Gonzaga University men’s and women’s track and field had a strong indoor season, achieving several program records and personal bests.
With a record-breaking season at The Podium, several runners have solidified themselves as standout competitors as the team prepares for its outdoor season.
On the women's side, Alexis Knight grabbed the all-time indoor record for the 60-meter dash at the 2025 Northwest Invitational. She also took second place on the all-time program record board for her 26.51 200-meter race at the 2025 Riverfront Invitational & Multis.
Freshman Greta Dani took the third place all-time program record at the same race, making it a strong debut season for her. Women’s track and field head coach Jake Stewart commented on Knight and the team’s performance at the Northwest Invitational.
“She broke the school record twice in the 60-meters," Stewart said "We ran some PRs, so that's great, and the relays in the morning were a lot of fun to watch, and it was a really cool opportunity for them to compete against close teams.”
The Inland Northwest Invitational proved to be a competitive meet for the athletes, as the 300-meter all-time program records were broken by Dani and Presley Smith, who took first and second, respectively. The Spokane Sports Showcase at The Podium was integral in Ellie Armbruster breaking one minute with a time of 57.14. She continued her streak this meet by grabbing the record in the 600-meter race as well.
“I want to see if I can just get faster and faster every time, and then that goes like the same with the 200,” Knight said. “While running the 200, I want to possibly get a PR, so it's working on that through the rest of the season.”
For longer distances, Willow Collins and Rosina Machu dominated the Husky Classic, with Collins taking the mile all-time program record with a time of 4:38.90, setting her as one of the fastest mile runners in GU history.
Machu took the record for the 3000-meter race, finishing in 9:10.87 coming off of a successful cross-country season. She will most likely go on to compete for the NCAA West Outdoor Track and Field Championships with Collins and a few other team members.
Jacob Alfonso and Hayden Roberts set top two all-time program records in the 800-meter race at the Riverfront Invitational and the Husky Classic, respectively. Roberts, a freshman, set the No. 2 all-time record for the 800 meter, proving to be a strong runner early on in his career.
Wil Smith once again beat his own all-time program record, making him one of the fastest mile runners in program history. He broke the four-minute mark with a time of 3:58.87 in the Husky Classic. Additionally, he was successful in the 3000-meter race at the Husky Classic, finishing in 7:50.18.
“At the end of the day, the most important thing we're trying to do here during this brief spring season is to get as many kids as we can to qualify to be one of the top 48 athletes at the NCAA West Regional, which will be at the end of May at Texas A&M," said men's head coach Pat Tyson. "So we start at Stanford, trying to get some guys in the 10,000 and the steeplechase."
Logan Law, Mason Kissell and Alfonso also hit strong times in the 3000-meter race, grabbing sixth through eighth places, respectively, on the program record board.
Overall, the team saw solid performances from many of the runners on the indoor tracks before heading to the outdoor season. Many GU runners will be looking to qualify for the Stanford Invitational, which is a crucial meet to qualify for the top 48 to get to the NCAA West Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
“We are definitely looking forward to the outdoor season,” said Devin Fahey, the graduate assistant coach for the men's cross country and track teams. “What can the kids do in the 5K, 10K, 1500 outdoor season? So all you can do in indoor is pull yourself in a better position for outdoor as long as all the guys are coming away, like, early March at the end of feeling like [they] got something out of this.”
Smith will look to qualify for the Stanford Invitational in the 10,000-meter, alongside teammates Bryce Cerkowniak and Drew Kolodge. In the steeplechase, Cooper Laird, Paul Talens and Sean Janecko will be trying to grab their qualifying times. Law and Alfonso will be racing after the qualifying time in the 5000-meter as well.
GU track will begin its outdoor season at the Buc Scoring Invite at Whitworth, with events beginning today.
