Composite cross country schedule for all nine of Washington's NCAA D1/D2 schools...

WSU's Michael Williams was an
NCAA cross country All-American
last season (Paul Merca photo)

Just when you thought that we’re still in the middle of summer, the 2017 collegiate cross country season gets underway for the majority of the state’s Division I and II schools this coming Friday and Saturday.

All five of the state’s Division I schools will be in action this Friday, as Eastern Washington and Gonzaga travel to Missoula, Montana for the Clash of the Inland Northwest meet hosted by the University of Montana.

Washington State opens with a low-key meet with their alumni, while the University of Washington hosts Seattle University in its annual open meet at Warren G. Magnuson Park in Seattle after a one-year experiment at Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place.

The Cougars turn around six days later to run the Oregon XC Preview meet hosted by the University of Oregon in Springfield, the site of this year’s Pac-12 championship meet.

Three of the four Division II schools are in action on September 9th when Central Washington hosts its invitational in Centralia.

Six teams are in action on September 16th at Seattle’s Lincoln Park when the University of Washington hosts the annual Sundodger Invitational, with Seattle Pacific opening its 2017 campaign at that meet. Washington State, which won the men’s Division I title at this meet the last two seasons, is skipping the Sundodger.

The following weekend, Saint Martin’s hosts its invitational in Lacey, with Central and Western Washington sending teams. However, Western’s top runners will head to Minneapolis for the Roy Griak Invitational.

One of the most significant changes to the state’s cross country schedule happens on September 29th, as the slot where the Washington Invitational would have been is taken over by Oregon’s Dellinger Invitational in Springfield, as the Huskies and Gonzaga head to the Willamette Valley. This meet will be the Huskies’ one chance to see the Pac-12 course before the championships four weeks later.

Meanwhile, Washington State heads to South Bend, Indiana for the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational as the Cougars try to pick up national ranking points.

The October regular season schedule remains the same for the state’s schools, with the only significant change being that SeattleU will not host the Emerald City Open meet at Lower Woodland in north Seattle, as the Redhawks, under new coach Kelly Sullivan, will head to California for the Santa Clara Bronco Invitational on October 14th.

Most of the schools in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference will meet up in Bellingham on October 7th for the Western Washington Classic, before reconvening two weeks later at the conference championships at the same Lake Padden Park venue.

Washington and Washington State sees each other for the first time on October 13th at the Under Armour Wisconsin Invitational in Madison. Eastern Washington and Gonzaga sees each other again at the Pre-Nationals meet in Louisville.

For the state’s four Division II schools, their West regional championship happens November 4th in Monmouth, Oregon, as Western Oregon hosts the regionals.

After conference championship weekend on October 27-28th, the five Division I schools see each other on November 10th at Jefferson Park Golf Course on Beacon Hill, as the University of Washington hosts the NCAA West regionals.

The season closes for everyone on November 18th with the NCAA Division I championship meet in Louisville, Kentucky, and the D2 meet in Evansville, Indiana.

A composite schedule with the schedules of all nine of Washington’s Division I and II schools is attached at the bottom of this post.

  Composite WA XC 2017 Schedule by paulmerca70601 on Scribd

NOTE:  The sports information offices of all nine Washington Division I and II schools contributed to this report.