SPOKANE, Wash. –Western Washington University Track & Field made history Tuesday sweeping the team titles at the GNAC Indoor Championships for the first time in program history.

 

WWU gave a dominating performance on the men's side scoring points in all 17 events while setting a meet record with 187.66 points for the eighth title in program history and the women claimed their first indoor title in program history. Western became the third program to sweep the team titles in the 20-year history of the GNAC Indoor Championships joining Western Oregon in 2023 and Alaska Anchorage in 2016.

 

The Vikings continued their conference dominance with both the men and women's programs currently holding all three GNAC team trophies after also winning the outdoor and cross country championships in 2023.

 

The two-day championship at The Podium resulted in three school records, 10 NCAA provisional qualifying marks, 23 program top-10 marks and most importantly, two new trophies to add to the collection.

 

A total of 26 student-athletes earned All-GNAC honors for placing in the top three individually or as part of a winning relay team.

 

"This is something we talk about right at the beginning of the year and we really accomplished this as a group. We do this together and as a team, and that is what you saw today to win two team trophies," said WWU interim Track & Field Head Coach Ben Stensland. "There are too many great things that happened over the last two days to call out individually, but you certainly have to recognize what Tunk (Kevin McDermott) did to win the triple crown. But this was a total team effort that we are really proud of. I have to give a lot of credit to the assistant coaches that are doing a wonderful job and have really energized the group. This is turning into something special, and I think we are just getting started."

 

The standout performance of the meet went to junior Kevin McDermott who claimed the trifecta winning the men's mile, 3000m and 5000m races, adding to his GNAC individual title at the cross country championships during the fall. McDermott was selected as the Men's Track Athlete of the Meet after becoming the third men's athlete in the 20-year history of the GNAC Indoor Championships to win three individual gold medals. McDermott joined Chris Randolph of Seattle Pacific in 2005 (400m, Long Jump, High Jump) and Micah Chelimo of Alaska Anchorage in 2013 (Mile, 3000m, 5000m) to accomplish the triple gold medal performance.

 

In addition to McDermott's three first-place finishes, Ila Davis won the women's mile in a school-record time of 4:52.81, Hunter Flick won the men's 60m hurdles in 8.11 to match his season-best performance, Ashley Reeck won Monday's women's 5000m in 17:30.87, Troy Roberson won the men's long jump with a leap of 7.10m/23-3.5 and Noah Turner won the men's shot put on his final throw of 15.24m/50-0. The men's 4x400 relay and women's distance medley relay also took home first-place awards.

 

Junior Brian Le also had a standout meet earning All-GNAC honors with a third-place and school-record performance in the 400m in 48.81 and was also part of the first-place winning 4x400 relay. 

 

Junior sprinter Caitlyn Cheney equaled her own school record in the 60m dash on Monday in 7.71 and blew past that Tuesday in the finals clocking 7.66 seconds while placing 4th. Junior thrower Katie Potts also recorded a pair of All-GNAC performances in the shot put (2nd place) and weight throw (3rd place).

 

Here is a look at the GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships team scoring with the Vikings sweeping the men's and women's team titles for the first time in indoor program history:

 

Here is the listing of WWU student-athletes that earned All-GNAC honors for top-3 individual finishes or by being part of a winning relay team:

 

WWU Women – All-GNAC Award Winners:

• Ashley Reeck (5000m, 1st Place)
• Ila Davis (DMR, 1st Place; Mile, 1st Place; 3000m, 2nd Place)
• Evelyn Collins-Winn (DMR, 1st Place)
• Marian Ledesma (DMR, 1st Place)
• Mia Crocker (DMR, 1st Place)
• Katie Potts (Shot Put, 2nd Place; Weight Throw, 3rd Place)
• Emmy Kroontje (800m, 2nd Place)
• Sophie Wright (Mile, 3rd Place)
• Meaera Nystrom (5000m, 3rd Place)
• Kora Cook (High Jump, 3rd Place)
• Mara Parks (Shot Put, 3rd Place)

 

WWU Men – All-GNAC Award Winners:

• Kevin McDermott (3000m, 1st Place; 5000m, 1st Place; Mile, 1st Place)
• Hunter Flick (60m Hurdles, 1st Place)
• Troy Roberson (Long Jump, 1st Place)
• Noah Turner (Shot Put, 1st Place)
• Ryan Greenwalt (60m Dash, 2nd Place; 4x400 Relay, 1st Place)
• Trent Kibler (High Jump, 2nd Place)
• Manu Greenlee (High Jump, 2nd Place)
• Jaden Edwards (60m Hurdles, 3rd Place)
• Angelo Ramos (Weight Throw, 3rd Place)
• Brian Le (400m, 3rd Place; 4x400 Relay, 1st Place)
• Jonah Bloom (800m, 3rd Place)
• Nolan Mickenham (200m, 3rd Place)
• Gabe Menicke (Triple Jump, 3rd Place)
• Lucas Brenek (4x400 Relay, 1st Place)
• Owen Windrope (4x400 Relay, 1st Place)

