Geubelle's jumping key to Kansas' team title hopes at NCAAs...

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas--The focus of the US domestic indoor track & field season will be squarely on the Randal Tyson Track Center on the campus of the University of Arkansas, as the NCAA Division I championships get under way Friday.

One of the most compelling stories is the University of Kansas' attempt to claim its first NCAA women's indoor national title, led by University Place resident Andrea Geubelle (left/photo by Mike Scott), who is the national leader in the long jump at 21-11 1/2 (6.69m) and is ranked second in the triple jump at 45-7 3/4 (13.91m), both marks of which are KU school records.

Geubelle is also the defending national champ in the triple jump, so if she can get 20 points in the two jumps, that will go a long way towards the Jayhawks' chances of winning the national title.

Geubelle will contest the long jump Friday night.

Another athlete with Washington ties competing in the long jump Friday is Geubelle's Curtis High School teammate Stephan Scott-Ellis, the two time MPSF long jump champ from Washington State University.

In last year's national championships in Nampa, Idaho, Scott-Ellis was 13th with a best of 23-5 1/4 (7.14m), as he looks to improve from his 2012 showing.

Rainier Beach HS grad Michael Berry of the University of Oregon, who was third in the 400 last year, will run in the semis of the 400 Friday.

Bellingham's Becca Friday from Oregon, who was fourth in the mile in 2012, runs in the semis of the mile, as does University of Washington senior Christine Babcock.

Among those competing on Saturday include Washington's Jeremy Taiwo in the high jump,  and Wenatchee native Hannah Kiser of Idaho in the 3000.

The schedule for the NCAA D1 championships is available here.  Live streaming of the NCAA championship meet is available via arkansasrazorbacks.com, and on ESPN3.

In Birmingham, Alabama, action gets underway Friday at the NCAA Division II championships at the Birmingham Cross Plex.

Seattle Pacific will have McKayla Fricker and Lynelle Decker (800m), Katy Gross (pentathlon); and the 4 x 400 relay team of Fricker, Emily Quatier, Kishia Mitchell, and Jasmine Johnson.

Western Washington has three athletes in the meet--pole vaulters Karis Anderson and Cheyenna Pinley, along with long jumper Emily Warman.

All three Vikings compete on Friday, while Fricker and Decker run semis in the 800. 

The NCAA D2 time schedule is available here.  Streaming video of the meet is available via ncaa.com.