By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field program put on a show over two nearly-perfect days of weather at Civic Stadium hosting the inaugural Pee Wee Halsell Invitational on Friday and the 43rd Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Saturday.
WWU set four school records and made 20 entries into the program top 10 record book over the two days of competition under sunny skies in Bellingham.
Highlights of the meet included the women's 4x100 and 4x400 relay squads breaking their own school records and senior
Katie Potts breaking the longstanding school record in the discus competition. WWU also celebrated its large senior class Saturday during the Vernacchia Invitational and was graced by several alumni returning to compete in the meets.
Potts recorded a personal best throw of 48.15m/157-11 on Friday during the Halsell Invitational to move up to No. 5 in the GNAC record book. She shattered her previous best mark of 46.67m/153-1 set in 2023 and broke the longest standing WWU throws school record of 47.61m/156-2 set in 2006 by Jessica Telleria.
Both the men's and women's 4x100 relay squads set program record for the second consecutive week to highlight Friday's running events at the Halsell Invite. The men's 4x100 relay clocked 40.88 with
Ryan Greenwalt,
Isaac Ford,
Evin Ford and
Cameron Trichel finishing just behind rival Simon Fraser (40.72).
The women's squad raced to a time of 46.40 on Friday during the Halsell Invite to lower their record from 46.72 set last week at the Pacific Coast Invitational. The relay team consisted of
Annabelle Heiman,
Caitlyn Cheney,
Hannah Polkinghorn and
Kennedy Cook. Heiman (12.10) and Polkinghorn (12.14) both set personal-best marks in the 100m during the Vernacchia Invite, ranking No. 7 and No. 8 in WWU history.
The women's 4x400 relay was the last event during the all-day Vernacchia Invitational and the best was saved for last. The quartet of
Kennedy Cook,
Annabelle Heiman,
Caitlyn Cheney and
Bec Bennett lowered their school (and GNAC) record for the third consecutive week with a winning time of 3:40.20 to jump into the national top 10.
Kevin McDermott ran a school-record 4:02.32 in the outdoor mile, breaking the previous record of 4:03.64 by Mac Franks in 2022. McDermott's time converted to a 3:44.37 in the 1500m to rank No. 3 in program history and No. 15 in NCAA Division II this season.
Senior
Ila Davis ran a personal-best time of 4:30.42 in the 1500m at the Vernacchia Invitational to rank No. 4 in school history. Senior
Mia Crocker recorded a big PR in the 800m running 2:10.17 to jump up to No. 2 in program history, breaking her previous outdoor PR time of 2:13.65 set last weekend at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Sophomore
Maurice Woodring set a Vernacchia meet record winning the 400m hurdles in 51.33, just off his school record 51.03 set last weekend in California. Freshman
Corbin Herron moved up to No. 4 in the 110m hurdles running 14.56 on Friday and set a PR in the 400m hurdles in 52.75 on Saturday to climb to No. 5 in program history.
The heavy throws crew led by
Damien Fisher had a banner weekend with seven program top 10 marks established. In addition to the school record discus throw by Potts, freshman
Kathryn Chapin recorded the second-best women's hammer throw in program history at 52.72m/172-11, two-sport athlete
Maddy Grandbois recorded the second-best shot put (behind freshman
Jessica Polkinghorn) with a mark of 14.58m/47-10 and junior
Mara Parks set a pair of PRs in the shot put (13.73m/45-0.5 & 13.97m/45-10) and hammer throw (49.80m/163-4). Polkinghorn won the shot put in both the Halsell and Vernacchia meets, with a weekend best 14.99m/49-2.25 on Saturday.
Junior
Angelo Ramos set a pair of PR marks in consecutive days in the hammer throw, topping out at 57.15m/187-6 on Saturday at the Vernacchia Invitational to move up to No. 3 in program history in the event. Sophomore
Liam Wall, the 2024 GNAC champion in the discus, set a PR Friday during the Halsell Invitational with a throw of 52.70m/172-11. Sophomore
Max Berger had a big javelin throw Friday to break into the top 10 in program history with a mark of 63.12m/207-1 for the No. 7 mark in the WWU record book.
Junior
Sydney Mohlman cleared 3.80m/12-5.5 to set a PR to remain at No. 3 in the WWU top 10 record book.
UP NEXT FOR THE VIKS
WWU hosts the GNAC Combined Championships Monday-Tuesday at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. 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.
