TUCSON, Ariz. – Western Washington University All-American Bec Bennett broke her own school record in the 400m Saturday at the Willie Williams Classic at Drachman Stadium on the University of Arizona campus.
 
One week removed from placing 7th in the 400m at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Indianapolis, Bennett returned to competing in her marquee event clocking 54.25 in her second outdoor competition of the season. Bennett originally set the program standard in the 400m two weeks ago at the PLU open running 54.54 to break the previous school record of 54.59 set by Eleanor Siler in 2009.
 
Bennett's blistering time Saturday in Arizona moved her up to No. 4 in GNAC history and is currently the second-fastest time in NCAA II this season trailing the 54.20 ran by Tetiana Kharashchuk of Harding at the Ole Miss Classic on Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi.
 
Her sixth-place finish came in a strong 37-competitor field against mainly NCAA Division I schools.
  The Vikings are back in action next week with the throwers headed to Texas to compete in the Bobcat Invitational in San Marcos and the Texas Relays in Austin. The rest of the team is set to compete March 29-30 to complete spring break at the UBC Open in Vancouver. The complete 2025 WWU Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/TF.
  The Vikings swept the team titles at the 2025 GNAC Indoor Championships earning the title of conference indoor champions for the second consecutive season. Dating back to the 2022 calendar year, the WWU men have won nine of 10 possible titles in cross country, indoor and outdoor, while the women have combined for seven of 10 titles. The Western track & field and cross country program has a current string of 12 consecutive team titles across men's and women's dating back to the 2023 outdoor championships.