VANCOUVER, WA - Clark College heads to the 2026 NWAC Track & Field Championships with momentum, depth, and a strong group of contenders across the sprints, hurdles, relays, jumps, throws, and distance events.  The two-day championship meet begins Monday at Mt. Hood Community College, where the Penguins will look to make noise against a deep conference field filled with nationally competitive programs.

"Everyone knows what you do in May is what counts, and the team is ready to go compete with all they've got at the NWAC Championships," said Penguin head coach Christian Igielinski. "We've been saying all season to trust your coaches and trust the process. We have a great history of peaking and hitting personal bests at the right time and that's what we plan to do again this year." 

Clark's women's sprint corps enters the meet as one of the program's biggest strengths. Freshman Abby Mendoza arrives seeded among the top athletes in both the 100 and 200 meters after posting times of 12.37 and 24.95 this spring.

"Abby Mendoza has been having a fantastic season so far and with being able to focus back on sprinting since the multis championship, she's set up to have some great performances in the 100m and 200m," explained Igielinski.

Emily Peabody also enters championship week in strong form, carrying the No. 1 seed in the women's 400 meters at 58.22 while ranking near the top of the conference in the 100 and 200. Peabody was the 200 meter champion last season and earned All-American in the 100 meters as well.

The Penguins' women's relays could also be among the top point-producing groups of the meet. Clark enters the 4x400 relay with the fastest seed time in the NWAC at 4:01.72, and is looking to repeat as champions again this year. The quartet of Peabody, Mallory Davenport, Mendoza and Nico Field consistently improved throughout the season and will be a serious title contender Tuesday afternoon.

Clark's women's 4x100 relay also enters with championship aspirations after clocking a season-best 48.95 earlier this season. The relay lineup featuring Jaden Frazier, Peabody, Mendoza and Britney Ketels are seeded second overall entering the finals. Like the 4x400, they are the returning champions from last season.

Nico Field will be busy throughout the meet as one of Clark's top all-around athletes. In addition to running on the 4x400 relay, Field enters the 400 hurdles with a seed time of 1:06.69, one of the top marks in the conference, with freshman Britney Ketels not far behind and seeded fourth. Field also ranks second behind Peabody in the open 400.

On the men's side, Max Ensinger headlines a versatile Clark group after earning the top seed in the 110 hurdles at 14.58. Teammates Niel Valerio and Poki'i Waiwaiole should join Ensinger on the podium in the event. Ensinger is also a major contender in the 400 hurdles, as he enters at 53.70. Ahead of Ensinger in the 400 hurdles is Koynn Williamdyke, who gives Clark another championship threat after posting one of the top seeds at 52.85, while also ranking among the conference leaders in the open 400 at 48.43. Williamdyke was named "Athlete of the Meet" at the 2025 NWAC Championships, and while he won't be in as many events in 2026, he has a solid chance to repeat that honor.

The Penguins' men's 4x400 relay has emerged as one of the fastest groups in the NWAC this season. Clark enters the finals with a seed time of 3:19.40, narrowly behind Spokane, in what could become one of the closest races of the championships.
Clark's sprint depth continues with Chris Garnett and Julian Johnson in the men's 100, while Garnett also enters the 200 meters with a strong 22.04 seed time. Ian Ebinger will also be a scoring threat for Clark in the sprints and a big part of the aforementioned 4x400 relay.

In the field events, Taeven Hill and Drayden Starke-Shaffer lead the Penguins in the horizontal jumps. Hill enters the triple jump seeded at 14.06 meters and will also compete in the long jump.

"Taeven Hill has been at another level during the last month of the season and put himself right in the mix for a top 3 spot in the triple jump," Igielinski said.

Luke Livengood gives Clark another potential scorer in the javelin after throwing 53.39 meters this season. Nico Valdez earned All-American honors in the discus last season and is right on track for that again this year. He is just on the outside looking in for the hammer as well after adding that event for this season. Wyatt Galipeau is another athlete banging down the door of a throws scoring position in his best event, the shot put.

For the women's field events, Nora Herinckx is the top competitor due to her high ranking in the high jump. April Cruz and Tori Yetter will look to break through in their jumping events as well. Ella Lulich will be the Penguins' best shot at the podium in the throws. She will be right in the mix in both the shot put and discus.

Clark's distance crew will be represented most strongly in the steeplechase, where Dekota Houfek enters with a sub-10 minute seed time of 9:57.45. Tate Armstrong and Ben Carter will join him in the men's 3000-meter steeplechase finals Monday afternoon. Mariposa Perez is seeded ninth on the women's side and will need her best to earn an All-Conference spot for Clark.

With multiple top three relay seeds, several event favorites, and scoring opportunities spread across nearly every discipline, Clark enters the NWAC Championships positioned to challenge for podium finishes and top team scores during the two-day meet.

---

For the latest news and results, follow Clark Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or sign up for our e-newsletter to stay up to date with the latest happenings!