Tuesday, February 20, 2024
by Evan O'Kelly, Assistant Commissioner For Communications

SPOKANE, Wash. – Western Washington’s women claimed their first-ever GNAC Indoor Track & Field Championships team title on Tuesday afternoon at The Podium, winning an exciting crown by five points ahead of second-place Central Washington.

The Vikings made their total of 143 points hold up for the team championship, as Central Washington remained in the fight until the very end and finished with 138 points. Simon Fraser finished as a distant third in the two-horse race, as the Red Leafs totaled 96 points. Western Washington’s men’s team also claimed the crown, marking the third time in GNAC history that a school has swept both titles at the same meet.

Marie-Eloise Leclair of Simon Fraser became the first woman to claim two GNAC Track Athlete of the Meet awards, after putting forth an incredible, record-breaking performance on Tuesday. Leclair’s time of 23.39 seconds in the 200 meters smashed her own conference record of 23.60 that she set earlier this season and kept her name at the top of the Division II performance list. Leclair also mounted a furious comeback effort as the anchor leg of the Red Leafs’ 4x400 meter relay team, which finished second with a time of 3:51.14. Leclair’s time ranks No. 1 in Canada for the season.

The moment of the meet came in its shortest race, as CWU’s E’lexis Hollis broke the GNAC all-time record with a 60-meter dash of 7.29 seconds. Simon Fraser’s Leclair, who broke the same record on Monday with a time of 7.30, matched that mark as she finished second by 0.01 seconds. The photo-finish victory by Hollis, who won the event in 2022, moved her up to a tie for first place on the Division II performance list. Hollis’s record-breaking effort earned her the GNAC Performance of the Meet award, marking the first Wildcat to claim that honor since it was introduced in 2018.

Earning the most points among women’s competitors at the meet was Central Washington freshman Emy Ntekpere, who took home the GNAC Women’s Field Athlete of the Meet award after scoring 28 points for the Wildcats. After winning the high jump and finishing second in the long jump on Monday, Ntekpere completed her stellar performance by claiming the gold medal in the triple jump Tuesday with a leap of 40’ 4.25” (12.30 meters). The PR effort elevated her to No. 9 in Division II this season. Olivia Windbiel of Simon Fraser finished second in the triple jump at 38’ 3.25”, and WOU’s Ujunwa Nwokoma, who won the long jump Monday, got back on the podium in third at 37’ 11.5”.

Ila Davis kicked off the day of running events by becoming the first woman in Western Washington history to claim the mile title at the GNAC Championships. Davis made her move midway through a tight race, finishing with a PR time of 4:52.81 which bumped her up to No. 22 on the NCAA Division II performance list. Cassidy Walchak-Sloan of Saint Martin’s finished as the runner-up in 4:56.10, and Davis’s teammate Sophie Wright made the podium in third place at 4:59.09.

Lauryn Chandler successfully defended her title in the women’s 60-meter hurdles, cruising to a PR time of 8.55 seconds. That moved the Wildcat up to No. 14 on the national list, as she became the fifth woman in GNAC history to earn multiple titles in the event. Chandler is also the first Wildcat to claim back-to-back 60-meter hurdles titles, with Mariyah Vongsaveng winning twice in 2016 and 2018. WOU’s Maliyah Thompson and UAA’s Blanca De Arvizu Sarrias got onto the podium with times of 8.64 seconds and 8.83 seconds, respectively.

Building off the success of her sprinting teammates, CWU’s Elise Hopper picked up her first-ever GNAC individual medal by winning the 400 meters. Her PR time of 56.55 seconds made her the fourth Wildcat woman to win the event, as she bested her PR of 57.02 seconds that she reached in Monday’s prelims. Hopper went on to claim her fourth-career relay medal, as she helped the Wildcat women close the meet in exciting fashion with a victory in the 4x400 meter relay. Simon Fraser’s Claire Bosma, the reigning 400-meter champion, earned the silver medal in 56.57 while Seattle Pacific’s Marissa Crane took home bronze in 57.23.

Lauryn McGough broke the GNAC indoor pole vault record in just her second collegiate meet earlier this winter, and emerged as the champion in the event clearing a bar set at 12’ 10.75” (3.93 meters). That effort tied the GNAC Indoor Championships meet record, as former Wildcat Halle Irvine cleared the same height in 2019. McGough became the fourth CWU woman to strike gold in the indoor pole vault. Seattle Pacific standouts Emily Thomason (12’ 6.75”) and Lizzy Daugherty (12’ 2.75”) finished second and third, respectively, to get onto the podium.

Alaska Anchorage freshman Jess Chisar continued her stellar collegiate debut, topping the podium in the 800 meters with a time of 2:12.35. The mark was just off her season-best time of 2:12.10, and she became the second Seawolf to win the event joining 2018 winner Danielle McCormick. Emmy Kroontje of Western Washington took second with a time of 2:13.38 and Alisha Saucedo of Saint Martin’s claimed the bronze medal in 2:13.56.

Annika Esvelt returned to the 3,000 meters field for the first time since 2022 and put together a dominant performance, cruising to her second gold medal with a time of 9:54.80 on Tuesday. After getting out to a big lead, she worked hard to hold off WWU’s Davis who finished second with a time of 9:59.45. SMU’s Walchak-Sloan earned her second medal of the meet, finishing third in 10:01.78.

Destany Herbert became the second woman in GNAC history to repeat as shot put champion, as the Northwest Nazarene junior won the event with a throw of 45’ 6.25” (13.87 meters). Herbert joined CWU’s Krissy Tandle (2005-07) as the other repeat champion, and became the second NNU woman to win the event twice as Joy Warrington claimed the 2010 and 2012 titles. Katie Potts and Mara Parks earned Western Washington a combined 14 points, finishing second at 45’ 0.25” and third at 41’ 8.5”, respectively.