Winning Wildcats
story by Quin Ford, photo by Tyler Diltz & Laura Allen, design by Alex Littman
The student section’s booming voices are matched by the roaring sounds of the band. The mix fills Nicholson Pavilion as a nail-biter of a game is close to concluding. The cheers coming from all directions motivate the Wildcat athletes to make that final push to protect home court. Welcome to CWU Athletics, where experiencing a captivating atmosphere like this one will leave a long-lasting impression.
CWU is home to 11 NCAA Division II athletic teams seen in football, softball, baseball, women’s volleyball, women’s soccer, cross country, track and field and both men's and women’s basketball teams. Each of these squads, except football, belongs to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), which was founded in 2001, when CWU joined the conference. In total there are 10 DII colleges that compete within the association: Washington (4), Alaska (2), Oregon (1), Montana (1), Idaho (1) and Canada (1). Formerly a part of GNAC, CWU’s football team stands alone in the Lone Star Conference and has been an active member since July 2022.
Winning in Motion
Holding it down at home with a 12-1 record, the women’s basketball team ended the 2024-25 season going 23-8 and 14-4 in conference play. While the regular season may have ended, the team's playoff hopes did not. Senior Exercise Major and Guard Asher Cai, who holds the GNAC scoring record and GNAC three point record, says that, “coming to each game one game at a time” allowed the team to ball out all the way to the third round of the DII Tournament, taking down both three-seed Point Lima with a 74-53 point victory and seventh-seed Chico State with a final score of 79-73. The team's season came to an end with a 47-70 point loss to runner up and number one-seed Cal State Dominguez Hills. Regardless of the outcome, Head Coach Randi Richardson willed the team the furthest any CWU women’s basketball coach has ever gone in the tournament. She says this was accomplished through “talent … work ethic … and the fact that we’ve been able to build with players being around from multiple years.” To add to Richardson’s impressive resume, in the nine years that she has been the head coach for the Wildcats, she has never had a losing record.
Q&A with Senior Guard and Exercise Major Asher Cai
Q: This season you broke the GNAC three-point record. What went through your head as you hit that shot and how does it feel to hold such an impressive record?
A: Honestly, going into that game, I didn’t even know I was going to break the three-point record. I had tied it and Randy pulled me over, [saying], ‘Okay you need to make one more three and we’re pulling you out.’ I was just letting it fly. … I couldn't do it without the opportunities my coach has given me. My teammates get me the ball where I need it.”
Q: When taking a look at the success and accomplishments you’ve had as an athlete, what do you hope young female athletes can take away from your hard work and exceptional performances?
A: “I think the biggest thing is that it's not always going to be an upward process. There's going to be slumps, that's how you know you're growing. It's not always going to be a straight line. Just be persistent and keep working hard when nobody's looking because it's going to pay off.”
Whatever it Takes
It’s the final possession for the CWU men’s basketball team at Nicholson Arena. Their opponent isn’t letting up, but you’d be a fool to think the Wildcats are taking their foot off the pedal. With the game on the line, Junior Guard Jordan Clark takes the ball upcourt in hopes of sending the competitors back home with a loss. As time ticks down, Clark hoists up a three and to no surprise the net curls as the ball swishes in. If you get the chance to attend one of Central's men’s basketball games, you may get to witness a thrilling performance like this.
The team, run by eighth-year Head Coach Brandon Rinta, wrapped up the 2024-25 season with an impressive 22-10 and 14-4 conference play record. A record like this takes, as Clark says, “unity as a team” and “doing whatever I could to help out the team, whether I was scoring, getting people involved, creating plays for each other … whatever it took to win.” Clark’s contributions did not go unnoticed. Being the third leading scorer on the Wildcats, he put up nearly 12 points per game, leading the team second in assists and ending the season with the leading free throw percentage with an incredibly accurate 91 percent.
Clark’s dominance, with the help of then-guards Calvin Holden and Garret Anderson, led the team to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament last year, defeating three-seed Chico State in an overtime thriller with a final score of 82-79. With a 65-77 point loss to second-seed Cal State Dominguez Hills their season came to an end. Still, the team's well-rounded performances throughout the year can be credited to, as Clark puts it, “A good team that knew how to play together, so it was easy to go on to the court and play well.”
Q&A with Junior Guard and Communications/Sports Management Major Jordan Clark
Q: If you were to compare your play style and attributes to a current NBA player, who do you feel you resemble the most?
A: “I would say Jalen Brunson. That's what a lot of people say. He uses a lot of pump fakes, pivots, gets to his spots, can hit some threes [and has] great footwork. … [He also] hits a lot of mid ranges [and] he can get to the rim. I would say a right handed Jalen Brunson, my own type of way though.”
Q: What are your hobbies outside of playing basketball?
A: “I love listening to music. … Some of my favorite artists [are] Tame Impala … Baby Face E, Lil Baby, just all types of different artists. … Me and my teammates will link up [and] play some video games. … The main video games I play [are] either 2K [or] NCAA College Football.”
Competing for Titles
“We’re here and we’re for real” is how Jonathan Hill, head coach of CWU’s track and field team, describes his takeaways from the 2024-25 season. The now third-year head coach helped lead his team to some remarkable accomplishments, such as placing second in the 2025 Indoor Track and Field GNAC Championship (men’s and women’s) and second in the 2024 Outdoor Track and Field GNAC Championship (men’s and women’s). Hill’s dedication and leadership has contributed to the development of standout junior track and field athlete Emy Ntekpere.
