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Locally: Spokane Colleges men, women claim NWAC track and field titles

Spokane’s Mary Nakamura was named the NWAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet. (Courtesy of NWAC)
From staff reports

From staff reports

The Spokane College’s men’s track and field team claimed its first title since 2012 and 33rd overall, while the women won their second straight and 24th overall crown on Tuesday at the 2025 NWAC Track and Field Championships at Mt. Hood Community College in Oregon.

The Sasquatch men were dominant, scoring 229.5 points. They outscored second-place Lane by 61 points to end the Titans’ 10-year championship streak.

The 33 titles for the Sasquatch are the most in NWAC history.

Spokane won six men’s events, including the 4x100 relay. Individual winners include Jediah Darrel (discus), David Stingle (javelin), Travis Horn (1,500 meters), Michael Mendoza (110 hurdles), Jack Forbes (400), Colin Wright (800).

After winning their first championship last year since 2018, the Sasquatch women won this year by 62.5 points. Spokane finished with 236.5 points, led by eight individual champions.

Spokane swept all of the individual awards on the women’s side, led by Afton Wood who was the high scorer of the meet with 46 points. Wood finished first in the javelin and 400 hurdles while also taking second in the heptathlon and 400 and third in the pole vault. She was also part of the women’s 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams that each finished second.

Spokane's Mary Nakamura was named the 2025 NWAC Women's Track Athlete of the Meet. (Courtesy of NWAC)
Spokane’s Mary Nakamura was named the 2025 NWAC Women’s Track Athlete of the Meet. (Courtesy of NWAC)

Mary Nakamura was named the women’s athlete of the meet as she scored 38 points for the Sasquatch. Nakamura won the 3,000 steeplechase and the 1,500, while taking second in the 5,000 and 800. She was also a part of the women’s 4x400 relay team that placed second.

Spokane’s Maliyah Gordon was named the women’s field athlete of the meet with 24 points. Gordon won the women’s hammer throw on Tuesday and placed second in the shot put and third in the discus.

Other women’s individual winners: Joy Assonken (shot put), Daisy Lemly (discus) and Emmalyne Jimenez (800).

College baseball

Outfielder Logan Johnstone was named to the All-Mountain West Conference first team and catcher Will Cresswell earned second-team honors, the conference announced Tuesday.

Johnstone is the first Cougars outfielder to earn first-team honors since WSU all-time home run leader Derek Jones earned All-Pac-12 first-team accolades in 2012. The redshirt junior from Los Gatos, California, hit .337 with team highs of 17 doubles, nine home runs and 17 multiple-hit games. His 40 RBIs were second on the team. In conference play, Johnstone led the Cougars with a .387 average with 12 doubles, eight home runs and 27 RBIs.

WSU’s season came to an end Saturday. The Cougars finished with an overall record of 18-36.

College football

With the 2025 season on the horizon, Eastern Washington football has solidified its team captains for the fall. Coach Aaron Best announced four Eagles captains for the upcoming season, with Jared Taylor, Nolan Ulm, Isaiah Perez and DaJean Wells earning leadership roles.

Ulm will begin his second season as a team captain. Taylor, Perez and Wells earn the honor for the first time.

Athletics

Whitworth University has retained the Northwest Conference McIlroy-Lewis All-Sports trophy following the 2024-25 athletic year, according to the standings released by the conference on May 13.

The Pirates held off George Fox University by seven points (253-246) in the final tally, the closest margin since Puget Sound defeated Whitworth by three points in 2005-06. The win is Whitworth’s 15th overall, tying Pacific Lutheran for the most in NWC history.

The Pirates earned the maximum 18 points for NWC titles in four sports: volleyball, men’s swimming, women’s swimming and men’s basketball. The Bucs claimed runner-up points (16) in men’s cross country, football, men’s track and field, women’s track and field and baseball.

The NWC All-Sports Trophy recognizes athletic excellence among NWC institutions across all fields of competition.

Soccer

Spokane Velocity defender David Garcia earned a starting spot on USL League One’s Team of the Week for the 11th week of the season for his performance in Spokane’s 1-0 win over Richmond on Saturday.

Garcia registered a game-high seven clearances and added two interceptions. He also had 75 touches, second highest on the team. This was Garcia’s first team of the week honor of the season.