Softball
The Vikings traveled to Nampa, Idaho for a four-game series with the Nighthawks of Northwest Nazarene University to finish off the regular season on Friday April 26 and Saturday April 27. The series had a spot in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament on the line for both teams as Western and Northwest Nazarene fought to be the fourth and final team in the tournament. The Vikings offense fell silent in game one of Friday’s doubleheader as the Nighthawks took a commanding 7-0 victory. Western came roaring back with hot bats taking the second game 8-2, setting up a Saturday doubleheader that had huge playoff implications on the line. Western needed to win both games of Saturday’s doubleheader to secure the final spot in the tournament. The Nighthawks were able to take game one on Saturday by a score of 8-7 with a strong late-game comeback, knocking the Vikings out of GNAC tournament contention. Western was able to win the final game 4-0 and ended the regular season on a positive note with a 2 RBI day from Makinlee Sellevold.
Women’s Soccer
The Vikings travelled to Portland, Oregon for an exhibition match against Portland State University on Sunday, April 28. Western was able to claim a commanding 7-0 victory highlighted by heavy scoring before halftime. Fourth-year Emily Nelson scored the fourth goal of the first half, which was just one of the five goals the Vikings scored in the first 45 minutes of the match. Western added on two more goals in the second half and continued to play tough defense, ending in a shutout of Portland State. Western continues their spring exhibition play on Thursday, May 2 as they host the University of Washington at home on Robert S. Harrington Field.
Women’s Rowing
Women’s rowing competed in the Western Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championships and advanced to the Grand Finals on the first day of competition. The Varsity 4+ took home the bronze on the final day of competition, nearly passing UC San Diego for the silver. The Vikings crew consisted of third-year Adele Houston, fourth-year Hannah Bivans, third-year Carly Lant, third-year Paige Jacobsen and second-year Rachael Schick. The Varsity 8+ finished fourth, just missing the podium. The Vikings look to continue their success at the Windermere Cup in Seattle, hosted by the University of Washington on Saturday, May 4.
Track & Field
The men’s and women’s track & field teams competed in the Ralph Vernacchia Meet on Sunday, April 28 at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. First-year Karlington Anunagba continues to draw eyes as he ran the men’s 200-meter with a time of 21.68 seconds, the third fastest time in Western track & field history. Third-year Amanda Short tied for eighth in Western history for javelin distance. This was the final home meet of the 2019 outdoor season and senior day which honored the nearly 20 seniors who have put countless hours into this program throughout their time at Western. The next stop for the Vikings is the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Multi Championships in Ellensburg, Washington starting on Monday, April 29 followed by the Ken Shannon Invitational in Seattle on Saturday, May 4.
