Some of the biggest Wildcat sports programs start well before students jump back onto campus for fall quarter. The school’s football team started their season with a strong 3-1 start, two of those wins coming from the Lone Star Conference (LSC). The CWU Women’s Soccer team has had their strongest start in years going 2-1-2, looking for their first win in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC). The Women’s Volleyball team has also started their season, going 6-4 with an upset win against number eight ranked Simon Fraser University to begin their GNAC run.

Football

Outside of one game, the Wildcat’s football team has been dominant, winning by 27 or more points during each of their wins. Despite losing offensive star running back Tyler Flanagan, quarterback Kennedy McGill has taken the next step in becoming a passer. During the first 4 games of the season, McGill already has more than half the passing touchdowns he did last season and almost half the passing yards. McGill still hasn’t lost his mobility, trailing second on the stat sheet in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. 

When speaking on McGill’s improvement, head coach Chris Fisk said “we are excited about his growth as a quarterback this season and look forward to seeing him in future games.”

Defensively, the Wildcats lost one of their best players in school history to the NFL draft in Tanner Volk. The defense hasn’t faltered though, with the team’s current count of interceptions trailing last year’s total by three. The home crowd has also played a part in the team’s success, as at home, the defense has yet to allow more than 14 points in a game. 

Fisk spoke on losing both Flanagan and Volk, saying “CWU has grown and improved because of the efforts of both Tanner [Volk] and Tyler [Flanagan], among many others. We are excited to see the men they become as they move forward in life.” 

Coming off a dominant 93-31 win on the road against Western New Mexico University, the Wildcats return home on Oct. 4 to face Eastern New Mexico University, a team the Wildcats have not lost to since joining the LSC.

Soccer

The Women’s Soccer team are off to their best start through games with a record of 2-1-2. The 2024 season was one of the worst in school history with a final record of 1-11-5. Interim Head Coach John Hawks has personally seen improvements in the team, as Hawks was assistant head coach during 2024. When speaking on said improvements, Hawks planted the foundations immediately following the last season. “Our foundation for this fall was put down early in the mornings last winter and spring,” Hawks said. “When the Arena was empty, and the lights were off, we were focused on changing what we knew we were capable of becoming on the field.” The results speak for themselves, as the team has double the amount of goals they did last season through five games.

When speaking on the previous season, Hawks said, “greatness in any locker room is established by the people who commit to showing up when times are tough. To see how returners embraced this tough season (last winter and spring) is a massive testament to them and the success we have had up to this point with our fall campaign.” Hawks gave a shoutout to returning seniors and team captains Casey Park and Annelise Bauman, along with other upperclassmen who have the tone in the locker room.

After two losses at home against their first two GNAC opponents, the team will go on the road against Western Oregon University on Oct. 2, followed by a bout against Saint Martin University on Oct. 4, two teams they haven’t had recent success against.

Volleyball

The women’s volleyball team has big shoes to fill, as they return as the GNAC reigning champions. The team continued their GNAC eight game winning streak, beating their first GNAC opponent in a 3-2 upset against Simon Fraser University. All good things must come to an end however, and the team faced their first GNAC loss in 11 months to rival Western Washington University, 2-3.

However, the new year came with a fresh new face of starters as the Wildcats lost their 2024 leaders in points, kills, digs and blocks. The new leaders to the team are team captains Ellie Marble and Scottie Ellsworth, who Head Coach Mario Andaya praised as “growing each day as the leaders of our team.” When speaking about the new lineup, Andaya said, “replacing key leaders is always a challenge, yet part of the process. It’s nice to have our current leadership have some championship experience, but they are still learning how to navigate the role and share the knowledge they have.”

Coming off of a win against Northwest Nazarene University, the volleyball team hopes to create another GNAC winning streak on the road as they face Montana State University on Oct. 2 and Seattle Pacific University on Oct. 4 before returning home to Ellensburg for the following week.