team. Here is a rundown of WWU's All-GNAC performers from the 2020 indoor championships:

 

·         Cordell Cummings, 1^st in 60m Hurdles

·         Ethan Sterkel, 1^st in Long Jump

·         Ed Kiolbasa, 2^nd in 3,000m & 5,000m

·         Myles Smith, 2^nd in 400m and member of winning 4x400 relay (anchor leg)

·         Lexi Perry, 2^nd in Pole Vault

·         Tupre Wickliff, 3^rd in High Jump

·         Sophia Galvez, 3^rd in 5,000m

·         Ryan Greenwalt, 3^rd in Long Jump

·         Koby Okezie, 3^rd in 60m Hurdles

·         Drew Weber, 3^rd in 800m

·         Devon Olson, 3^rd in Triple Jump

·         Mark Daniels, 4x400 Relay

·         Sonny Chhim, 4x400 Relay

·         Jon Oglesby, 4x400 Relay

 

With today's men's victory in the indoor championships, WWU has won six of the seven team GNAC titles so far in 2019-20 (not including basketball yet). The Vikings swept all five fall titles in volleyball, men's soccer, women's soccer and men's and women's cross country.

 

Senior Cordell Cummings repeated as the 60m Hurdles champion, clocking a personal-best 8.31 to edge Jordan Gloden of Concordia by 4/100^th. Cummings is now a six-time GNAC champion, also winning the 110m High Hurdles in 2018 and 2019 and the 400m Hurdles in 2017 and 2019 during the outdoor season. Cummings becomes the third athlete in the 17-year history of the indoor championships to repeat at the 60m hurdle champion, joining former Viking Travis Milbrandt (2015-16) and Robert Edwards of CWU (2006-07)

 

In addition to the 10 points earned by Cordell Cummings, the Vikings combined for 18 points in the event with sophomore Koby Okezie earning All-GNAC honors with a 3^rd-place finish in 8.38 for 6 points and a 7^th-place finish by sophomore Seren Dances for 2 points in 8.84.

 

Junior Myles Smith earned a pair of All-GNAC awards, placing 2^nd in the 400m and anchoring the winning 4x400 relay team. Smith set the WWU indoor record in the 400m in 48.84, breaking the seven-year-old mark set by Jonathon Poolman (48.85) in 2013. Smith led the Vikings helping the team earn 20 points also placing 7^th in the 200m.

 

In addition to the 2^nd-place finish and school-record mark by Myles Smith, WWU had three runners score in the men's 400m for a total of 15 points. Sophomore Mark Daniels placed 4^th in 49.72 and junior Jon Oglesby was 5^th in a PR time of 49.83 to move into 9^th in WWU history.

 

The Vikings closed out the team victory winning the 4x400 relay in the final event of the championships, finishing in 3:17.76 to edge out Western Oregon (3:17.80) at the finish line. The relay members included Sonny Chhim, Mark Daniels, Jon Oglesby and Myles Smith. Smith dove at the finish line to clinch the victory over WOU, marking the second time WWU has won the 4x400 indoor title (also in 2013).

 

Junior Ed Kiolbasa earned a pair of 2^nd-place medals in both the 3,000m and 5,000m. In Saturday's 3,000m race, Kiolbasa and Alaska Anchorage's Felix Kemboi battled until the end, with Kemboi edging Kiolbasa by 3/10^th of a second (8:31.50 – 8:31.80). 

 

Freshman Drew Weber placed 3^rd in the 800m to earn All-GNAC honors, clocking 1:55.69 to just miss his personal-best of 1:55.15 set earlier this season.

 

Sophomore Cooper Cummings, the younger brother of Cordell, set a PR in the pentathlon with 4,412 points to place fourth earning 5 team points. Cummings passed his previous best of 4,240 points by recording a personal-best mark in three of the seven events. He also placed 6^th in the pole vault clearing 4.00m/13-1.50.

 

Sophomore Christian Williams placed 4^th in the men's pole vault clearing a personal-best 4.30m/14-1.25, earning5 team points for the Vikings.

 

Junior Devon Olson recorded the 3^rd-best triple jump in WWU history with a leap of 11.63m/38-2, placing 3^rd in the GNAC Championships to earn all-conference honors.

 

Junior Shawnee Konrad and sophomore Annika Taylor placed 4^th and 6^th in the women's 800m to earn 8 team points for the Vikings. Konrad ran 2:18.22 in the final, after recording the 3^rd-fastest time in WWU indoor history in the prelims (2:16.60). Taylor ran a 2:19.66 in the final after setting a PR and the 5^th-fastest time in program history with a 2:17.73 in the prelims.

 

The Vikings made 25 entries into the program top 10 indoor record book during the GNAC Indoor Championships, including a school-record long jump by sophomore Ethan Sterkel and a program-best in the 400m by junior Myles Smith. Including improved marks from competition Friday and Saturday, the Vikings have now made 49 entries (Women – 25, Men – 24) into the program's all-time top-10 indoor record book and set five school records.

 

·         WWU Indoor Record Book

·         GNAC Indoor Top 10 Marks – Men

·         GNAC Indoor Top 10 Marks – Women