Led by a GNAC men’s triple jump champion and many top competitors on the women’s side, Central’s track and field team believes they’re on the verge of earning the GNAC title and a chance to go to nationals in March.

The GNAC Indoor Track and Field Championship is hosted by Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho on Feb. 19 and 20.

“It’s one we really like to look at as kinda almost the preview for the main [outdoor] championship,” head coach Kevin Adkisson said. “It really just helps us get our bearings more than anything. We like to see kinda where we are, how we’re stacking up, if we’re meeting some of the goals we’ve already set for ourselves.”

Senior jumper Luke Plummer, who still has another year of indoor eligibility left, won the GNAC triple jump title and advanced to nationals.

Plummer said his goal for the GNAC championship is to repeat as triple jump champion and place in the top-five at nationals.

Assistant coach in jumps, Tony Monroe, said Plummer really likes the facility that hosts the GNACs, saying that he has always competed well there and it’s almost like a second home to him.

Another goal Plummer said he had was to win the GNAC long jump title. He finished in sixth last year.

“He’s kinda a nerd on the subject [jumping events], he studies film, he studies his own film, I work with him on a lot of film,” Monroe said. “He’s really worked on the small things over the last year.”

Adkisson expects Plummer to lead the way for Central with the potential he has in his two events; long jump and triple jump.

Also on the men’s side, junior thrower Armando Tafoya ranked top-three in the GNAC in weight throw and shot put.

Adkisson calls Plummer and Tafoya solid and dependable guys for the Wildcats.

Senior sprinter Kent McKinney Jr. will make a run for a single titles as well. He is ranked first in the GNAC in the 60-meter race.

“Be great to see if we can get multiple titles out of some of these guys as they finish their careers, especially Luke and Kent,” Adkisson said.

On the women’s side, there are many that have a shot at winning events in the championship meet.

Junior pole vaulter McKenna Emmert placed second in the indoor championship last year, but an injury earlier in the season has caused her some struggles.

“McKenna Emmert just hasn’t vaulted as well as she has in the past yet,” Adkisson said. “She could easily come through and really hit her form and be GNAC champion.”

Monroe hopes that Emmert can carry her mark through the GNAC’s and go to nationals.

A couple seniors Adkisson would love to see go out on a high note are Amanda Youngers and Dani Eggleston. Youngers does the shot put and weight throw, and Eggleston is a middle distance runner that can score points in a few events, but what she will run is still up in the air.

Adkisson also likes the chances for junior sprinter Madison Garcia’s chances of scoring some points for Central after the great indoor season.

Junior triple jumper Kelly Cronic is another threat to score points for Central’s women’s team. Her mark of 38 feet puts her in the top three triple jumpers in the GNAC.

Adkisson believes that the women’s track and field program is becoming a “power school” in the GNAC.

“This year, especially on the women’s side we’d love to… continue the progress we’ve been making and solidify our position in that top,” Adkisson said. “Not necessarily the very top group, but right up there among the higher teams consistently.”

On the men’s side, Adkisson believes that Central is up in the top three or four in the conference.

Central’s biggest challenges at the meet will be Alaska Anchorage University (AAU) and Western Washington University on the men’s side, and AAU and Seattle Pacific University on the women’s side.