Javelin thrower Kyle Nielsen set to defend Canadian national title in Toronto...

A quartet of athletes with Washington ties are set to compete in this week's Canadian national track & field championships Wednesday through Saturday in Toronto at the Varsity Centre on the campus of the University of Toronto, led by reigning national javelin champion Kyle Nielsen (left/photo by Paul Merca) from the University of Washington.

Nielsen, the third place finisher in the NCAA championships last month for the Huskies, set a personal best at the CALTAF Track Classic in Calgary on June 19th, rifling the spear 248-4 (75.71m).

In his last two meets, he finished second at the Harry Jerome Classic in Burnaby on July 5th, then placed fourth at the NACAC Under 23 meet. Nielsen will compete on Saturday.

Recent University of Washington grad Ryan Vu, the upset winner of the pole vault at the Pac-10 Championships in May, enters the Canadian championships as the number two seed, and hopes that the magic that propelled him to the victory at the Pac-10s reappears in Toronto Saturday.

Former Husky and current Seattle Pacific assistant coach Carly Dockendorf enters the Canadian championships as the top seed, after tying her personal best of 14-7.25 (4.35m) in winning the Alki Swashbuckler Beach Vault earlier this month. She'll compete on Saturday as well.

Fresh off a stint with the Canadian junior team at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Washington State University freshman Holly Parent on Friday aims to add the senior title to the junior title she won in late June. Parent is seeded third entering the senior nationals.

Saturday's final day of competition will be aired on CBC Sports via CBUT, the Vancouver, BC affiliate station of the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC).

On Seattle area Comcast, CBUT is available on channel 99 and also on HD at channel 619.

The performance list for the Canadian national championships can be accessed here, while the meet schedule is available here.