Sports Recreation

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Sports

Bellingham kayakers compete in the Little White Salmon Race

By Zander Ulmer | May 1

Every April, the roar of the Little White Salmon River is drowned out by cheers echoing from the canyon. Cars lined the shoulder of Cook-Underwood Road, near White Salmon, Wash., on April 18, as spectators and fans bushwhacked to the river. Within the lush, forested gorge, a roster of elite whitewater kayakers prepared to charge down miles of continuous rapids and waterfalls in the annual Little White Salmon Race. 

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Sports

WWU Track and Field athletes compete in Ralph Vernacchia Invitational

By Zander Ulmer | April 29

Western Washington University’s track and field team hosted the Ralph Vernacchia Invitational on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Civic Stadium. Athletes from universities and high schools around the region flooded the field as events began at 9:30 a.m. 

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Sports

Time to move forward: WWU Men’s Basketball is working to rebuild roster

By Violet Mills | April 28

The National Collegiate Athletic Association transfer portal brings change to collegiate sports teams across the country every year, and Western Washington University’s men’s basketball team is no exception. At the end of the 2025-26 season, six of Western’s 16 players announced that they were entering the portal. With three graduating seniors, this leaves the roster at just seven players.

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Campus

Two teammates, one national stage

By Piper Jones | April 26

Out of the 118 players selected nationwide for the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division II Player of the Year Watchlist, two come from the same program. At Western Washington University, third baseman Maleah Andrews and shortstop Hailey Rath have earned national recognition and helped to elevate the Vikings’ softball program. 

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Sports

Mt. Baker Ski Area ends season on high note despite low snow year

By Zander Ulmer | April 26

Mt. Baker Ski Area wrapped up its 2025-26 ski season on April 19, and skiers and snowboarders from the Bellingham area were eager to get their final turns in before lifts closed for the summer. 

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Sports

WWU women's basketball falls short of GNAC Championships title

By Erica Stavnem and Caitlin Grygorcewicz | March 10

The Western Washington University women’s basketball team took on Western Oregon University in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships semifinals Friday, March 6, at WECU Court at Carver Gym in front of a home crowd of 1,127 fans.  

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Sports

Five new inductees enter the WWU Athletic Hall of Fame

By Caitlin Grygorcewicz | March 6

On Jan. 29, 2026, Western Washington University held a celebration of not just athletic achievements, but the relationships and history that defines Viking athletics as a whole. Coaches, former athletes, families and supporters gathered at Carver Gym in Bellingham, Wash. to honor the newest batch of Hall of Fame inductees: Wade Gebers, Cim Hanson, Marc Hill, Herm Nelson and Mike Palm.

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Sports

WWU women’s basketball defeats Seattle Pacific

By Erica Stavnem | March 3

Western Washington Women’s basketball defeated Seattle Pacific University 72-43 in their second-to-last regular season game on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026.

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Sports

Q&A: Behind the scenes of the Chuckanut 50k

By Erica Stavnem | March 3

Every third Saturday in March, up to 600 runners from across the world gather in Bellingham to race the Chuckanut 50k ultramarathon.

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Sports

Process over perfection: WWU softball kicks off 2026 season

By Erica Stavnem | February 27

Walking into a Western Washington University softball practice, you can instantly feel an energy of connection, passion and enthusiasm radiating from the team. Players sing along to music, laugh at inside jokes and encourage each other’s efforts, all while working hard to improve their skills.

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Sports

No scores, no pressure: Mini Ballers puts fun back into youth sports

By Caitlin Grygorcewicz | February 13

Small sneakers squeak across the gym floor at the Bloedel Donovan Community Center as their owners take turns swinging plastic bats and chasing after each ball. Some run straight to their parents while others share their bat with the person next to them, but all of them cheer for each other. 

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Sports

Wheelchair basketball players score more than just baskets

By Erica Stavnem | February 9

Every Monday evening, basketballs bounce, wheels skid and players holler across Court A inside Wade King Student Recreation Center. Many things change from week to week; players fluctuate, different drills are run. But one thing about the WWU Adaptive Sports Club stays the same: an undeniable sense of community.

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Sports

Where to watch the Super Bowl this Sunday

By Jonah Billings | February 5

When the clock expired on the Seattle Seahawks’ 27-31 NFC Championship victory over the Los Angeles Rams on the evening of Jan. 25, 2026, it wasn’t just to the delight of the uproarious home crowd affectionately known as the “12s.”

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Sports

WWU sweeps Montana Tech in final home series

By Caitlin Grygorcewicz | January 28

This past weekend on Friday, Jan. 23 and Saturday, Jan. 24, the Western Washington University men's hockey team took on the Montana Tech Diggers, winning both games and sweeping Montana Tech at the Sportsplex Arena in Bellingham, Wash.

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Recreation

Speed banding opens doors into music industry for queer and femme musicians

By Erica Stavnem | January 27

One January evening, a group of students gathered at the Underground Coffeehouse looking for a space to belong. They were there for a speed banding event geared toward Western Washington University’s queer and femme-identifying student musicians.

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Arts & Music

Bellingham Folk Festival 2026 returns

By Katherine Rogers | January 24

Four folk-filled days and nights with more than 50 music events have made their way to downtown Bellingham Jan. 22-25 as part of the Bellingham Folk Festival. 

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Sports

WWU women’s basketball defeats Alaska Fairbanks in coach’s 1,000th career game

By Caitlin Grygorcewicz | January 16

Western Washington University women’s basketball defeated University of Alaska Fairbanks in a decisive 72-47 victory on Thursday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. at WECU Court in the Carver Gym.

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Sports

Western dressage canters and trots their way through competition season

By Katherine Konicke-Dunlop | December 10

In 2025, Region O for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association was established, making it possible for Western Washington University to participate in the IDA and begin its dressage team from scratch.

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Sports

Living on the edge

By Katherine Konicke-Dunlop | December 3

Shredding through heaps of snow, trees and drops is a regular occurrence for Western Washington University’s Freeride Ski and Snowboard team. The sport tests the limits of each athlete as they maneuver through all the features a mountain offers during competitions. 

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Sports

Plunge into the new year with a world record

By Christian Larrañaga | November 25

On Jan. 1, 2026, the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce hopes to bring a world record to Whatcom County as they host an attempt to break the record for the largest Polar Bear Dip in the world.