By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field team had another great weekend of competition with the Vikings spread across California in four meets over the weekend.
WWU competed in the Stanford Invitational (Stanford, CA), Mike Fanelli Track Classic (San Francisco, CA), Brutus Hamilton Multis (Berkeley, CA) and Triton Invitational (La Jolla, CA).
The Vikings performances included three school records, 15 entries into the program's top 10 record book and 14 NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks.
Through the first month of outdoor competition, WWU has 17 marks that are on the NCAA Division II performance list for meeting the provisional qualifying marks and seven that are in the top 10 in the nation.
School Records:
Highlights of the weekend full of competition for the Vikings are included below along with direct results of all WWU student-athletes that were in action:
WOODRING BREAKS LONGEST STANDING SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Maurice Woodring won the 400m hurdles at the Triton Invitational, topping the 25-competitor field with a school-record time of 51.69. Woodring broke the 52-year-old school record of 51.74 set by WWU Athletics Hall of Famer Mike Vorce in 1973. Woodring's time was well below the NCAA provisional qualifying standard of 53.15 and is currently ranked No. 7 in the nation.
KENNEDY COOK SETS 400 SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Kennedy Cook also recorded an event win at the Triton Invitational, winning the 400m in a school-record time of 54.09 for the top time in the 46-runner field. Cook moved past teammate Bec Bennett, who ran 54.26 to place 3rd in La Jolla and just off her previous school record of 54.25. Cook is currently ranked No. 3 in NCAA II and Bennett is No. 6. Cook also placed 9th in the 200m in 24.57 and was part of the 4x100 relay that placed 7th in 47.33 for the No. 4 mark in program history.
MCDERMOTT SETS RECORD AT STANFORD INVITATIONAL
Senior Kevin McDermott smashed his own school record in the 5000m placing 18th in the second section of the event with a time of 13:51.18. McDermott broke the school record at the same meet last season running 13:57.89 and had another great performance on Cobb Track and Angell Field bettering that mark by over six seconds with Friday's time to move up to No. 2 in GNAC history. His time of 13:51.18 is currently the No. 6 mark in NCAA II.
STEEPLECHASE STANDARDS ACHIEVED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
WWU also had a pair of women's steeplechase runners at the Stanford Invite with junior Ashley Reeck (10:46.37) and senior Ila Davis (10:20.91) both running NCAA II provisional qualifying marks. Davis placed 5th in the second section of the steeplechase with her 10:20.91 the current No. 3 mark in NCAA II. Reeck was 9th in the third section of the event with her time currently No. 11 in the nation for NCAA II.
Viking steeplechase runners recorded three more NCAA II provisional qualifying marks at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic with juniors Ian Eifert (9:01.83) and Jared Alderfer (9:10.01) on the men's side and junior Elie Bassett (10:53.69) on the women's team. Eifert's PR mark is No. 5 in WWU history and Bassett moved up to No. 7 in the record book.
FORD TWINS SHINE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE
Freshman twins Isaac Ford and Evin Ford had standout performances at the Triton Invitational both logging top-five marks in program history in the 400m. Isaac placed 5th out of 49 runners in 47.60 for the second-fastest time in program history (record is 47.25 by Marc Hill in 1994) and 6th-best in GNAC history. Evin finished 7th in 47.84 to rank No. 4 in WWU history. The twins from Yakima were also part of the second-place 4x100 relay with a time of 41.21 to rank No. 3 in program history.
THROWERS HAVE STRONG SHOWING IN SAN DIEGO
The Western throws crew also had a strong performance at the Triton Invitational with several PR and season-best marks. Sophomore Noah Turner won the shot put competition with a throw of 16.67m/54-8.25 topping the field of 24 competitors (there was also an elite shot put with Turner's mark 7th-best overall at the meet). Turner's PR mark is No. 4 in WWU history and entered the GNAC record book at No. 10.
