By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
EMPORIA, Kan. – The Western Washington University Track & Field program opened competition Thursday at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Zola Witten Track at Francis G. Welch Stadium.
The Vikings sent a program-record 15 athletes to outdoor nationals, with the three-day meet continuing Friday and Saturday on the Emporia State University campus.
Thursday's competition was highlighted by three athletes qualifying for the finals in their event after running strong preliminary races.
Junior Maurice Woodring punched his ticket to the finals in the 400m hurdles finishing with the second-fastest qualifying time in 51.15. Woodring cruised out to the lead in the third and final heat of the 22-athlete field and finished just behind Rinaldo Moore of Minnesota State to earn an automatic qualifying spot for finishing in the top two in his heat. Woodring made the final in his marquee event last year placing 9th to just miss a podium finish. The final of the 400m hurdles will be held Saturday at 5:40 pm CT/3:40 pm PT.
Senior Bec Bennett earned an automatic trip to the finals in the 400m, placing second in the third and final heat with a time of 53.14. Bennett ran the second-fastest prelims time to secure her spot in Saturday's final scheduled to start at 4:45 pm CT/2:45 pm PT. Bennett is WWU's record holder in the event running 52.56 at the GNAC Championships in early May and was a First Team All-American at the indoor championships placing 8th in March and 7th as a junior.
Senior Emmy Kroontje snagged one of the 12 qualifying spots in the women's 1500m prelim, finishing 7th in the first heat in a time of 4:28.54. Running her second-fastest career time in the event – second only to her school-record 4:26.27 at the Mike Fanelli Track Classic earlier this spring – Kroontje guaranteed at top 12 finish at nationals after entering the meet ranked No. 26 in the nation. Kroontje will line up for the 1500m final on Saturday with racing scheduled to start at 2:05 pm CT/12:05 pm PT.
Sophomore Calvin Gutierrez opened competition for the Vikings placing 18th out of 22 competitors in the men's hammer throw. Gutierrez – the WWU and GNAC record holder in the event – unleashed an opening throw of 59.29m/194-6 for his best mark of his three-throw series. Gutierrez fouled on his second attempt and had a mark of 59.16m/194-1 on his third and final throw. The nine-competitor cutoff for the finals was 63.49m/208-3. Gutierrez entered nationals seeded No. 10 in the nation with his record-breaking throw of 64.03m/210-1 at the Pee Wee Halsell Invitational in Bellingham on April 24.
Sophomore Kathryn Chapin followed in the women's hammer throw, sitting in 4th place through the first wave of the initial 10 throwers with a top mark of 54.35m/178-3. The GNAC champion set the WWU hammer throw record at the conference championships with a throw of 56.75m/186-2, a mark that ranked No. 12 in the nation entering nationals and No. 6 in GNAC history. Chapin placed 13th just missing second-team All-America honors.
Senior Lucas Brenek made his nationals debut placing 18th out of 22 runners in the men's 400m. Brenek finished 5th in the opening heat with a time of 47.53. The senior set the WWU record at the GNAC Championships with a time of 46.55. He will be back in action Friday evening as part of the 4x400 relay with the prelim scheduled to start at 7:50 pm CT/5:50 pm PT.
Here is a look at Friday's schedule for the Vikings:
- Liam Wall: Discus (4:30 pm CT/2:30 pm PT)
- Men's 4x400 Relay (7:50 pm CT/5:50 pm PT)
- Women's 4x400 Relay (8:10 pm CT/6:10 pm PT)
Here is a look at Saturday's schedule for the Vikings:
- Jakob Braunstein: Javelin (12:00 pm CT/10:00 am PT)
- Jessica Polkinghorn: Shot Put (12:30 pm CT/10:30 am PT) & Javelin (3:00 pm CT/1:00 pm PT)
- Emmy Kroontje: 1500m Final (4:05 pm CT/2:05 pm PT)
- Bec Bennett: 400m Final (4:45 pm CT/2:45 pm PT)
- Maurice Woodring: 400m Hurdles (5:40 pm/3:40 pm PT)
- Men's 4x400 Final (7:20 pm CT/5:20 pm PT) – if qualify
- Women's 4x400 Final (7:30 pm CT/5:30 pm PT) – if qualify
Fans can follow all the action from the NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships via daily webcast and live results on NCAA.com.
The Vikings compete during the second day of the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships May 21-23 in Emporia, Kansas. The complete 2026 WWU Track & Field schedule can be viewed online at WWUVikings.com.
