By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
INDIANAPOLIS – The Western Washington University Track & Field program completed a successful trip to the 2025 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships Saturday at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion.
Junior
Bec Bennett completed a great first trip to an NCAA National Championship event earning a pair of All-America honors, completed by a 7th-place finish in the 400m. Running for the third consecutive day in her marquee event, the Australian native clocked a WWU-best time of 54.03 breaking the program record for the fourth time this season. Bennett became the just the third All-American in the event in GNAC indoor history and the first Viking to record a top-eight finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Bennett also earned All-America honors Friday helping the DMR to a 7th place finish. Rasha Badrani of Cal State San Marcos won the event with a time of 52.92.
Senior
Kevin McDermott made his second consecutive trip to indoor nationals competing in the 3000m, placing 10th in 8:02.95. Seeded 16th out of 18 runners to open the event with a season-best time of 7:57.88 for a WWU record, McDermott surged into 5th place with three laps to go in the 15-lap event, but fell just off a podium finish to earn Second Team All-America honors (places 9-12). Romain Legendre ran a meet record time of 7:46.38 to win the national title.
Sophomore
Kora Cook tied for 14th place in the high jump clearing 1.67m/5-5.75 on her second try but was not able to clear 1.72m/5-7.75 in her three tries. Cook entered nationals seeded No. 6 after setting the WWU record at 1.76m/5-9.25. Cook completed an excellent indoor season that included winning the GNAC title clearing 1.73m/5-8.
The women's DMR squad earned First Team All-America honors Friday placing 7th in a time of 11:30.44, with the relay team consisting of senior
Sophie Wright (1200m), junior
Bec Benett (400m), junior
Emmy Kroontje (800m) and senior
Ila Davis (1600m).
The WWU women tied for 36th in the team standings with four points marking the eighth time in NCAA program history to score at least four points at indoor nationals.
WWU concluded the indoor season winning the men's and women's GNAC team title for the second consecutive season, setting 11 program records and rewriting the WWU indoor record book with 67 top 10 marks (Women – 35, Men – 32).
The WWU Track & Field program resumes the outdoor season next week competing at the Oregon Preview March 21-22 at historic Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon. The complete 2025 WWU Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at
WWUVikings.com/TF.
