By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – Fast times, big marks, great weather and five school records highlighted the Western Washington University Track & Field trip to Southern California that featured competition in five meets.
The Vikings combined for 27 new program top 10 marks, set five school records and recorded 14 NCAA II provisional qualifying marks. The Western men led the way with 16 program top 10 marks and the women's team combined for 11 marks in the top 10 in program history.
WWU competed in the Leopard Invitational (La Verne, CA) and Pacific Coast Invitational (Long Beach, CA) on Thursday, Beach Invitational (Long Beach, CA) on Friday and Saturday, Mt. Sac Relays (Walnut, CA) on Saturday and the Bryan Clay Invitational (Azusa, CA) Thursday-through-Saturday. The Vikings were also had one student-athlete compete at the Oregon Team Invitational in Eugene, Oregon.
The Vikings return to the Northwest to host a pair of home meets next week with the Pee Wee Halsell Invitational on Friday and the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Saturday at Civic Stadium.
Meet Results:
WOMEN'S 4X400 RELAY RUNS 2ND-FASTEST TIME IN NATION
The women's 4x400 relay won the event at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Saturday with a time of 3:39.00 to set the WWU and GNAC record. The relay team of freshman Casie Kleine, sophomore Jayda Darroch, junior Kennedy Cook and senior Bec Bennett edged U-Mary by 70/100th of a second to clock the fastest time out of 18 relay squads. WWU broke its own GNAC record of 3:40.20 established last spring. The Vikings trail only UT Tyler's 3:35.31 for the NCAA Division II national lead.
BENNETT RUNS SEASON BEST 400
Senior All-American Bec Bennett had a busy Saturday, racing at 1:30 pm in the 400m at the Mt. Sac Relays in Walnut and then made the eight-mile trek to Cougar Stadium in Azusa to help the Vikings win the 4x400 relay running the final leg in an event that started close to 4:30 pm. Bennett ran a season-best 53.44 to place 20th in the elite field at the prestigious Mt. Sac Relays, currently the No. 7 time in the nation for NCAA II. Bennett also ran season-best marks in the 100m (12.18) and 200m (24.21) at the Pacific Coast Invite on Thursday.
WALL SETS GNAC RECORD IN DISCUS (TWICE)
Junior Liam Wall broke his own school record and set the GNAC record in the discus with a mark of 56.77m/186-3, placing 9th out of 16 competitors at the Pacific Coast Invite, the top non-Division I athlete. Wall then one-upped that mark throwing 57.40m/188-4 on Saturday at the Beach Invitational placing 7th out of 64 competitors. He previously set the school record of 55.27m/181-4 at the PLU Open in March and moved to the top of the GNAC performance list breaking the record of 55.78m/183-0 set by Jake Knight of Northwest Nazarene in 2019. Wall's mark ranks No. 4 in NCAA Division II this season.
MEN'S 4X100 RELAY BREAKS WWU AND GNAC RECORD
The men's 4x400 relay team broke the WWU and GNAC record with a time of 3;09.56 to finish 2nd at the Pacific Coast Invitational Thursday in Long Beach. The relay of sophomore Evin Ford, sophomore Sam Foust, junior Maurice Woodring and senior Lucas Brenek broke the school and GNAC record of 3:09.91 set last year. The time moved into the top 10 nationally at the NCAA II level.
NGUYEN SETS HURDLES RECORD (TWICE)
Ari Nguyen continued her breakout sophomore season breaking her own school record twice during the weekend. Nguyen first broke the 17-year-old school record in the 400m hurdles with a time of 1:00.26, placing 7th out of 34 competitors at the Pacific Coast Invite on Thursday, passing the school record of 1:00.31 set by Heidi Dimmitt in 2009, moving up to move into the No. 9 spot in GNAC history. Nguyen became the fifth GNAC athlete to run under one minute in the event at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Saturday, lowering her PR and school record time to 59.79, a mark that ranks No. 17 in the nation. Nguyen set another personal-best mark in the 100m hurdles at 14.40 at the Pacific Coast Invite, the No. 5 time in the GNAC this season.
