ELLENSBURG, Wash. - The Wildcats delivered an impressive performance on their home track at the GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, earning second-place finishes on both the men's and women's sides at the Recreation Sports Complex.
MEET INFORMATION:
Meet: GNAC Track & Field Championship
Location: Recreation Sport Complex (Ellensburg, WA)
RESULTS
QUOTING CWU HEAD COACH JONATHAN HILL:
"This was an historic meet, made possible by incredible people. We got 2nd again, but are showing our improvement each time we step on the track. We dominated the medal total and led the conference in event wins. The sport determines the ultimate winners, but we define our own "success". This meet came down to 2 points on the women's side. Lots of things could've gone our way but didn't. But even more things went RIGHT to put us in this position. I had us scoring 180 points and we scored over 200. It was an awesome display and legendary battle between two of the tops teams on the west coast if not the country.
We saw Elise Hopper win the 4x1 in a top 3 GNAC all time run, run the 4th fastest 100m time in GNAC history 11.62 prelims (behind 3 girls who just wore their nations kits at World Relays), come back and break the GNAC all time record in the 400, now sitting #2 in the NCAA with a USA championships standard of 52.48. Then win the 200 in 23.86, and anchor the GNAC record, #2 in the NCAA, and GNAC gold medal 4x4. If that wasn't the best meet in GNAC track history, I'd like to see what is.
We won several major awards including both high point scorer awards. Ellie and Josh were everywhere this weekend, and competing at an unbelievable level. They have so much well earned confidence, they took on tough tasks and excelled.
We were well rounded and showed our versatility this weekend. We were largely held up by our distance women and the huge contributions from that event group. Every woman we qualified was ready to put down their best performance of the year. Maddy and Payton going 1-2 was a highlight of my time here. Then Katie medaling in the steeple, and Dawn sprinting to a win in the 1500 first heat, to end up 5th overall!
Our throws were steady as always. We got some helpful day two points early with Dan placing 3rd and earning all-conference. Followed by Maliyah with a double medal performance capped by her shot put title. We had 4 women in shot put finals. There's a swing in the conference powers for sure.
Tehya and Azariah going 1-2 in the triple was so amazing to see. We've won 6 straight titles in women's triple so there's some pride there. These girls, along with Donna (fourth!) Sam, and Sunny upheld the standard. 23 points in the triple jump really springboarded day two.
Drew won the vault with a new school record. He had a great meet fitting for a senior leader."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The Wildcats showed their depth across all event groups over the two-day meet, combining dominant sprint performances, strong field event results, and key distance points to secure runner-up finishes in both team standings.
DAY ONE (MONDAY):
The Wildcats dominated the women's 10,000m, as
Maddy Harrison captured the GNAC title with a time of 37:38.90, while
Payton Conover followed closely in second to give CWU a 1-2 finish and crucial early points.
Central also saw scoring performances in the steeplechase, with
Katie Manly finishing third in the women's race, along with additional contributions from
Dan Close in the discus throw,
Josh Boast in the long jump, Addy Claybrook in the pole vault,
Maliyah Gordon in the discus throw, and
Cal'von Baker in the high jump.
DAY TWO (TUESDAY):
The Wildcats surged on the final day behind standout performances in sprints, hurdles, relays, and field events.
In the field events, Drew Klein highlighted the men's side with a victory in the pole vault (4.87m), while also contributing across multiple events. The Wildcats added key points in the throws, led by Maliyah Gordon, who placed in the discus and set herself up for a strong finish.
Elise Hopper led the charge with a dominant double gold performance, winning the 200m (23.86) and 400m (52.48), showcasing her speed and versatility.
In the hurdles, Ellie DeGroot delivered a standout performance, winning the 400m hurdles (59.31) and adding a third-place finish in the 100m hurdles. She also capped off an impressive meet with a second-place finish in the heptathlon (4,952 points).
In the throws, Maliyah Gordon secured the GNAC title in the shot put (14.45m) while adding a fourth-place finish in the hammer throw to round out a strong multi-event performance.
The Wildcats also excelled in the relays, as the women's 4x100 relay team claimed the title in 45.31, followed by another victory in the 4x400 relay with a time of 3:36.90.
Additional highlights included a second-place finish from Colton Magruder in the men's 100m, a runner-up finish in the men's 4x100 relay, and multiple podium finishes in jumps and hurdles events that helped secure the team standings.
As a team, the Wildcats finished second on both sides, with the men scoring 120.75 points and the women finishing just short of the title with 186 points in a tightly contested race.
With strong individual performances and consistent scoring across the board, the Wildcats made a statement at their home facility and built momentum heading into the postseason.
Central Washington also earned several major conference honors, highlighting their standout performances. Josh Boast was named the Men's High Point Scorer, while Elise Hopper earned Women's Track Athlete of the Meet honors. Ellie DeGroot was recognized as the Women's Co-High Point Scorer, capping off an impressive all-around weekend for the Wildcats.
UP NEXT:
Wildcats head to Emporia, KS for the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday, May 21 through Saturday, May 23.
