ELLENSBURG, Wash.- The Central Washington University track and field team will be represented by eight athletes at the 2018 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA announced Tuesday. This includes seven members from the women's team, which is a new program record.
Kodiak Landis will be the lone competitor from the men's team and will compete in the decathlon. Landis will enter the Championship meet with the third best mark in Division II this season (7,187 points), which he set earlier this year at the Bryan Clay Invitational.
Central Washington will also be represented by seven athletes on the women's team, led by CWU and GNAC record holder
Mariyah Vongsaveng in the 100-meter hurdles. Vongsaveng recorded the seventh fastest time in Division II (13.64 seconds) at the Ken Shannon Invitational.
Alexa Shindruk will represent CWU in the 10K and enters the meet with the tenth overall seed. Shindruk broke the CWU school record in the 10K at the Mt. SAC Relays, with a personal best time of 34:57.08.
The 400-meter hurdles will feature a pair of Wildcats, including the 2018 GNAC Champion
Erykah Weems. At the GNAC Championships, Weems recorded a time of 1:00.10 to set a new school record, meet record and capture the event title. Weems performance ranks 12th in Division II this season and she will be accompanied by senior
Ali Anderson who's personal-best time of 1:00.22 ranks 17th in the nation.
Competing in the heptathlon will be senior
HarLee Ortega. Ortega is seeded 14th overall with a season-best mark of 4,945.
Halle Irvine ranks 23rd in the pole vault after clearing a personal best height of 12 feet, 6 inches at the Ralph Vernacchia Track and Field Meet. Irvine received All-American recognition for her efforts at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and will look to continue that success in North Carolina.
Nicole Soleim was the last Wildcat to qualify and will compete in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Soleim will have a lot to prove as she enters the meet with the 20th-best time of 10:48.96.
These eight Wildcats will travel to Charlotte, N.C. on May 24 to compete at the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
-CWU-
