TACOMA & ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Western Washington University Track & Field program opened the outdoor season Friday and Saturday competing in the Ed Boitano Invitational and the CWU Wildcat Opener.

 

At the Ed Boitano Invite hosted by the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WWU recorded 12 individual event wins and a pair of relay victories. The Vikings won the men's team scoring in dominating fashion with 202.0 points and the women also recorded a winning performance with 163.0 points.

 

The early-season outdoor opener featured six program top 10 marks.

 

The Vikings featured 12 individual event winners during the two-day meet, with six each from the men's and women's team. WWU combined for 28 podium finishes with nine second-place finishes and seven in third place. Here is a look at the Vikings event winners at the Ed Boitano Invitational:

 

Women's Event Winners:

• Hannah Polkinghorn – 200m (25.35) & Long Jump (5.55m/18-2.5)
• Ella Edens – 10,000m (36:22.50)
• Ari Nguyen – 100m Hurdles (14.64) & 400m Hurdles (1:04.12)
• Sydney Mohlman – Pole Vault (3.58m/11-9)

 

Men's Event Winners:

• Liam Rapp – 1500m (4:01.22)
• Luke Reiss – 10,000m (30:49.01)
• Corbin Herron – 110m Hurdles (14.72)
• George Fernandez – 3000m Steeplechase (9:10.40)
• Aidan Cox – Pole Vault (4.24m/13-11)
• Jakob Braunstein – Javelin (66.50m/218-2)

 

The men's 4x100 relay team clocked 41.01 to win the event, running the third-fastest time in program history and entered the GNAC record book at No. 8 in conference history. The relay team featured Lucas Brenek, Nolan Mickenham, Jackson Moffit and Eliyah Dominique.

 

The senior men's javelin trio of Jakob Braunstein, Sean Witters and Andrew Nelson had a great season debut placing first, third and fifth in the event. Braunstein recorded a winning mark of 66.50m/218-2 to rank No. 3 in the nation and Witters unleashed a personal-best mark of 61.52m/201-10. Nelson placed fifth in the event throwing 59.27m/194-5.

 

Sophomore sprinter Eliyah Dominique recorded a pair of top 10 program marks in the sprint races, clocking 10.70 in the 100m dash for the No. 10 mark in program history and 21.71 in the 200m to rank No. 9 in WWU outdoor history. Dominique finished second in the 200m, with Vikings sprinters placing six in the top eight in the event.

 

Junior George Fernandez (9:10.40) and sophomore Eli Williams (9:10.48) finished first and second in the men's 3,000m Steeplechase, both early-season NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks.

 

The Vikings multi athletes opened the outdoor season with Nicole Avery and Khloe Huskic competing in the seven-event heptathlon and Kaden Miller in the 10-event decathlon at the CWU Wildcat Opener. Avery just missed a PR recording 4,121 points to finish third out of 11 competitors, winning the long jump (5.54m/18-2.25) and javelin (34.22m/112-3) events. Huskic placed fourth competing in her first collegiate heptathlon. Miller placed second out of six competitors with 5,794 points, just off his PR of 5,860 set at last year's GNAC Combined Championships. Miller won the 1500m (4:54.23) and placed second in the pole vault (3.80m/12-5.5) and javelin (41.17m/135-1).

 

Junior Ella Edens and senior Alexis Parker finished 1-2 in the women's 10,000m race held Friday night. Edens ran 36:22.50 for the fourth-fastest time in program history and Parker clocked 36:36.23 to rank No. 7 in WWU outdoor history. 

 

The Vikings are back in action next weekend at the PLU Open in Tacoma and the indoor season comes to a close at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships that will be held March 13-14 in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Links to follow results from all competitions are listed on the 2026 schedule at WWUVikings.com.