SPOKANE, Wash. – Eastern Washington track and field opened the 2026 indoor season with a strong showing, as seven individuals and one relay team etched their names into the EWU all-time lists. The women accounted for four of those marks, while the men added three. Overall, the Eagles recorded 24 personal records on the weekend, with nine from the women and 15 from the men.
"Coming back from break is always a mixed bag," said Director of Track and Field/Cross Country
Erin Tucker. "You wish you could have kept them the same way they left, but the reality is they need a break after a long fall. What you get after winter break is a mix—some PRs and top-10 performances, and some things to work on. Living to see another day is the most important piece of returning from break."
Tucker also noted the value of early two-day competition. "Two days of competing gives us a good idea of what we need to work on. How well do we recover after day one and come back ready to compete again? We had some really good things happen, and we also learned a lot."
Spokane Sports Showcase
The women's triple jump group highlighted the opening meet, as all three competitors posted indoor personal records.
"Let's start with the women's TJ—all three ladies hit indoor PRs, and our girl Azaria said, 'Yes, I want that 40-foot barrier,' and she absolutely got it," Tucker said. "We know she had more in the tank, and we're excited to see where it ultimately ends. Not to be outdone, Cheeta (Manthita) had herself a day too. She's knocking on that 40-foot barrier, and everyone knows it's coming. The women's TJ has something cooking—Coach Jo has some new tricks up her sleeve."
Azaria Purdy improved her No. 2 mark on the program's all-time list with a third-place triple jump of 12.22 meters (40 feet, 1.25 inches).
Manthita Wague placed sixth at 11.84 meters (38 feet, 10.25 inches), moving into seventh all-time.
In the pole vault,
Suzi Woodall finished second after clearing 4.07 meters (13 feet, 4.25 inches), while
Breauna Erickson placed fourth with a personal-best 3.77 meters (12 feet, 4.50 inches).
"Staying in the world of jumping—just with an implement—our women vaulters were busy as well," Tucker said. "Our reigning indoor Big Sky champion jumped out to the Big Sky lead in her first meet of the year. Kudos to Breauna on a massive PR, picking up right where she left off in December. Coach Erin is keeping our pole vault tradition strong, and she won't let it slip."
Ella Seelhoff opened the year with a PR in the high jump, clearing 1.60 meters (5 feet, 3 inches).
Gilana Wollman placed fifth in the long jump, while
Ashley Fuller added an eighth-place finish in the shot put.
On the track,
Judith Koumedzina posted a personal-best 7.63 in the 60 meters to move into fifth on the EWU all-time list and added another PR in the 300 meters.
Cerae Mahabeer also cracked the record book in the 60-meter hurdles, running 8.97 to rank sixth all-time.
Sara Sanders led the distance group with a third-place finish in the 800 meters.
For the men,
Dom Corley ran a PR 6.90 in the 60 meters to move into eighth all-time.
Maddy Shekhawat earned a runner-up finish in the 60-meter hurdles in 7.84, a mark that ranks 16th nationally, and later led the Eagles in the 300 meters.
Conner Wirth highlighted the distance events, placing third in the mile at 4:07.11 to move into third all-time.
"On the track, we had some good races, some PRs, and some great execution," Tucker said. "Now we rest up, meet with coaches, and get ready for Idaho."
Spokane Indoor Challenge
Eastern Washington followed with another solid performance at the Spokane Indoor Challenge. The men recorded nine personal records and added one top-10 mark, while the women posted two PRs and placed a relay team on the all-time list.
"We had PRs across the board, but Coach Maj's group really stood out," Tucker said. "They were dropping bombs this weekend, and that's just the beginning."
Merci Migani led the men with a win in the triple jump at 14.90 meters (48 feet, 10.75 inches).
Jason Nwaka and
Litani Moimoi earned PRs in the weight throw, while
Cort Gebbers recorded a personal-best to place second in the shot put. On the track, Shekhawat won the 60-meter hurdles, and the men's 4x400-meter relay finished second.
For the women,
Madison Bond won the triple jump, and Woodall claimed the pole vault title.
Rhiannon Davies posted a PR in the mile, finishing third. The 4x400-meter relay of
Melia Middleton,
Diana Fernandez,
Sydney Thweatt, and Koumedzina closed the meet by running 3:48.28 to move into second on the EWU all-time list.
"I have to give a shoutout to the women's 4x4 for running the second-fastest time in school history," Tucker said. "To do that this early in the season is huge. Good opener for 2026—the question now is, do you want to be good, or do you want to be great?"
New EWU All-Time Top Ten
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ABOUT EASTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Eastern Washington University Athletics sponsors 14 intercollegiate sports, six for men and eight for women, both as learning opportunities for its most athletically talented students and as an enhancement to student and community life. Eastern is affiliated with Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an association of 10 regional schools with comparable enrollments and academic goals.
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