ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team concluded a busy week of competition with student-athletes participating in the two-day Wildcat Invitational hosted by Central Washington University.

 

WWU's field events took center stage with one school record and five program top-10 marks highlighting the competition at the CWU Recreation Sports Complex.

 

Freshman thrower Jessica Polkinghorn had a banner day of competition as she ramps up to the final month of the season, setting three personal-best marks. Polkinghorn won the shot put and javelin competition, and placed 5th in the discus on a windy day. Polkinghorn blew past her own school mark in the shot put with a mark of 15.45m/50-8.25, bettering her previous outdoor best of 14.59m/47-10.5. She moved up to No. 3 in GNAC history and is currently No. 5 in NCAA Division II with the top mark by a freshman in 2025.

 

Multi-sport athlete Maddy Grandbois placed 5th in the shot put with a personal-best throw of 13.46m/44-2 to tie for 5th-best in WWU history. Freshman Kathryn Chapin finished 3rd in the shot put (13.73m/45-0.5) and was 5th in the hammer throw with a PR of 48.94m/160-6 to move up to No. 4 in WWU history.

 

Junior Nicole Avery won the long jump with a personal-best mark of 5.76m/18-10.75 to rank 7th in WWU history and established a PR in the triple jump (10.22m/33-6.5).

 

Junior Angelo Ramos won the men's hammer throw with a mark of 54.20m/177-10 and freshman Calvin Gutierrez placed 2nd with a PR of 53.24m/174-8 for the No. 9 mark in WWU history.

 

Additional event winners for the Vikings included Jaden Johnson in the collegiate 100m (10.82), Logan Werner in the 3000m Steeplechase (9:41.57), Aidan Klein in the pole vault (4.40m/14-5.25), Noah Turner in the shot put (16.35m/53-7.75), Isabella Porter in the collegiate 100m (12.77), Katie Potts in the discus (44.56m/146-2) and Jessica Polkinghorn in the javelin (40.79m/133-10).

 

The Vikings are back in action next weekend with WWU hosting the Pee Wee Halsell Collegiate Invite (Friday, April 25) and the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational (Saturday, April 26). The two home events begin a busy stretch of Track & Field in Bellingham with the GNAC Multis Championships (April 28-29) and the GNAC Outdoor Championships (May 9-10) also taking place at Civic Stadium. 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.