EMPORIA, Kan. – The Central Washington University Track & Field team wrapped up competition at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at Welch Stadium, earning multiple All-American honors and strong finishes against the nation's top Division II athletes.
MEET INFORMATION:
Meet: NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships
Location: Welch Stadium (Emporia, Kan.)
RESULTS
QUOTING CWU HEAD TRACK & FIELD COACH JONATHAN HILL:
"We took 11 athletes to the NCAA Championships in Emporia and our presence was felt all weekend long.
Our first to conclude on Day 1 were our women's 4x1, Elise in the 400, and Josh and Ellie in the 400 hurdles. Elise ran a very competitive 53.8 for 3rd in her heat, but it wasn't going to be enough to advance. She finished 10th in the NCAA. Josh and Ellie ran really strong races but had little stumbles that kept us from advancing. Josh had the 8th time from prelims so he knows a final is his next year. While we didn't have our best day, Thursday was good for six 2nd Team All American honors!
Day 2 was highlighted by Drew Klein. Drew made up a several hundred point deficit to earn his first ever 1st Team All American award. He rolled Day 2 and made a huge statement winning the vault. I'm so proud of Drew. He represents so much of what we hope our kids become; brave, tenacious, respectful, and hard working. Drew achieved a lifelong dream this weekend and we are all so happy for him. Hopper made an awesome rebound in the 200, running 23.65 from lane 1 to move up several spots on her seed.
Our final day consisted of Maliyah and the 4x400. Maliyah competed extremely well for her first NCAA meet. She is composed and confident. She has all the ability to come back and compete for 6 throws next year. Maliyah also earned 2nd team All American for another award to add to her trophy case.
Our 4x4 is full legends: Carley Huber, Donna Marie Harris, Ellie Degroot, and Elise Hopper. Three of those four are graduating and it's hard to see this team without them. They drive the strong culture we have here and they've worked so hard to get to this point. Now, those four can proudly call themselves 1st Team All American.
Both our programs scored at the NCAA championships, that's a special feat and is a product of all the hard work by all our coaches and athletes."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Wildcats sent a talented group of athletes to the national stage and delivered several standout performances throughout the three-day championship meet.
On the men's side, Drew Klein highlighted the weekend with an impressive showing in the decathlon, finishing eighth overall with a personal-best 7,036 points to earn All-American honors. Klein battled through all ten events and capped off a strong season with one of the top performances of his career and won the pole vault in the decathlon.
Josh Boast narrowly missed qualifying for the finals in the men's 400m hurdles, placing ninth overall in a highly competitive preliminary race with a time of 51.65.
For the women, Central was represented across sprints, hurdles, relays, and throws.
Maliyah Gordon competed in the women's shot put and finished 15th nationally with a mark of 14.30m after a strong season in the throwing events.
Elise Hopper qualified in both the 200m and 400m, finishing 10th in each event. Hopper crossed the line in 23.62 in the 200m and posted a 53.85 in the 400m, just missing finals appearances in both races. She wound up with four All-American honors, one First Team and three Second Team.
Ellie DeGroot represented the Wildcats in the women's 400m hurdles, placing 17th overall in the preliminary heats with a time of 1:00.87.
The Wildcats also displayed their depth in the relay events. The women's 4x100 relay team of Ashlyn Nielsen, Zoe Gonzales, Elise Hopper, and Layla Fields placed 11th overall with a time of 46.10.
In the women's 4x400 relay, Ellie DeGroot, Carley Huber, Donna Marie Harris, and Elise Hopper earned All-American honors with an eighth-place finish in 3:37.77 against a talented national field.
Central closed the championship meet with multiple top 15 national finishes, an All-American performance in the decathlon, and another All-American relay finish as the Wildcats concluded a successful outdoor season on the national stage.
UP NEXT:
The Wildcats will wait to see if anyone is selected for the 2026 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships from Wednesday, June 23 through Saturday, June 26 in Icahn Stadium in New York.
