Three CWU track and field athletes earn weekly honors from GNAC

Central Washington University track and field standout Emy Ntekpere was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women’s Field Athlete of the Week last week for her performance at the University of Washington Preview.

The three-time NCAA Division II national champion in 2024-25 placed second in the high jump at the January 16-17 indoor event in Seattle, clearing 1.79 meters (5 feet, 10.5 inches) to set new CWU and GNAC records. The mark is tied for the best in D-II this season.

Ntekpere also won the triple jump, posting a season-best 12.54 meters (41 feet, 1¾ inches), which ranks third in the nation. She added a fourth-place finish in the long jump at 5.68 meters (18 feet, 7¾ inches), capping off a stellar early-season showing.

Ntekpere, a junior from Vancouver, Washington, opened the event with the high jump and was clean through 1.76 meters. She went to her third attempt at 1.79 and earned praise from CWU head coach Jonathan Hill for rising to the challenge.

“It was awesome to see her overcome some stress and put together one of the best technical jumps of her career,” he said. “She won a Big Ten meet in the triple jump and competed really well in the long jump. Emy had a really solid day, which we hope to replicate a couple more times.”

Two of Ntekpere’s teammates kept up the Wildcats’ early-season momentum at last weekend’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Invitational in New Mexico.

Elise Hopper and Colton Magruder received GNAC Athlete of the Week honors this week for their outstanding performances at the January 23-24 event in the Albuquerque Convention Center.

Hopper, a senior from Port Orchard, finished 12th in the women's 200 meters, posting a time of 24.18 seconds, which ranks sixth in NCAA Division II. She added an eighth-place finish in the 400 meters with a time of 55.19 seconds, good for 11th nationally.

Along the way, Hopper recorded two all-time GNAC indoor top-10 performances. Her career-best 200-meter time stands as the sixth-fastest in conference history, while her 400-meter mark ranks seventh in the GNAC.  

“There's nothing Elise wants more than to run really fast,” coach Hill said. “She knows both of her races could've even been a little cleaner, but to lay down those marks, in that environment in January, is a great sign she is ready for high-level, championship racing.”

Magruder, a freshman from Ellensburg, finished 12th in the 200 meters with a time of 22.09 seconds and placed 14th in the 60-meter dash preliminaries at 6.88 seconds.

Making his collegiate debut in the 200 meters, his performance ranks sixth in GNAC competitions this season. His 60-meter time currently ranks second in the conference, solidifying his position as one of the GNAC's top sprinters early in the season.

“Colton is about four weeks into his track career with us after coming over from the football season, and he wants to see what the best looks like,” Hill said of last year’s Class 2A state champion in the 100 and 200 meters. “He stood toe to toe with grown folks from the SEC and Big 12 last week. This meet was so important for him and was just the start of a huge career.”

The Wildcats will travel to Seattle this weekend to compete in the UW Invitational and Mile City Meet at the Dempsey Indoor Center, hosted by the University of Washington.