PORTLAND, Ore. – Central Washington University Track & Field senior Elise Hopper earned the GNAC Women's Track Athlete of the Week after an impressive performance at the OSU PNW Invite. 
 
"Elise was on a different level this week," CWU Head Track & Field Coach Jonathan Hill said. "She got a taste of nationals and ran absolutely inspired. Her 400 hurdles was a pleasant surprise. She executed a brilliant plan and now we have a blueprint to run really fast. Her 100, 40, and 4x400 were all lifetime bests – 12.05, 54.29, and 52.84 split is a legit day. She's now ranked third nationally in the 400 and 400 hurdles and has helped the 4x400 team rank first nationally. 
 
Elise earned a pair of event victories at the Oregon State University PNW Invite. She first grabbed a new personal best enroute to her event title in the women's 400m hurdles with a time of 59.9. She added her second event title of the weekend on Saturday with a 400m title with a time of 54.29 which also is a new personal best. She also helped the women's 4x400m relay team, including Julie Castillejo, Ashlyn Nielsen, and Ellie DeGroot, earn the top spot in the meet with a time of 3:44.0. She also tacked on a second-place finish in the 100m with a time of 12.05
 
Hopper and the rest of the Wildcats are back in action on Saturday, April 4 at the Whitworth Peace Meet in Spokane, Wash. on Puryear Field/Boppell Track at the Whitworth Pine Bowl. 
 
Read the full GNAC release HERE