Cordell Cummings moved up to No. 2 in the WWU record book in the 110m and 400m hurdles. PHOTO: WWU Athletics
Cordell Cummings Named GNAC Track Athlete of the Week
April 23, 2019
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University junior hurdler Cordell Cummings has been selected as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Track Athlete of the Week for April 15-21.
Cummings, a junior out of Lake Stevens and product of Arlington High School, had a breakthrough performance at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, California. Cummings moved up to No. 2 in WWU history in both the 110m and 400m hurdles, and jumped into the No. 2 spot in GNAC history with his 51.95 in the 400m hurdles.
He placed 2nd out of 43 racers and was the top collegiate finisher in the 400m hurdles, with his time of 51.95 ranking 4th in NCAA Division II and was an NCAA Championships provisional mark. His previous personal best was a 52.88 set at the 2018 GNAC Outdoor Championships. Cummings now has his eyes set on breaking the 46-year-old program record of 51.74 (51.9 yard conversion) set by Mike Vorce (pronounced vorse) in 1973, the longest standing record in WWU men’s track & field history. The GNAC record is 51.48 set by Vladislav Tsygankov of Simon Fraser in 2017.
Cummings also obtained an NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a 14.52 in the 110m Hurdles, placing 10th out of 60 runners at the Clay Invite. He moved from 5th to 2nd in WWU history, passing his father Trey (14.76 in 1986) on the all-time program top-10 list. He now just trails the 14.19 program and GNAC record set by Travis Milbrandt in in 2016. His time is 3rd-best in GNAC history, with the No. 2 spot held by Central Washington’s Bernari Sternen at 14.34 in 2016.
The junior is a three-time GNAC champion, winning the 110m hurdles at last season’s Outdoor Championships and the 400m hurdles as a freshman in 2017. He also won the 60m hurdles at the 2019 GNAC Indoor Championships in February.
This is the second GNAC weekly award for Cummings this season, also earning the honor for the period of March 4-10. It is also the 10th selection so far during the 2019 season by WWU Track & Field.
WWU GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (2019):
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Cordell Cummings (Hurdles) – April 15-21 & March 4-10
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Karlington Anunagba (Sprints) – April 1-7 & April 8-14
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J.T. Konrad (Pole Vault) – March 25-31
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Dylan Hayes (3,000m Steeplechase) – March 11-17
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Savannah Smith (400m) – March 11-17
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Maddie Taylor (High Jump) – March 11-17
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Molly House (Hurdles) – March 4-10
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Raquel Pellecer (Javelin) – Feb. 25-March 3
Senior Savannah Smith (200m), junior Raquel Pellecer (Javelin) and junior Nick Makrakis (Jumps) were also nominated for this week’s GNAC Track & Field weekly awards.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE VIKS
WWU hosts the 38th annual Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet on Saturday at Civic Stadium in Bellingham. Throwing events get underway at 9 am and the first running events (10,000m) will begin at 9:30 am. The complete meet schedule can be found online at WWUVikings.com/TF.
-- WWU Track & Field --
