According to head coach Kevin Adkisson, individuals are what makes up the track team, but the combination of all the individuals into one team effort is what makes the Outdoor Championships a big part of the season.

“That’s where the team focus side is,” Adkisson said. “You’ve obviously got a lot of good individuals… that’s why we always wanna go to conference and get that combination of all these great individual performances.”

Adkisson added that the conclusion to this season gives some top athletes that are already qualified for the NCAA National Championships a chance to leave a lasting legacy at CWU.

“Records come and go, but All-American placings at nationals… that’s something that stays on the record book forever,” Adkisson said. “Say, Kodiak Landis in the decathlon, a top three potential finisher, or Alexa [Shindruk], an All-American placing in the 10k.”

Landis and Shindruk are two CWU Track and Field athletes that have already qualified for the NCAA National Championships and are looking to make a big impact on the team in the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

Kodiak Landis

An athlete to watch out for on the CWU Men’s Track and Field team is Kodiak Landis. A decathlete, Landis has been on many headlines and has made an impact on the CWU record books this season.

Three times this year Landis has received GNAC Field Athlete of the Week. Landis earned his latest Athlete of the Week at the Bryan Clay Invitational on April 18 in Azusa, California. In this event he moved up to third overall on the GNAC All-Time List and also set a new CWU record in the decathlon, with a score of 7,187.

Landis, a probable automatic qualifier for the NCAA National Championships, also holds the CWU record for pole vault, is sixth all-time in the GNAC in the 400 meter, and is tenth all-time in the GNAC in the long jump.

“Finding rhythm, finding pop, being more explosive in all my events. This is the time where we pick up that speed and we pick up that explosiveness,” Landis said, in regards to the season coming to a close.

Landis said he is excited for the meet, and it’s the most fun part of the season for him.

Landis is also looking forward to seeing the Women’s team compete for CWU.

“I’m really excited to see how our Women’s team will stack up coming off that tie for first in Indoors. It would be really nice to see us have that title outright,” Landis said. “And then for the guys team, I think we can actually do a lot more than people predict this year.”

Alexa Shindruk

On the CWU Women’s Track and Field team, a big name to keep an eye on is Alexa Shindruk. The junior is a distance runner and will compete in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters.

Earlier this season, at the Mt. SAC Relays in Torrance, California, Shindruk bested her own school record in the 10,000 meters by over a minute. Her previous record was 35 minutes and 58.99 seconds.

Her new time of 34 minutes, 57.08 seconds was good enough to put her at seventh fastest all-time in the GNAC for the 10k.

Shindruk is sitting in a prime position to qualify for the NCAA National Championships, but also understands the importance of representing CWU in the GNAC Outdoor Championships.

“Trying to help all our teammates to come along so we can all score and contribute is important,” Shindruk said.

Shindruk is helping her teammates by “pacing” them, which is the act of leading them in a distance run in order to establish their own competitive speed. Last Saturday, at a track meet at Western Washington University, Shindruk paced a teammate and helped her set a new personal record in the 5,000 meters.

With no female distance runners in their senior year this year, Shindruk knows the role she plays as being a leader for younger distance runners on the team.

“I have to step into that role of trying to lead people and work together with them,” Shindruk said.

Shindruk brought up the recent success that the CWU Track and Field team has been having, and how that has had a big impact on the community, school, and even the team’s future. The Women’s team tied for first earlier this season in the GNAC Indoor Championships, and CWU is also adding a new track facility that will allow the team to host home meets.

“I think as a whole it’s not well-known… but the success that we’ve been having in years past has helped that,” Shindruk said. “It has also helped in terms of recruiting more talented individuals… success breeds success.”