PORTLAND, Ore. – In one of the top results since the 2013-14 academic year, Western Oregon University compiled an overall ranking of third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference All-Sports Trophy for the 2021-22 season. The men finished third, while the women finished sixth to comprise an overall ranking of third.
WOU tallied 6.76 points to finish ahead of Alaska Anchorage (6.62) and Northwest Nazarene (6.59). Western Washington took the top spot in the combined results, as well as both of the men's and women's top rankings. WOU posted 6.87 points in the men's rankings to come in third behind Simon Fraser and Western Washington. WOU added a 5.49 total in the women's ranking to come in sixth, just behind Northwest Nazarene's 5.65 in fifth.
WOU placed third in the GNAC All-Sports Trophy in 2013-14 and also won in 2007-08. The Wolves have four second-place finishes (2002-03), (2003-04), (2010-11) and (2011-12) and this is the fourth time WOU has placed third.
The Wolves recorded a pair of GNAC titles this season with women's track and field and baseball earning first-place results. Women's track and field won the outdoor championships with 155 points to win their first title since 2008 and fifth since 2000. It was also the most points since the 2008 title team tallied 162 points. Jenelle Hurley was named the GNAC Female Field Athlete of the Meet.
Baseball claimed a share of the GNAC regular season title with Northwest Nazarene for the 15th conference crown for the Wolves in program history. The Wolves then went on to win the GNAC Championships and advance to the NCAA West Regional. Arturo Alvarez was tabbed as the GNAC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year.
Football placed second in the conference standings competing in the GNAC for the final time this season. WOU, along with the other two GNAC schools, will become affiliates of the Lone Star Conference this coming season. The Wolves swept Simon Fraser and added a non-conference win against future Lone Star opponent West Texas A&M.
Women's track and field had a big year all-around and it started during the indoor season when the Wolves placed second at the GNAC Indoor Championships with 115 points. It was the highest finish for WOU since 2004 and the most points since 2005 when that year's team came away with 118 points.
Men's track and field collected a pair of third-place finishes at the conference meets this year. At the recently completed GNAC Outdoor Championships, WOU tallied 94 points to come in third. To start the year, the Wolves recorded 107.33 points to come in third at the GNAC Indoor Championships. That was the highest finish since 2018 and the most points since 2013.
Cross country added strong results for the All-Sports Trophy with the men placing third and the women fourth at the GNAC Championships that took place in Lacey. The third-place result for the men's team was the highest since winning the conference title in 2017. The fourth-place finish for the women's team was the highest since 2010 when the Wolves came in third.
Women's basketball competed in their first GNAC Championships since 2010-11 this year and took host Saint Martin's all the way to the end in the opener before the Saints held on. WOU put together a strong run down the stretch falling just short to Northwest Nazarene and Seattle Pacific by a combined three points. The Wolves then nearly won at powerhouse Alaska Anchorage before a late shot pushed the Seawolves to the win. WOU closed the regular season with a win over Alaska Fairbanks.
Men's basketball ended up playing their best at the right time of the season. WOU rolled to a home win over Western Washington and then won at Alaska Anchorage down the stretch of the regular season. That helped propel the Wolves into an impressive GNAC Championships run. WOU defeated Western Washington and then took down host Saint Martin's on Cameron Cranston's game-winning three-pointer. WOU then took Central Washington right to the end before the Wildcats held on for the one-point win in the semifinals.
Women's soccer and softball pushed towards postseason berths right to the end of the seasons. Women's soccer tied Western Washington to stay alive for a possible GNAC Championships spot and it all came down to the final game of the year. WOU traveled to Canada and went overtime with Simon Fraser before SFU used a penalty shot to secure the final postseason spot. Earlier in the season, WOU tallied another big home win over Seattle Pacific, as the Falcons made a deep run in the NCAA Championships.
Softball nearly sent head coach Lonny Sargent out in style guiding the Wolves for the final time this season. Facing a tough scenario where WOU needed to win six of their final eight games and get help to reach the postseason, the Wolves nearly did it. WOU started the run splitting with Western Washington and then needed to win all four at Central Washington. The Wolves opened the first day sweeping the Wildcats which meant everything came down to the final day of the year. CWU held on for the win in game three of the series to secure the final postseason spot. WOU then closed the season strong rolling to the 11-run win with Logan Carlos hitting for the cycle.
Volleyball showed a lot of fight down the stretch during the 2021 fall season. WOU picked up home wins against Seattle Pacific and Northwest Nazarene, then went five sets against Central Washington. Five-set matches were a theme for the Wolves all year as they played six matches that went the distance.