 

Here are interviews from the GNAC of WWU's gold medal winners during the two-day Championships:

 

Tuesday:

• Hunter Flick – 60m Hurdles
• Noah Turner – Shot Put
• Ila Davis – Mile
• Kevin McDermott – Mile & 3000m
• Ben Stensland – WWU Track & Field Head Coach

 

Monday:

• Ashley Reeck – 5000m
• Kevin McDermott – 5000m
• Women's DMR
• Troy Roberson – Long Jump

 

Here is a breakdown of results for WWU competitors from Tuesday's competition at the GNAC Championships with points earned by the Vikings listed for all final events:

 

Men's Results:

60m Dash (10 pts): Ryan Greenwalt (2nd, 6.83), Brian Le (7th, 6.98)

60m Hurdles (16 Pts): Hunter Flick (1st, 8.11), Jaden Edwards (3rd, 8.38)

200m (6 Pts): Nolan Mickenham (3rd, 21.75)

400m (11 Pts): Brian Le (3rd, 48.81), Lucas Brenek (4th, 49.31)

800m (9 Pts): Jonah Bloom (3rd, 1:55.95), Cole Riley (6th, 1:57.02)

Mile (10 Pts): Kevin McDermott (1st, 4:06.63), Sam Lingwall (15th, 4:25.18)

3000m (20 Pts): Kevin McDermott (1st, 8:25.11), Ryan Clough (4th, 8:27.98), Leo Rutledge (5th, 8:31.52), Sten Brakstad (8th, 8:38.45)

4x400 Relay (10 Pts): Brian Le, Owen Windrope, Lucas Brenek, Ryan Greenwalt (1st, 3:17.11)

High Jump (12.66 Pts): Manu Greenlee (2nd, 1.95m/6-4.75), Trent Kibler (2nd, 1.95m/6-4.75)

Triple Jump (13 Pts): Gabe Menicke (3rd, 14.00m/45-11.25), Troy Roberson (4th, 13.79m/45-3), Mikko Laulainen (7th, 13.20m/43-3.75)

Shot Put (14 Pts): Noah Turner (1st, 15.24m/50-0), Angelo Ramos (6th, 13.89m/45-7), Miller Campbell (8th, 13.62m/44-8.25)

Heptathlon (2 Pts): Austin Seals (7th, 2,584)

 

Women's Results:

60m Dash (7 Pts): Caitlyn Cheney (4th, 7.66), Annabelle Heiman (7th, 7.87)

200m (1 Pt): Hannah Polkinghorn (8th, 26.15)

400m (3 Pts): Caitlyn Cheney (6th, 58.16)

800m (15 Pts): Emmy Kroontje (2nd, 2:13.38), Sophie Wright (5th, 2:15.92), Marian Ledesma (6th, 2:17.84)

Mile (21 Pts): Ila Davis (1st, 4:51.81), Sophie Wright (3rd, 4:59.09), Mia Crocker (5th, 5:08.90), Elie Bassett (8th, 5:11.27)

3000m (18 Pts): Ila Davis (2nd, 9:59.45), Ashley Reeck (4th, 10:03.96), Meaera Nystrom (6th, 10:17.11), Emma Smith (7th, 10:18.86), Ella Edens (11th, 10:28.80), Laura Halsell (12th, 10:31.85), Mia Crocker (15th, 10:38.54), Evelyn Collins-Winn (20th, 10:53.18)

4x400 Relay (6 Pts): Caitlyn Cheney, Anabelle Heiman, Kennedy Cook, Marian Ledesma (3rd, 3:51.26)

Triple Jump: Karma Walker (11th, 9.60m/31-6)

Pole Vault (8 Pts): Sydney Mohlman (4th, 3.73m/12-2.75), Annie Tran (6th, 3.43m/11-3)

Shot Put (14 Pts): Katie Potts (2nd, 13.72m/45-0.25), Mara Parks (3rd, 12.71m/41-8.5)

 

Here is a breakdown of results for WWU competitors from Monday's competition at the GNAC Championships with points earned by the Vikings listed for all final events:

 

Men's Results:

60m Dash (Prelims): Ryan Greenwalt (Q, 4th, 6.88), Brian Le (Q, 7th, 6.98)

60m Hurdles (Prelims): Hunter Flick (Q, 1st, 8.19), Jaden Edwards (Q, 4th, 8.50)

200m (Prelims): Nolan Mickenham (Q, 4th, 21.90)

400m (Prelims): Maurice Woodring (Q, 3rd, 49.50), Brian Le (Q, 4th, 49.82), Lucas Brenek (Q, 6th, 50.63)

