Sacramento to host 2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships...

USA Track & Field announced Tuesday that the 2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be staged at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento on June 26-29.

The announcement marks the return of big-time track & field to the Sacramento area, as it hosted the 2000 and 2004 US Olympic Track & Field Trials, along with the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2003, and 2005-2007 (photo of Washington's Ryan Brown at 2007 NCAA Championships in Sacramento by Paul Merca).

“I’m thrilled to welcome Track & Field back to Sacramento,” said Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, the former NBA guard.  “Sacramento has some of the most passionate sports fans in the United States and I have no doubt that this community will support the event and the athletes like no other region in the country could.”

The Sacramento Sports Commission will serve as the local organizing committee for the 2014 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, to be held at Cal State University Sacramento’s Hornet Stadium (capacity 21,195). Site of record attendance during the Olympic Trials, the stadium has undergone significant upgrades since the 2004 Olympic Trials including new public entrances, resurfacing of the infield and track, and a new scoreboard.

Numerous track & field insiders attending this year's USA championships in Des Moines had heard rumors that Sacramento was making a push to get back in the big-time track & field game. An agreement by the city to build a $1.2 million, state-of-the-art track to replace the one used for the last two Olympic Trials, helped win the day for the California state capital.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the cost of the track will be put up in part by the Sacramento Tourism Marketing District, and by the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The Sacramento Sports Commission will also host with Sacramento State the NCAA Western Regional cross country championships on November 15th at the Haggin Oaks Golf Club.

WESTERN WASHINGTON MOVES TO #16 IN LATEST USTFCCCA NATIONAL POLL

After a strong showing in which they nearly knocked off defending GNAC champion Alaska Anchorage at last week's conference championships, the Western Washington men's cross country team moved six spots up in the national Division II poll of coaches.

The Vikings are ranked #16 in the national poll conducted by the USTFCCCA.

Western State of Gunnison, Colorado is the nation's #1 ranked D2 school, followed by Adams State in Alamosa, Colorado. Grand Valley State in Michigan is ranked #3 in the poll.

The highest ranked GNAC school is conference champ Alaska Anchorage at #9.

No Washington schools are ranked in the national women's cross country poll.  The Division II poll can be accessed here.

NOTE:  USA Track & Field and the USTFCCCA contributed to this report.