All nine Washington schools in action in Des Moines, San Diego, Pullman and Bellingham...

Washington's Katie Knight (2463) hands
off to Maddie Meyers at the Drake Relays
(photo courtesy Drake Relays)

All nine of Washington’s Division I and II schools are in action this weekend, as the countdown to the various conference championship meets gets underway.

The University of Washington is split this weekend, with their middle distance and distance runners competing at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa, which started Thursday with their women’s 4 x 1600m team taking second, and their men’s 4 x 1600 placing eighth.  

Friday, the Huskies will send out their 4 x 800m relay squads, and Saturday, they’ll have entries in the distance medley relays.

Vancouver’s Kara Winger is entered in the women’s javelin on Friday, while Spokane native Brad Walker is slated to go in the invitational pole vault Saturday which includes reigning world and Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie of France.

Several professionals, including Auburn/Riverside alum Jordan McNamara, are entered in a special invitational mile race Saturday.

The Huskies also have a group of athletes entered in the Triton Invitational in San Diego Friday & Saturday, hosted by the University of California/San Diego, namely throwers, jumpers, and a few sprinters.  They’ll be led by All American pole vaulters Diamara Planell Cruz and Jax Thoirs.

Seattle Pacific will have a small contingent of athletes (primarily sprinters) in the UCSD meet as well.

The start lists for the Triton Invitational are available here.

In Pullman, all three eastern Washington Division I schools—Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, and host Washington State—will compete in Saturday’s Cougar Invitational track & field meet at the Mooberry Track complex.

Start lists for the Cougar Invitational are available here.

All four of Washington’s Division II schools—Seattle Pacific, Central Washington, Saint Martin’s, and host Western Washington, plus Division I Seattle University, will compete in Bellingham at the Ralph Vernacchia Open meet at Civic Stadium

Host Western Washington’s release is available here.

On Monday, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference track & field championship meet gets underway with the multi-events, hosted by Saint Martin’s University in Lacey.

The multis begin at 10 am with the decathlon 100, with the heptathlon starting at 10:30.  Action resumes Tuesday with the decathlon 110 hurdles at 9 am, while the heptathlon long jump gets day 2 going at 10 am.

NOTE:  The sports information offices of the University of Washington, Drake University, Washington State University, Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, UC San Diego, and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.