SPOKANE, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team put together an impressive two-day performance at the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at The Podium.
The men's team won its third consecutive GNAC indoor team title with a dominating performance and the Viking women placed third in a tight battle near the top of the leaderboard with the winner being decided in the final race.
The Viking men not only recorded its third straight team title in the indoor championship (2019, 2020, 2022), but also the program's seventh all-time for the most in conference history. Dating back to the 2019 season, WWU has won the last five GNAC Track & Field team titles with three indoor trophies and two outdoor championships (2019, 2021).
WWU earned points in 15 of 17 men's events, led by 25 points in the 800m and 20 points in the high jump. Event winners in Tuesday's final day included junior
Mac Franks in the 800m, senior
Beau Sheeran with a school-record high jump and
Ben Malquist in the shot put.
Franks won the 800m in a time of 1:51.45 to just miss his own school record of 1:51.07 set in Monday's prelims and then shattered the WWU mile record placing 2nd in 4:02.28 for the No. 3 time in GNAC history. Sheeran made a case for a trip to nationals setting the program record clearing 2.10m/6-10.75 moving up to No. 3 in GNAC history.
Junior
Aliyah Dawkins earned the Field Athlete of the Meet award after totaling 25 points across three individual events and the pentathlon. Dawkins broke her own school record in the five-event pentathlon with 3,340 points, won the high jump clearing 1.67m/5-5.75, placed 5th in the long jump (5.45m/17-2.75) and finished 6th in the 60m hurdles with a personal-best time of 9.11.
WWU recorded 20 total All-GNAC performances for a top three finish during the two-day championships, with nine on Tuesday and 11 on Monday during the first day of competition. The performances also resulted in six school records and four performances that cracked the all-time top five in GNAC history.
GNAC TEAM SCORES
Here is a look at the final team scores from the 2022 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Points are awarded to the top eight finishers on a 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis for individual and relay events.
| MEN'S TEAM SCORES |
WOMEN'S TEAM SCORES |
| |
Team |
Pts |
PL |
Team |
Pts |
| 1. |
Western Washington |
171 |
1. |
Simon Fraser |
124 |
| 2. |
Simon Fraser |
110 |
2. |
Western Oregon |
115 |
| 3. |
Western Oregon |
107.3 |
3. |
Western Washington |
113 |
| 4. |
Alaska Anchorage |
83 |
4. |
Central Washington |
106 |
| 5. |
Northwest Nazarene |
80.16 |
5. |
Seattle Pacific |
79 |
| 6. |
Central Washington |
40.5 |
6. |
Alaska Anchorage |
42 |
| 7. |
Seattle Pacific |
29 |
7. |
Northwest Nazarene |
31 |
| 8. |
Montana St. Billings |
20 |
8. |
Saint Martin's |
30 |
| 9. |
Saint Martin's |
18 |
9. |
Montana St. Billings |
19 |
POINTS BREAKDOWN
Here is a look at the points breakdown for each WWU event to help establish the men's team championship and the women earning a solid third-place finish:
| WWU MEN'S POINTS |
WWU WOMEN'S POINTS |
| 800m |
25 |
High Jump |
17 |
| High Jump |
20 |
Pentathlon |
15 |
| Pole Vault |
17 |
Weight Throw |
14 |
| 400m |
17 |
Long Jump |
10 |
| 5000m |
15 |
3000m |
9 |
| Heptathlon |
13 |
Shot Put |
9 |
| Mile |
12 |
5000m |
8 |
| Long Jump |
10 |
Mile |
7 |
| Shot Put |
10 |
Triple Jump |
7 |
| 60m |
8 |
Distance Medley Relay |
6 |
| 200m |
8 |
800m |
5 |
| Distance Medley Relay |
5 |
4x400 Relay |
3 |
| 60m Hurdles |
5 |
60m Hurdles |
3 |
| 3000m |
4 |
|
|
| Weight Throw |
2 |
|
|
| Total Points |
171 |
Total Points |
113 |
SIX SCHOOL RECORDS BROKEN IN SPOKANE
Six school indoor records were broken during the 2022 GNAC Championships. Here are a look at the record-breaking performances:
ALL-GNAC PERFORMERS
Here is a look at the All-GNAC performers for individuals placing in the top three in their event with the Vikings earning seven gold medals, six silvers and seven bronze awards for 20 total All-GNAC performances:
Tuesday:
Monday:
TOP 10 PERFORMANCES
Here is a look at the top-10 performances in WWU indoor history that were recorded during the 2022 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. Six school records and 23 total top-10 marks were achieved during the two-day championships at The Podium in Spokane:
Tuesday:
- Bryant Welch – 400m, 49.00 (No. 3)
- Mac Franks – Mile, 4:02.28 (No. 1)
- Beau Sheeran – High Jump, 2.10m/6-10.75 (No. 1)
- Aliyah Dawkins – 60m Hurdles, 9.11 (No. 4)
- Ryan Kenny – Heptathlon, 4,571 Points (No. 4)
- Ila Davis – Mile, 5:07.79 (No. 8)
- Lainnie Lyamba – Triple Jump, 10.83m/35-6.5 (T-No. 9)
- Katie Potts – Shot Put, 12.41m/40-8.75 (No. 3)
- Carmen Cleveland Barrera – Shot Put, 11.98m/39-3.75 (No. 6)
- Amanda Short – Shot Put, 11.81m/38-9 (No. 8)
Monday:
- Aliyah Dawkins – Pentathlon, 3,340 Points (No. 1)
- Mac Franks – 800m, 1:51.07 (No. 1)
- Ethan Sterkel – Long Jump, 7.26m/23-10 (No. 1)
- Raine Westfall – Weight Throw, 15.64m/51-3.75 (No. 1)
- Bryant Welch – 200m, 22.04 (No. 2)
- Drew Weber – 800m, 1:51.55 (No. 2)
- Katie Potts – Weight Throw, 15.50m/50-10.25 (No. 2)
- Matty Lagerwey – Pentathlon, 3,138 Points (No. 3)
- Tyrone Woodard – 60m, 6.97 (No. 4)
- Mia Crocker – 800m, 2:17.05 (No. 4)
- Jerrod Lee – Weight Throw, 15.01m/49-3 (No. 6)
- Noah Johnson – 60m, 7.03 (T-No. 6)
- Sophie Wright – 800m, 2:18.83 (No. 7)
- Landon Sturdevant – 800m, 1:55.02 (No. 8)
UP NEXT
The Vikings will have one last indoor meet this Saturday with a small number of Vikings competing at the SPU Final Qualifier at Dempsey Indoor