800m (Prelims): Jonah Bloom (Q, 3rd, 1:55.52), Cole Riley (Q, 8th, 1:54.57), Ian Eifert (9th, 1:56.34)

5000m (18 Pts): Kevin McDermott (1st, 14:30.28), Ryan Clough (4th, 14:47.57), Sten Brakstad (6th, 14:55.75)

DMR (8 Pts): Lingwall-Windrope-Eifert-Rutledge (2nd, 10:13.70)

Long Jump (14 Pts): Troy Roberson (1st, 7.10m/23-3.5), Ryan Greenwalt (5th, 6.74m/22-1.5)

Weight Throw (11 Pts): Angelo Ramos (3rd, 16.75m/54-11.5), Miller Campbell (4th, 16.48m/54-1)

Pole Vault (3 Pts): Austin Seals (6th, 4.03m/13-2.5)

 

Women's Results:

60m Dash (Prelims): Caitlyn Cheney (Q, 3rd, 7.71), Anabelle Heiman (Q, 4th, 7.73)

60m Hurdles (Prelims): Naomi Bates (9th, 9.22), Brooke Mansfield (12th, 9.29), Isabella Porter (13th, 9.41)

200m (Prelims): Hannah Polkinghorn (Q, 8th, 25.84)

400m (Prelims): Caitlyn Cheney (Q, 4th, 57.99), Kennedy Cook (13th, 59.20), Anabelle Heiman (16th, 59.39)

800m (Prelims): Marian Ledesma (Q, 1st, 2:13.26), Sophie Wright (Q, 4th, 2:14.36), Emmy Kroontje (Q, 6th, 2:15.67), Elie Bassett (9th, 2:17.93)

5000m (20 Pts): Ashley Reeck (1st, 17:30.87), Meaera Nystrom (3rd, 17:36.32), Emma Smith (6th, 18:00.95), Ella Edens (8th, 18:20.82), Laura Halsell (10th, 18:28.04)

DMR (10 Pts): Crocker-Ledesma-Collins-Winn, Davis (1st, 11:50.82)

Long Jump (5 Pts): Kora Cook (6th, 5.32m/17-5.5), Hannah Polkinghorn (6th, 5.29m/17-4.25)

High Jump (6 Pts): Kora Cook (3rd, 1.62m/5-3.75)

Weight Throw (9 Pts): Katie Potts (3rd, 15.83m/51-11.25), Mara Parks (6th, 15.08m/49-5.75)

Pentathlon: Karma Walker (10th, 2615)

 

Here is a look at WWU's finishes in the 20 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships since the first meet in 2004. The WWU men have won eight indoor titles and placed in the top three in all but two of the GNAC indoor championships, while the women have seven top three finishes, six runner-up honors and won its first team title in this season.

 

 

The WWU Track & Field program has experienced unparalleled success dating back to the 2019 season, with the Vikings combining for 16 of 26 possible team titles across the GNAC men's and women's cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field championships. The Viking men have won 11 of the 13 team titles dating back to the 2019 season with four consecutive outdoor titles, four of the last five indoor titles and three cross country titles. The WWU women have won three of the last four cross country conference titles – and became the first GNAC XC program to win a regional title in 2023 – and won its first outdoor title last season and raised its first indoor trophy this season.

 

GNAC Team Titles Since 2019:

• Men's Outdoor Track & Field (4 of 4): 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Men's Indoor Track & Field (4 of 5): 2019, 2020, 2022, 2024
• Men's Cross Country (3 of 4): 2019, 2022, 2023

 

• Women's Outdoor Track & Field (1 of 4): 2023
• Women's Indoor Track & Field (1 of 5): 2024
• Women's Cross Country (3 of 4): 2019, 2022, 2023

 

Here is a listing of the WWU Indoor Track & Field schedule this season with a direct link to the results. WWU is scheduled to compete in one more regular-season meet February 23-24 at the Ken Shannon Last Chance Invitational at Dempsey Indoor in Seattle.

 

 

This marks the third consecutive season The Podium will host the GNAC Track & Field Indoor Championships in Spokane. The Podium continues the region's long-standing history with the sport of running. The venue features a state-of-the-art, 200-meter six-lane hydraulic banked track with a Beynon rubberized surface and fixed seating for 3,000 athletes and fans. The track is one of the few 200-meter hydraulic banked tracks in the U.S. and is the first in the western U.S. In its first year of operation, The Podium hosted the GNAC Indoor Championships, the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships and the USA Track and Field National Indoor Championships. In addition to the hydraulic track, The Podium boasts two throwing cages, two horizontal jump pits, high jump and pole vault pits and an eight-lane 60-meter sprint straightaway on the infield. The venue will be outfitted with Gill equipment. The facility also includes a temperature-controlled warm-up track on the lower level, a spectator level with concessions, and an entire floor dedicated to media, press and timing. Read More About The Podium.