BELLINGHAM, Wash. – In the final week of preparations for the 2023 GNAC Indoor Championships, the Western Washington University Track & Field program will be spread across the country this weekend for three separate indoor competitions.
 
The Vikings will have student-athlete representation at the Husky Classic in Seattle, Whitworth Invitational in Spokane and David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. This weekend marks the penultimate week of competition during the 2023 indoor regular season, with the GNAC Championships being held February 20-21 at The Podium in Spokane.
 
WWU enters the weekend with strong regional rankings, with the men's team listed No. 3 in the West and women's squad at No. 5. According to the USTFCCCA conference rankings, the Viking men are No. 1 in the GNAC and the women are No. 2 behind Western Oregon.
 
Through the first three meets of the indoor season, the Vikings have recorded three program records and 29 program top-10 marks. The team has also achieved seven NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks, with three in the national top-10.
 
The Vikings distance medley relays are each listed in the national top 10, with the men setting the program record in 9:45.48 to rank No. 4 in the nation and the women achieving the No. 2 mark in program history clocking 11:47.47 to rank No. 6 currently in NCAA II.
 
Following this weekend's competition, WWU will have two more chances to earn qualifying marks for indoor nationals, traveling to Spokane for the GNAC Championships and returning to Dempsey Indoor in Seattle for the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invite February 24-25.
  While a majority of the team will compete in Washington this weekend at either the Husky Classic (Seattle) or Whitworth Invitational (Spokane), WWU will have two entries in the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston. Drew Weber and Will Henry are two of 499 entries in the mile at the event hosted by Boston University. Former Viking Mac Franks will also run the mile competing in his final collegiate season at the University of North Florida. Weber split a 4:01 mile on the final leg of the school-record setting DMR while Henry ran 4:10.17 at the UW Invitational to rank No. 4 in program history. Both Vikings will be aiming to take down Franks' school record in the indoor mile (4:02.28) set at last year's GNAC Championships.
  Below are links on how to follow the three meets WWU will compete in this weekend. The complete 2023 WWU Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/TF, with links to season results, recaps and national rankings:
 
Husky Classic:

• Date: Feb. 10-11 (Friday-Saturday)
• Location: Seattle, WA
• Venue: Dempsey Indoor
• Live Results
• Webcast via RunnerSpace ($)
• Meet Schedule
• Accepted Entries
• Tickets

Whitworth Invitational:

• Date: Feb. 10-11 (Friday-Saturday)
• Location: Spokane, WA
• Venue: The Podium
• Live Results
• Webcast via RunnerSpace ($)
• Meet Schedule
• Tickets

David Hemery Valentine Invitational:

• Date: Feb. 11 (Saturday)
• Location: Boston, MA
• Venue: Boston U. Track & Tennis Center
• Live Results
• Webcast via FloTrack ($)
• Meet Schedule
• Accepted Entries

Here is a look at where the Vikings rank nationally for the seven NCAA II provisional qualifying marks:

• Drew Weber: 800m (No. 7, 1:50.36)
• Will Henry: 800m (No. 29, 1:52.08), Mile (No. 58, 4:10.17)
• Marian Ledesma: 800m (No. 37, 2:14.40)
• Andrew Oslin: 5000m (No. 33, 14:29.35)
• Men's DMR: Henry, Le, Bloom, Weber (No. 4, 9:45.48)
• Women's DMR: Wright, Cheney, Crocker, Davis (No. 6, 11:47.47)

The following is information on the Vikings provided via the GNACSports.com Weekly Report, with great content written by GNAC Director of Communications Blake Timm:

• Vikings will send a select group of runners to the David Hemery Valentine Invitational in Boston and the rest of the squad to the Husky Classic in Seattle and the Whitworth Invitational in Spokane.
• A school-record performance by the men's distance medley relay team and sophomore Miller Campbell's win in the men's weight throw led WWU's efforts at the UW Invitational in the last meet January 27-28.
• The team of sophomore Will Henry, sophomore Brian Le, freshman Jonah Bloom and junior Drew Weber shattered the WWU record in the DMR, taking second in a time of 9:45.48. The Vikings were just two seconds back of Division I powerhouse Oregon. The NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time ranks No. 7 on the GNAC all-time list and is No. 4 in Division II this season.
• Campbell won the weight throw with a mark of 56 feet, 7.5 inches. The throw leads the GNAC this season. Freshman Angelo Ramos placed third with a mark of 50 feet, 5.5 inches.
• Junior Raine Westfall picked up a third-place finish in the women's weight throw with a mark of 53 feet, 2.25 inches. Sophomore Trent Kibler added a third-place performance in the men's high jump, clearing 6 feet, 2.75 inches.
• In addition to his work on the DMR, Weber picked up an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in men's 800 meters. His time of 1:50.36 placed fifth and ranks seventh in Division II this season.
• Henry also earned an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying mark in the men's mile with a time of 4:10.37 that ranks 48th in Division II.
• Junior Andrew Oslin captured an NCAA Championships provisional qualifying time in the men's 5,000 meters. His time of 14:28.35 placed 11th and ranks 33rd in Division II this season.

The WWU men are the three-time defending GNAC Indoor champions, claiming team titles in 2019 (138.5 points), 2020 (137.0 points) and 2022 (171.0 points). The men have won the last six GNAC Track & Field titles, with three consecutive outdoor championships (2019, 2021, 2022) and the three straight indoor titles. The Viking women placed third at last year's indoor championships with 113 points for the highest team finish since earning runner-up honors in back-to-back seasons in 2012-13.
  Tickets are on sale for the 2023 GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, which returns to The Podium in Spokane, Washington for the second straight year. This year's championship meet will take place on Monday, Feb. 20 and Tuesday, Feb. 21. Tickets can be purchased in advance via GNACTickets.com. Single-day tickets with general admission seating are $17. Tickets for college students with ID, children under 12, seniors over 60 years of age, first responders and military members are $12. A two-day general admission pass is available for $32. Two-day passes for college students with ID, children under 12, seniors over 60 years of age, first responders and military members are $22. Spectators will need to follow The Podium's policies for attendance, which include limitations on bags that may be brought into the venue. More info on the 2023 GNAC Track & Field Championships can be found online at GNACSports.com.