Clouds wander over the water of Lake Samish early on Sunday, Jan. 15, as dozens of runners line up behind the start line. The air is cool and the wind blows gently. In a moment, these runners will travel around the lake for the 10k and half marathon races. The horn blows and they are off, making sure their watches are set and heads focused on the challenge ahead.
In Kindergarten, Devin Coppinger was already playing 3-on-3 basketball against kids three years older than her.As she grew up, Coppinger was recruited by local boys teams to play in tournaments in Seattle. Opposing teams’ parents would vocalize their frustrations as Coppinger dominated her competition.
Vikings softball is setting off their season with a trip to Irvine, California, to play in the annual Concordia University Irvine Kickoff Classic after ending their 2022 playoff run with a loss in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships.
Western’s 2022-23 indoor track and field season saw two all-time and 15 top-10 all-time school performances; all were achieved despite a lack of an indoor track and field practice facility.
The Wade King Student Recreation Center at Western Washington University offers daily fitness classes for those seeking a more social and inclusive space to exercise. The rec center offered a demo week – seven days of free fitness classes to all Western students – from Jan. 9 to 15.
Hoots, hollers, “oohs” and “ahs” filled the courtyard of Time and Materials Taphouse Saturday, Jan. 14, as skiers and snowboarders hit jumps, rails and even threw themselves off the awnings of the building. The eighth annual Box Jam, hosted by Boardworks Tech Shop, brought a miniature terrain park to downtown Bellingham. At 44 degrees Fahrenheit with a clear sky, snow was not on the forecast, but skiers and snowboarders in full gear could be seen walking down State Street.
Western Washington University’s junior indoor throwers Raine Westfall and Katie Potts opened their 2022-23 indoor track and field season by setting various indoor program records on Dec. 10 in Spokane.
College athletes have a lot on their plates, balancing college courses with practices and games. When injuries are added to the mix, they have to dedicate time and energy toward recovery.
Western Washington University women’s soccer won their fifth West Regional Division II Final, outplaying Concordia University Irvine on Thursday, Nov. 17. The 1-0 Viking victory moves Western on to the elite eight to play Colorado School of Mines this Saturday, Nov. 19, at Harrington Field.
The Vikings won 1-0 against the Point Loma Nazarene University Sea Lions on Saturday, Nov. 12, at Harrington Field, securing their spot in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer championship tournament.
On any given day, Western students can be seen zooming through campus on their various electric modes of transportation. According to the National Association of City Transport, use of micromobility such as electric bikes and scooters is rapidly growing. Shared micromobility methods such as Lime Electric Scooters were used in 136 million trips in the United States during 2019, which is 60% more than in 2018.
Western cross-country men’s and women’s teams are heading into regionals with high hopes after sweeping the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championships in Monmouth, Oregon on Saturday, Nov. 5. These first-overall placements for both teams mark their second GNAC sweep in the last three seasons and second in program history. Division II cross-country West Regionals are set for Nov. 19 in Billings, Montana.
Western students and Whatcom County residents who enjoy skiing and snowboarding are in luck this year — the Pacific Northwest is expected to have a snowy 2022-23 season due to a predicted La Niña winter. La Niña is a climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean.
The Lynden High School football team is preparing for their first-round matchup against Black Hills in the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association’s state tournament. The game will be held at Civic Stadium in Bellingham, Washington, at 3:30 p.m. on Nov. 11.
Evan Redman never witnessed anything so beautiful, never felt so rewarded. At 10,188 feet, life seemed to transform for the 16 year old as he crept out of the stone, high-altitude refuge at Camp Muir on Mount Rainier.
Every year, Western Washington University's cheer team hosts clinics for anyone 14 or older to showcase their talent and get a sense of what college cheerleading is like. This year’s fall clinic will be held at Sam Carver Gymnasium on Nov. 13.
The Western Washington University Equestrian Club will be traveling to their first show of the 2020-23 season hosted by Oregon State University on Saturday, Nov. 12. The club’s first competition was set for Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Spokane Equestrian Center, but co-hosts: Washington State University and the University of British Columbia, had to cancel the show due to a lack of horses.
As November arrives in Bellingham, it brings shorter days and rainy weather. For those who experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression, this raises concern. According to the National Library of Medicine, sunlight plays a role in regulating the brain's serotonin levels, which fights depression.
Stepping off a plane in a completely foreign country, Emma Duff, a highly accoladed Western Washington University alumna, is taking a leap of faith as she begins her pro basketball career in Germany.
After coming off a run at the NCAA Division II National Championship, Head Coach Carmen Dolfo and the Western women's basketball team are focused on getting better every day by staying in the present moment.
Solutions by The State News
