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Track & Field Recap from Southern California

Vikings Wrap Up Historic Trip to Southern California

WWU Track & Field sets 9 school records and makes 26 entries into top 10 record book

4/19/2025 9:50:00 AM

By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH & AZUSA, Calif. – The Western Washington University Track & Field program wrapped up a successful trip to Southern California with the Vikings setting nine school records and establishing 26 top-10 marks.

 

WWU student-athletes competed in the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific University Wednesday-Friday, the Pacific Coast Invitational at Long Beach State on Thursday and the Leopard Invitational at La Verne University on Thursday.

 

Western's spring, hurdle and distance crew highlighted the trip to California with several PR marks and school records. Both the men's and women's 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams set school records.

 

Sophomore Maurice Woodring broke his own school record twice in the 400m hurdles, winning the competition at the Pacific Coast Invitational in 51.42 to set the GNAC record and then finished 2nd at the Bryan Clay Invitational lowering the school and conference mark in 51.02 for the current No. 3 mark in the nation. He was also part of the school-record 4x400 relay at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

 

Junior Bec Bennett had a great performance in California winning the 400m at the Bryan Clay Invitational in 53.78 to set WWU's school record and ran 23.99 in the 200m at the Pacific Coast Invitational to set the school record in that event. She was also part of the program-record 4x400 relay that ran 3:40.37 at the Bryan Clay Invitational.

 

The Ford twins – Isaac and Evin – continued their standout freshman seasons with both having a hand in several program top 10 marks. Both were part of the record-setting relays with the 4x100 running 40.92 at the Pacific Coast Invitational and the 4x400 clocking 3:10.08 at the Bryan Clay. Isaac and Evin both set PRs in the 100m and 200m races as well.

 

Senior distance runners Kevin McDermott (5000m) and Ryan Clough (10,000m) also broke their own school records in their marquee events.

 

Sophomore Sydney Mohlman helped lead a smaller group of field athletes clearing a personal-best 3.79m/12-5.25 in the pole vault to move up to No. 3 in program history Thursday at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Junior Andrew Nelson threw a personal best 61.89m/203-1 in the javelin at the PCI to enter the WWU top 10 record book at No. 10. Junior teammate Jakob Braunstein placed just ahead of Nelson at the PCI with a throw of 62.92m/206-5, just below his season-best mark of 66.86m/219-4 set earlier this season.

 

WOODRING SETS GNAC RECORD (TWICE)

Sophomore Maurice Woodring continued his incredible season winning the 400m hurdles Thursday at the Pacific Coast Invitational, breaking his own WWU record and setting the GNAC record in a time of 51.42. He then bettered that record and the GNAC mark one day later placing 2nd out of 34 runners running 51.03 Friday at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Woodring bettered his school record mark set two weeks ago in San Diego (51.69) that broke a 52-year-old school record set by Mike Vorce in 1973. Woodring broke the conference record of 51.48 ran by Vladislav Tsygankov of Simon Fraser in 2017. The 51.03 ran Friday is the current No. 3 mark in NCAA Division II.

 

BENNETT TAKES DOWN 200 & 400 RECORDS

Junior Bec Bennett became the first Viking in women's program history to run a sub 24-second 200m, setting the school record running 23.99 to place 6th out of 72 runners Thursday at the Pacific Coast Invitational. Bennett's time broke the previous school record of 24.32 set by Hollie Watson in 1987, a record that has stood for 38 years. Bennett also entered the GNAC record book at tied for 4th in conference history.

 

On Friday she broke the 400m record at the Bryan Clay Invitational, leapfrogging teammate Kennedy Cook for the No. 1 spot in WWU history winning the 65-competitor event in a time of 53.78 for the No. 3 mark in GNAC history.

 

McDERMOTT BREAKS OWN 5K RECORD

Senior Kevin McDermott broke his own 5000m record Thursday evening at the Bryan Clay Invitational, running 13:48.17 in the fourth heat of the open event. McDermott remained at No. 2 in GNAC history improving from his previous PR of 13:51.18 set April 4 at the Stanford Invitational. McDermott's previous outdoor record entering the season was 13:57.89. He now owns the all-conditions 5K school record bettering his own indoor 5000m record of 13:50.77 set at the UW Invite in January.

 

RELAY RECORDS FALL IN 4x100

Less than a week after both 4x400 relay school records were broken, the WWU sprint crew was back at work Thursday at the Pacific Coast Invitational with both the men's and women's 4x100 relay school records going down.

 

The men's squad of senior Ryan Greenwalt and a trio of freshman – Isaac Ford, Evin Ford, Cameron Trichel – ran 40.92 to break the 41.11 set last season. The mark is 4th-fastest in GNAC history. WWU placed 5th out of nine finishing relay teams in the event.

 

The women's relay ran 46.72 to edge the previous record of 46.80 also set last season, with sophomore Annabelle Heiman, senior Caitlyn Cheney, junior Hannah Polkinghorn and sophomore Kennedy Cook combining for the school record. WWU placed 5th out of 15 teams in the event.

 

4X400 RELAY DOES IT AGAIN

For the second consecutive week the Vikings 4x400 relay teams broke the school record, this time at the Bryan Clay Invitational. The men's squad of Brian Le, Maurice Woodring, Evin Fordand Isaac Ford ran 3:10.08 to edge the 3:10.73 record set last week at The Battle of Sparta. The time is currently ranked No. 12 in NCAA II.

 

The women's squad of Bec Bennett, Annabelle Heiman, Caitlyn Cheney and Kennedy Cookran 3:40.37 to lower their school and GNAC record originally set last week in a time of 3:40.87. The time is currently ranked No. 8 in NCAA II.

 

CLOUGH AND OSLIN RUN FASTEST 10K's IN PROGRAM HISTORY

Seniors Ryan Clough and Andrew Oslin battled it out under the lights Wednesday night during the opening day of the Bryan Clay Invitational running the top to 10,000m times in program history, finishing 13th and 14th in the open event that began after 11 pm.

 

For the second consecutive year Clough broke the WWU record at the Bryan Clay Invite, this time running 29:31.25 to beat his mark from last year of 29:35.91 by over four seconds. He remains at No. 5 in the GNAC record book.

 

Oslin set a PR in the event running 29:32.92 breaking his previous best of 29:41.91 set in 2023 at the Ed Boitano Invitational. Oslin's time is No. 2 in WWU history and No. 6 in GNAC history.

 

REWRITING THE RECORD BOOK

Here is a listing of the top-10 program marks set during the Vikings trip to Southern California, with 26 program top 10 marks and nine school records entered the historical archives:

 

 

UP NEXT FOR THE VIKS

The Vikings are back in action this weekend sending student-athletes to the two-day Wildcat Invitational in Ellensburg. WWU will host four home meets over the next three weeks with the Pee Wee Halsell Collegiate Invite (April 25), Ralph Vernacchia Invitational (April 26), GNAC Multis Championships (April 28-29) and the GNAC Outdoor Championships (May 9-10) in Bellingham at Civic Stadium. The complete 2025 WWU Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at wwuvikings.com/TF.

 

HISTORY IN THE MAKING

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.

 

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