SPOKANE, Wash. – For the third consecutive season the Western Washington University Track & Field program swept the team titles at the GNAC Indoor Championships.

 

The Vikings won the men's and women's titles in the two-day meet held at The Podium, adding the 2026 sweep to 2024 and 2025 continuing WWU's dominance in the conference Track & Field ranks. Dating back to the 2023 outdoor championships, Western has won the last 18 team titles in indoor and outdoor track & field and cross country.

 

The WWU men recorded another dominating performance recording a final team score of 191.0 to finish well ahead of second-place Central Washington with 102.5 points. The title was the 10th for the Viking men and sixth in the last seven seasons. The women's squad edged rival Central Washington 163.0-152.0 to win their third consecutive title, and third in program history.

 

Western's two-day winning performance was led by eight individual gold medals and two winning relay teams. The Vikings set six school records, recorded 28 program top-10 marks and had 35 student-athletes earn medals as All-GNAC performers. A total of 

 

Senior Gabe Menicke earned the GNAC Male Field Athlete of the Meet award earning 19 points by winning the triple jump competition and placing second in the long jump. Menicke opened his standout meet earning a silver medal Friday in the long jump with an indoor PR mark of 6.96m/22-10 (9th in WWU history) and then finished his indoor career winning the triple jump with a school record mark of 14.71m/48-3.25.

 

Senior Bec Bennett claimed gold in the women's 400m, repeating as champion from last year's indoor and outdoor meets in her marquee event. Bennett finished in 54.33 edging out second-place Elise Hopper (54.93) of Central Washington. Bennett also ran the final leg of the winning 4x400 relay and placed fifth in the 200m.

 

Western's throws crew carried a lot of weight at the championships, with three GNAC champions, seven All-GNAC awards, three program records and 10 WWU indoor top 10 marks. The men's throwers recorded 39 total points, led by winning performances by sophomore Calvin Gutierrez in the weight throw and freshman Connor Inman in the shot put. The women's throwers accumulated 37 points with sophomore Kathryn Chapin winning the shot put and placing second in the weight throw with a program record (17.83m/58-6).

 

The Viking pole vault crew combined for 40.5 points, with junior Austin Seals winning the men's competition clearing a PR of 4.90m/16-0.75 and junior Sydney Mohlman winning the women's competition clearing 3.77m/12.4.5.

 

Senior Will Henry won the mile in a time of 4:16.28 and sophomore George Fernandez was the Vikings top men's track point scorer placing second in the 5000m (14:45.20), third in the mile (4:16.93) and fourth in the 3000m (8:29.24) for 19 total points.

 

The women's 4x400 relay earned the gold medal in the final event of the championship clinching the victory running 3:42.98 to fall just shy of the meet record. Casie Kleine, Jayda Darroch, Kennedy Cook and Bec Bennett brought home the second gold medal in WWU women's 4x400 history from the GNAC Championships and first since 2010.

 

Here is a unique look at the Vikings championship winning performance in Spokane. All-GNAC awards are given to the top three finishers in the finals and all relay team members in the top three:

 

1 – Vikings placed 1st as a team in the men's and women's team scoring

6 – School records achieved

12 – All-GNAC performances by the WWU women

17 – All-GNAC performances earned by the WWU men

18 – Consecutive GNAC titles won by WWU in Indoor/Outdoor Track and Cross Country

28 – Program top 10 marks achieved during two-day competition

29 – Total All-GNAC performances by the entire team during the 2026 GNAC Indoor Championships

35 – Student-athletes to earn All-GNAC medals at the championships including relay members

 

Here is a look at the final GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships team standings. The WWU men won their 10th overall GNAC indoor title raising the trophy for the third consecutive season and sixth time in the last seven occurrences of the event. The Viking women won their third consecutive indoor title, tying Alaska Anchorage for the second-most indoor titles in conference history (SPU – 13).

 

 

Here is a look at the All-GNAC performers from the 2025 Indoor Championships by placing in the top three to earn a podium spot at the conference championship: 

 

Gold Medals:

• Bec Bennett – Women's 400m (54.33)
• Will Henry – Men's Mile (4:16.28)
• Austin Seals – Men's Pole Vault (4.90m/16-0.75)
• Sydney Mohlman – Women's Pole Vault (3.77m/12-4.5)
• Connor Inman – Men's Shot Put (17.19m/56-4.75)
• Kathryn Chapin – Women's Shot Put (13.98m/45-10.5)
• Gabe Menicke – Men's Triple Jump (14.71m/48-3.25) – School Record 
• Calvin Gutierrez – Men's Weight Throw (19.37m/63-6.75) – School Record

 

Silver Medals:

• George Fernandez – Men's 5000m (14:45.20)
• Kora Cook – Women's High Jump (1.68m/5-6)
• Gabe Menicke – Men's Long Jump (6.96m/22-10)
• Effie Armstrong – Women's Pole Vault (3.50m/11-5.75)
• Angelo Ramos – Men's Weight Throw (18.37m/60-3.25)
• Kathryn Chapin – Women's Weight Throw (17.83m/58-6) – School Record

 

Bronze Medals:

• Ari Nguyen – Women's 60m Hurdles (8.90)
• Lucas Brenek – Men's 400m (47.48) – School Record
• Nathan Reseigh – Men's 800m (1:52.27)
• George Fernandez – Men's Mile (4:16.93)
• Emmy Kroontje – Women's Mile (4:57.57)
• Jonah Billings – Men's 3000m (8:28.84)
• Ella Edens – Women's 3000m (10:07.44)
• Sten Brakstad – Men's 5000m (14:45.61)
• Aaron Paul – Men's High Jump (1.92m/6-3.5)
• Noah Turner – Men's Shot Put (16.42m/53-10.5)
• Lydia Bailey – Women's Shot Put (13.59m/44-7)

 

All four WWU relay teams earned All-GNAC honors for placing in the top three in the four relay events:

 

• Men's DMR (1st, 10:05.70) – Nate Rumberger, Evin Ford, Jonah Bloom, Eli Williams
• Women's 4x400 (1st, 3:42.98) – Casie Kleine, Jayda Darroch, Kennedy Cok, Bec Bennett
• Women's DMR (2nd, 12:21.74) – Cecilia Villagomez Edvalson, Hannah Polkinghorn, Olivia Friedrich, Josephine Stevenson
• Men's 4x400 (2nd, 3:15.35) – Lucas Brenek, Evin Ford, Maurice Woodring, Jackson Moffitt

 

The Vikings swept the team titles at the 2026 GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships, marking the third consecutive season to win the men's and women's indoor titles. The Western track & field and cross country program has a current string of 18 consecutive team titles across men's and women's dating back to the 2023 outdoor championships.

 

 

The Vikings will wait to see who qualifies for the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships that will be held March 13-14 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The selection for the indoor nationals field will be announced on March 3. Links to follow results from all competitions are listed on the 2025-26 schedule at WWUVikings.com.