Ntekpere knows how to wow a crowd. Whether she’s winning the 2025 Indoor and Outdoor Women’s Field Athlete of the Year awards, or shattering Central’s women’s outdoor high jump and triple jump (indoors and outdoors) record, she’s known for putting on a show.
Q&A with Junior Biomedicine Major and Track and Field Athlete Emy Ntekpere
Q: What are your favorite parts about competing for CWU?
A: “Definitely making new friends at the meets. … Talking to other athletes at different schools is just amazing because I get to see them more and more each year and it’s nice to know that we can all be friends and not just competitors. I really love that my team is here to compete with me and I get to travel with them [and] go on different little adventures to different states or meets. … I really appreciate spending time with them, getting to know them better as people … and getting to know what they want to accomplish in their season and in their lives”
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of Track and Field?
A: I like to crochet purses, stuffed animals, little blankets [and] hats. … I like to go to the community libraries and when they have book sales I buy a bunch of random books and try to spend the summer reading them all. … My favorite book … is ‘The Song of Achilles’ … it’s in the Greek mythology type of genre.”
Dominating the Opposition
Wind, cheers and the sweet smell of victory. If you’re envisioning a CWU football game, you would be correct! Former Junior and 2nd Team All-LSC quarterback Kennedy McGill, two time Offensive Lineman of the Year winner and Senior Slade Edwards, as well as Defensive Lineman of the Year and Sophomore Tyler King helped lead the Wildcats to a dominating 10-2 record along with an undefeated conference record of 9-0. The Wildcats’ stellar regular season performance ultimately led to the team winning their first Lone Star Conference title and the Wildcats hosting their first playoff game in a long-awaited eight years. Victory came so close, but ended in hard fought defeat to 15-seed Western Colorado with a score of 20-27.
There have been a few notable changes during the offseason, including McGill transferring to Division I (FCS) Western Illinois, as well as former Head Coach Chris Fisk departing to Division I (FCS) Portland State. Since then, the team has essentially rebuilt its entire coaching staff with some qualified faces in former University of Wisconsin defensive backs coach and former CWU defensive coordinator in 2016-’17 Scott Power, who has been re-hired as the head coach for the Wildcats. Additionally, the team signed former Upper Iowa University Offensive Coordinator (OC) and now OC and QB Coach for CWU Heath Parling. The team even signed two more coaches: Assistant Offensive Line Coach at Boise State University, now O-line coach for CWU Kooper Richardson and last but not least, Jake Vang, the former edge rushers coach at Sacramento State and now Wildcats defensive coordinator and linebacker coach.
With the departure of McGill, Sophomore and former Utah Tech (FCS) Quarterback Skyler Cassel is set to be a potential starting QB for the team. Sylen Kiesel-Kauhane out of Richland High School who is a three star edge rusher and ranked No. 31 in Wash in 2026 has also committed to becoming a Wildcat for the upcoming 2026 season. Although a lot has changed, the successes of last season remain the same, giving fans and students alike something to look forward to next year. Senior and Communications Major Cooper Maxey says he’s looking forward to “seeing a team full of attitude, passion and pride for the game”
Q&A with Head Coach Scott Power
Q: After a dominating last season, the team finished with a 10-2 record, was undefeated in conference play and hosted their first playoff game at Tomlinson Stadium after a long-awaited eight years. What do you hope to bring to the table to pick up where we left off last year?
A: “What makes the job appealing is that there has been a long history of success. … When you look at my history of success combined with success at this place, I think it’s more about operating in the way that I’m comfortable with and the way that I’ve done it here. … It will be a combination of continuing some of the things that are in place here, but also putting a stamp on my own style and things that I’ve learned since I left in 2017.”
Q: What should fans expect to see for the 2026 season?
A: “We are going to work daily to build a team they can be proud of [and] a team that plays hard, smart and together. Wildcat fans can be proud of how hard and how disciplined we play.”
A Stellar Set-Up
“I feel like our culture sets us apart,” says first year volleyball Head Coach Lauren Herseth about her team’s identity. The Wildcats concluded the 2024-25 season with a 19-8 record and ironically ending with the same 14-4 conference play record as the Central men’s and women’s basketball teams. With the help of Senior Education Major and Outside Hitter Scottie Ellsworth, alongside Senior Psychology Major and Outside Hitter Ella Bines, the Wildcats found themselves with seventh-seed placement in the Division II Tournament, beating a great two-seed in Simon Fraser 3-2. Their season came to an end the next day against three-seed Fresno Pacific with a score of 2-3. Given the fact that this is the 12th consecutive season that the volleyball team has qualified for DII tournament play, fans can expect as Herseth says “A lot of firepower … good arms and kids who can fly around and play defense.”
Q&A with Head Coach Lauren Herseth
Q: What do you hope to carry over from last season to the 2026 season?
A: I think the legacy and tradition of what is Central volleyball [and] ... our culture sets us apart. We have this huge alumni following and I think that speaks to the type of experience that these women are getting in this program … but also honoring what Central volleyball means to all these women and carrying that over next year. … [Also] finding our identity [and] the momentum that we built is definitely going to carry us over into the offseason and make our training make sense, which makes me really excited for this upcoming fall.
Q: What’s your favorite part(s) about coaching at Central?
A: This group is really fun. They are funny individuals that get along really well, so they feed off of each other. What’s cool is we know when to dial it in, focus and be intentional at practice. The second practice is over, we are hanging out in the gym [and] people are usually doing some sort of TikTok dance or explaining some sort of new trend. … This group [also] loves to play games, so anytime we’re on the bus, or at a restaurant, or at a team dinner, there’s always some sort of new game being played.