Eric Trent

2 months ago | cascadiadaily.com | Eric Trent

If there was ever a time for the Western men’s basketball team to catch fire, it’s now. The Vikings (15-8, 7-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) are currently tied for fifth in the conference with five regular-season games remaining before the start of the GNAC tournament. And the Vikings have been on fire as of late — except for one small hiccup. Western ripped off a seven-game winning streak, going unbeaten for nearly an entire month from Jan. 11 to Feb.

Jan 8, 2025 | cascadiadaily.com | Eric Trent

Kicking off the New Year has been a little brighter for Western Washington University athletics, as the Vikings finished the fall 2024 season ranked No. 15 in the nation in the Learfield Directors’ Cup standings. The Vikings placed 15th out of 151 NCAA Division II programs, according to a Jan. 3 announcement. Western was the top Great Northwest Athletic Conference school, and the second-highest West Region program behind No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona.

Nov 7, 2024 | cascadiadaily.com | Eric Trent

The memory is burned inside Jose Valenzuela’s mind. He can still hear his mom crying out in shock — from seeing her 3-year-old son pinned beneath a car after being dragged along the road. Valenzuela was playing soccer with his sister in the streets of Los Mochis, Mexico, when their mother, Vianey, went inside to change the laundry. The ball careened across the street and underneath a car. Valenzuela climbed under the car but the ball was stuck.

Oct 30, 2024 | cascadiadaily.com | Eric Trent

Despite missing four starters from last season’s NCAA tourney run, Western Washington University’s women’s basketball has been picked No. 1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coaches Poll, released Oct. 21. The Vikings will have a lot to replace, including a trio of all-GNAC selections in do-it-all forward Brooke Walling and guards Riley Dykstra and Stephanie Peterson. Senior forward Aspen Garrison, a starter last season, is out with a season-ending injury.

Oct 24, 2024 | cascadiadaily.com | Eric Trent

Ryan Clough will remember the date for the rest of his life. Clough, now a cross country and track and field athlete at Western Washington University, was 6 years old and had just been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF), a life-shortening lung disease. It was Dec. 20, 2008; five days before Christmas. “I remember asking my parents if Santa could take it away,” Clough said.