Here is a look at the WWU Throwers top performances at the Triton Invite:
- Maddy Grandbois: PR in shot put placing 8th with throw of 12.64m/41-5.75
- Jessica Polkinghorn: Placed 11th in elite flight of shot put with throw of 14.10m/46-3.25.
- Katie Potts: Season best marks in shot put (13.82m/45-4.25) and discus (46.56m/152-9)…discus mark was second-best of her career just shy of PR of 46.67m/153-1.
- Adriannah Galvan: Season best mark of 38.82m/127-4 in discus.
- Noah Turner: Won regular flight of shot put (7th overall) with PR mark of 16.67m/54-8.25 (No. 4 in WWU history)…also set PR in discus with throw of 45.72m/150-0.
- Liam Wall: Placed 3rd in discus with season-best throw of 50.90m/167-0, just missing PR of 50.95m/167-2 set while winning GNAC championships title in 2024.
Here is a listing of additional top-10 program marks set over the weekend to highlight the many outstanding performances by the Vikings:
- Jonah Billings: Ran 14:27.28 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic for No. 10 in WWU history.
- Corbin Herron: Recorded No. 9 time in WWU history in 400m hurdles in 53.93 at Triton Invite.
- Ryan Greenwalt: Set PR in long jump leaping 7.22m/23-8.25 for No. 4 mark in program history.
- Ian Eifert: Placed 3rd in 3000m steeplechase at Fanelli Classic in 9:01.83, No. 5 in WWU history and current No. 9 mark in NCAA II this season.
- 4x100 Relay (Men): Placed 2nd behind meet host UCSD in 41.21 for the No. 3 mark in program history and a top-10 GNAC mark…relay squad consisted of Ryan Greenwalt, Isaac Ford, Evin Ford and Cameron Trichel.
- Bec Bennett: Clocked 24.60 in 200m for collegiate PR and the No. 3 time in WWU history.
- Elie Bassett: Won her heat in the 3000m steeplechase at Fanelli Classic in 10:53.69 to rank 7th in WWU history.
- Hannah Polkinghorn: Recorded PR in the long jump at the Triton Invite with a jump of 5.70m/18-8.5 to tie for 8th-best in program history.
- 4x100 Relay (Women): Placed 7th at Triton Invite in 47.33 for No. 4 mark in program history…relay squad consisted of Annabelle Heiman, Caitlyn Cheney, Hannah Polkinghorn and Kennedy Cook.
The Vikings had four student-athletes compete over two days at the Brutus Hamilton Multis hosted by the University of California Berkeley at Edwards Stadium.
Junior Nicole Avery finished 9th out of 18 competitors in the women's heptathlon recording a personal-best score of 4,137 points (old PR was 4125). Avery had a strong second day of competition placing 6th in the long jump (5.36m/17-7) and javelin (30.46m/99-11), and 8th in the 200m (26.41). Sophomore Karma Walker placed 14th with 3,427 points, just off her career-best mark of 3,779 points set at last year's GNAC multi championships.
WWU also had two competitors in the men's decathlon spreading across the two-day event, with freshman Kaden Miller placing 13th with 5,173 points and sophomore Owen Windrope in 14th place with a personal-best 5,418 points. Miller and Windrope both had strong finishes with Windrope placing 2nd in the final event the 1500m in 4:25.15 and Miller placing 6th in 4:42.94.
Windrope set PR marks in the 100m (11.68), 110m Hurdles (18.15), Discus (31.94m/104-9), Javelin (40.44m/132-8) and 1500m (4:25.15). Miller personal best marks in the long jump (6.43m/21-1.25), 110m Hurdles (15.86), Javelin (38.72m/127-0) and 1500m (4:42.94).
The Vikings are back in action next Saturday (April 12) at the Battle of Sparta hosted by Trinity Western University at McLeod Athletic Park in Langley, B.C. WWU will host four home meets over the next month 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.
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.
