GNAC championships begin Friday in Bellingham with Vikings heavy favorites...
While the state's Division I schools are for the most part resting before championship weekend next weekend, the four Washington Division II schools are headed to Bellingham's Civic Stadium for Friday and Saturday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships.
From a team standpoint, the biggest question is who is going to knock off the host Western Washington Vikings from becoming the first combined program to three-peat in cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field in an academic year?
The Viking men and women have already won the last three straight cross country and indoor track & field titles, and look to add the outdoor title this weekend.
Western has won the last five straight men's titles, and the last two consecutive women's crowns.
On paper, the Vikings are the heavy favorites, particularly on the men's side, with a combination of top-flight competitors such as Kevin McDermott (Paul Merca photo), who is the conference leader in the 1500 and 5000, and is entered in both events.
The Vikings also have a bevy of athletes who can score points outside the podium, an element which is needed to win the team title.
While the Vikings don't have quite the dominance on the women's side that they do with their men, they have the biggest number of athletes in the conference top 5, according to the TFRRS descending order list heading into the meet.
Based off the TFRRS descending order lists, both Viking squads are projected to score over 200 points. Western Oregon is the next closest team on the men's side, and Central Washington on the women's side.
While the Wildcats don't have the depth of the Vikings, they have some big time top end athletes in sprinter E'lexis Hollis in the 100 and 200; Emy Ntekpere, the reigning NCAA indoor triple jump champ and scorer in the high jump; a nationally ranked 4 x 100 relay team, with Hollis running on the third leg; and pole vaulter Lauryn McGough.
Their men will be led by All-American Johan Correa in the 800, sprinter and Pan Am Games relay medalist for Argentina Bautista Diamante, and horizontal jumper Isaiah Webster.
Seattle Pacific will be led by their All-American Annika Esvelt, who will contest the 1500 and the 5000, as she's already locked up a top 22 spot to go to nationals in the 10000.
Maya Ewing in the steeplechase and defending GNAC 100 hurdles champ Hannah Chang are also strong contenders for the top spot on the podium.
Andrew Bell is perhaps the Falcons' best hope for a conference crown. Bell, who is the GNAC 60 hurdles champ indoors, faces a strong battle from Central Washington freshman David Brown.
Saint Martin's best hopes will come from pole vaulter Ryan Doidge on the men's side, and from hammer thrower Jocelyn Saribay on the women's side.
Action gets underway Friday at 12:30 pm with the first field events, with running events starting at 2:30 pm.
Saturday's action begins at 11 am with the first field events, while action on the track begins at 1:25 pm.
GONZAGA, SEATTLE U AND WASHINGTON STATE COMPETE AT LAST CHANCE MEETS IN OREGON...
As the teams head to the final weekend of the regular season, only Gonzaga's men and Seattle University will have athletes competing Friday evening at the Oregon Twilight meet, at Hayward Field, hosted by the University of Oregon.
Saturday, Gonzaga's men's team will have a small group, while Washington State will have a large contingent competing at the Pac-12 Open meet in Corvallis, hosted by Oregon State University.
While the Pac-12 as we knew it last year is dead, Oregon State and Washington State, who were the two schools left behind, are keeping the meet alive temporarily, until the reimagined Pac-12 comes to life beginning fall 2026, when Gonzaga, Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and others come in.
With the Cougs and Beavers not competing in a true conference meet, and for that matter, Gonzaga, who is an independent in track, this is essentially their last chance to get qualifying marks for the NCAA West First Round meet in College Station, Texas at the end of the month.
The link to live results for the Oregon Twilight is available here, while the link for the Pac-12 Open is available here.
Leading the field wire-to-wire, Rosina Machu (Paul Merca photo) finished in 4:13.86, breaking the Gonzaga program and Boppell Track facility record along the way. Anna Grabowski (4:24.23) and Ireland Robertson (4:33.10) finished on the podium behind Machu.
NOTE: The Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the sports information offices of Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, Gonzaga, Washington State, and Central Washington contributed to this report.
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