In Western’s second-consecutive sweep of women’s and men’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor track titles Tuesday, Feb. 18, Kevin McDermott dominated the distance races, winning easily at both 3,000 and 5,000 meters for the second-straight year, his ninth individual GNAC title.
Mia Crocker’s dramatic finishing kick in the final 50 meters won her her first GNAC individual title in the 800 meters, moving Crocker from fourth to first.
“It means a lot to me,” she said, talking by phone from the team bus motoring home from Spokane Tuesday night after the two-day meet. “I just decided I didn’t want to let it slip away.”
Both are seniors, part of a program collecting a parade of firsts for the last time, on a team that has accomplished more than any in Western history.
The Vikings have won 12 straight GNAC titles — and counting — in cross-country, indoor and outdoor track and field, starting with the 2023 outdoor track and field season.
With the outdoor season to come following the March 13–15 NCAA Division II Indoor Championships, no program has had a run like this since the GNAC started in 2001.
“It was strange being there and knowing that that’s the last time I’m going to run in a GNAC Indoor meet,” said McDermott, who added the two titles to his impressive 2024 distance trifecta of the mile, 3000- and 5000-meter victories. “So I really just tried to enjoy the whole experience … I tried to slow down a little bit, just like soak in the moment.”
Crocker and McDermott are also savoring what they helped build.
‘Barely any of us’ in 2020
“When I came in in 2020, there was barely any of us distance girls, only a couple sprinters,” said Crocker, the first Western runner to win the women’s indoor 800 title. “It’s been building for a while now.”
This finished product has depth and breadth.
Western’s women scored 143 total points, far outpacing runner-up Central Washington with 114 and Simon Fraser with 100. Same story for the men, also scoring 143 points to beat second-place Central Washington with 117 and No. 3 Western Oregon with 114.
The Vikings scored individual conference titles at distance (McDermott), middle distance (Crocker; Bec Bennett at 400 meters) and in the field (Noah Turner and Jessica Polkinghorn, shot put; Kora Cook, high jump). They recorded 15 other top-three finishes in everything from the 60-meter hurdles (Corbin Herron, third) to the heptathlon (Kaden Miller, second), including three runner-up relay finishes. (See complete Western results here.)
And baby makes 61 (or so)
And they did it under the direction of assistant coach T.J. Garlatz and staff that was without 13-year head coach Ben Stensland, the 2024 GNAC coach of the year, and his wife, Haley, Western’s distance coach. The couple was busy with their own indoor accomplishment — the delivery of their first baby, a boy, born early Sunday., Feb. 16.
Stensland made the announcement by slipping in the newborn’s photo, clad in a Western navy fleece tracksuit, during the team’s pre-trip logistics PowerPoint Sunday afternoon, prompting the 60-person team to erupt in cheers.
“They love this family and it’s amazing that they’re building their own family as well,” Crocker said. “And we’re so happy for them.”
NOTABLE
The softball team has gotten back on track, winning six straight just in time for its March 1 home-opening doubleheader. Western outscored Chaminade, Hawaii Hilo and Hawaii Pacific 34-7 in three doubleheaders, thanks in part to pitcher Joie Baker (3-0, 0.39 ERA) and slugger Emma Andrewjeski-Ramirez (.550, 12 RBI), both of whom earned GNAC Player of the Week honors … So did men’s basketball player Tijan Saine, who scored 66 points in two games as Western won at Western Oregon and Saint Martin’s. Saine went 24-for-25 in free throws and was eight for 13 from 3-point range as the Vikings won nine of their past 10 games. They start a three-game home stretch to end the regular season starting Saturday, Feb. 22.
BEST BETS
3 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Feb. 22 – Men’s basketball vs. Simon Fraser, followed by women’s basketball vs. Simon Fraser, Bellingham. Viking programs play a rare doubleheader as the men, tied for fourth in the conference, push for a top-six finish and a spot in the March 6–8 GNAC tournament. The women, who have clinched a berth, play their season’s final home game and celebrate Maddy Grandbois and Olivia Wikstrom on Senior Night.
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27 – Men’s basketball vs. Central Washington, Bellingham. Western takes on the GNAC’s top team in its second of three straight home games to finish the season.
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1 – Softball vs. Simon Fraser, Bellingham. Home-opening doubleheader for the defending NCAA Division II runners-up, who have won six straight for a 7-4 record after a slow season start.
IF YOU GO
Tickets. See wwuvikings.com/Tickets or in person one hour prior to game time.
Parking. Free for sports. For basketball, lot 19G for general audience; 9G for season ticket holders. See the map at wwu.edu/parking.
Can’t make it? Stream it
All home games and most road contests are streamed via a live and free YouTube webcast. Find links online at cascadiadaily.com.
If you have a smart TV, search for “WWU Athletics” on YouTube.
We want to hear from you
Got a WWU sports-related news tip or interesting item for this notebook, or a good story idea? We’re all ears. Send to newstips@cascadiadaily.com, subject line: WWU sports notebook
Meri-Jo Borzilleri is a freelance journalist and former 20-year sports reporter.
