TACOMA, Wash. – A large group of Western Washington University throwers made their outdoor season debut Friday and Saturday at the PLU Open.
 
Junior Liam Wall highlighted the performances setting the program record in the discus, breaking the 11-year-old school record with a winning throw of 55.27m/181-4. The mark is well beyond the national provisional qualifying mark of 50.78m and currently the top throw in NCAA II this season. The 2024 GNAC champion bettered his previous career-best of 52.70m/172-11 and broke the previous school record of 54.07m/177-4 by Ryan Macdonald established in 2015. Wall's big effort moved up to No. 3 in GNAC history.
 
Sophomore Calvin Gutierrez won the hammer throw with a PR mark of 57.48m/188-7 moving him into the very early national lead in the event. Gutierrez was the top finisher in the 15-competitor field with a mark that moved up to No. 3 in WWU history and is just outside the top 10 in GNAC history. Senior Angelo Ramos placed 2nd with a throw of 54.30m/178-2.
 
Freshman Connor Inman won the shot put in his outdoor debut with a throw of 15.81m/51-10.5 for the No. 9 mark in program history. WWU had three of the top four finishers in the event with sophomore Alex Pyte placing 3rd (14.72m/48-3.5) and Ramos 4th (13.61m/44-8).
 
Sophomore Kathryn Chapin led the Viking women winning the shot put with an NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 13.91m/45-7.75. Freshmen Lauren Simicich (42.10m/138-1) and Azadeh Teague (41.49m/136-1) placed 2nd and 3rd in the discus competition.
  The Vikings are back in action next weekend with student-athletes competing across the Northwest at the Brad Moore Invitational hosted by PLU in Tacoma (March 20-21), the PNW Invite hosted by Oregon State in Corvallis (March 20-21) and the Pacific Multi hosted by Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. Links to follow results from all competitions are listed on the 2026 schedule at WWUVikings.com.