KROONTJE BREAKS SCHOOL 800 RECORD
Senior Emmy Kroontje broke her second school record of the season, running 2:08.60 at the Bryan Clay Invitational on Friday. Two weeks after setting the school record in the 1500m (4:26.27), Kroontje took over the top spot in the 800m breaking the 2:08.94 set by Marian Ledesma in 2024. Kroontje also broke the indoor 800m record in March running 2:08.38 at the NCAA II Indoor Championships placing 5th to earn First Team All-America honors.
MICKENHAM PLACES 2ND IN 200M AT BRYAN CLAY
Senior Nolan Mickenham had a fast week in Southern California, running 10.38 to earn a top-10 finish in the 100m at the Pacific Coast Invitational (8th place) and set a PR in the 200m with a time of 21.13 to finish 2nd out of 73 competitors at the Bryan Clay Invitational. He originally set a PR in the 200m at Thursday's Pacific Coast Invitational with a time of 21.32. Mickenham's 200m time is No. 2 in WWU history and No. 7 in the GNAC record book.
Here are additional highlights from the Vikings trip to Southern California:
Pacific Coast Invitational:
- Calvin Gutierrez set a PR in the men's hammer throw (58.92m/193-3) to improve his No. 2 mark in WWU history and enter the GNAC record book at No. 8.
- Nolan Mickenham set a PR in the 200m at 21.32 for the No. 2 mark in WWU history and ran 10.38 in the 100m to finish 8th out of 84 runners.
- Sam Foust set a PR in the 400m running 48.12m, No. 9 in WWU history.
- Hannah Polkinghorn (No. 7, 12.10) and Quinn Manley (No. 9, 12.18) recorded top 10 marks in the 100m.
- Kennedy Cook (No. 2, 24.26), Hannah Polkinghorn (No. 5, 24.63) and Quinn Manley (No. 10, 25.11) ran top 10 program times in the 200m.
Bryan Clay Invitational:
- Nolan Mickeham ran another PR in the 200m finishing 2nd in 21.13.
- Ella Edens placed 21st out of 108 runners in the 5000m, running 17:10.70 for the No. 10 mark in WWU history.
- Javonte Sutton ran 10.69 in the prelims of the 100m for the No. 10 mark in WWU history.
- Jackson Moffitt set a PR in the 400m in 47.97 for the No. 8 mark in program history.
- George Fernandez clocked 3:50.39 in the 1500m to enter the record book at No. 10.
- Corbin Herron ran 14.49 in the 110m hurdles for a PR moving up to No. 4 in WWU history.
- Jordan Smith entered the top 10 in the 400m hurdles with a time of 53.23 (No. 7).
- Quinn Manley ran 12.18 in the 100m to rank No. 9 in program history.
- Nathan Reseigh (No. 4, 1:50.27) and Will Henry (No. 8, 1:51.94) ran top 10 times in the 400m.
- Casie Kleine ran the opening leg of the winning 4x400 relay (3:39.00) and set a PR in the 400m in 56.48 to move into No. 9 spot in program history.
STEEPLECHASE AT LEOPARD INVITATIONAL
The men's steeplechase trio of senior Jared Alderfer, sophomore Eli Williams and sophomore George Fernandez competed Thursday at the Leopard Invitational hosted at the University of La Verne. The three Vikings crossed the finish line nearly together with Alderfer at 9:01.23 for 3rd place in the 39-runner field, with Williams in 4th (9:02.13) and Fernandez setting a PR in 5th (9:02.39). All three times were well below the NCAA II provisional qualifying mark of 9:10.72.
BRAKSTAD AND BILLINGS ENTER TOP 10 IN 10K
Sophomore distance runners Sten Brakstad and Jonah Billings ran top 10 program times in the men's 10,000m to open competition at the Bryan Clay Invitational. Brakstad ran 30:03.04 to place 15th out of 71 runners, recording the No. 9 time in WWU history. Billings finished close behind his teammate in the second heat in 30:03.04 to place 15th and enter the WWU record book at No. 10.
PINTO RUNS AT HAYWARD FIELD
Senior Denzel Pinto, an Oregon native from Beaverton, represented the Vikings at the Oregon Team Invitational in Eugene, placing 4th in the open 400m on Friday in a season-best time of 49.55.
The Vikings host a pair of meets next week with the Pee Wee Halsell Invitational on Friday (April 24) and Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Saturday (April 25) at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. Links to follow results from all competitions are listed on the 2026 schedule at WWUVikings.com.
