2019 collegiate track and field season starts Friday in Cheney with Candy Cane XI...

The 2019 indoor track and field season begins Friday and Saturday as Eastern Washington University hosts the annual Candy Cane XI meet at the Jim Thorpe Fieldhouse on the EWU campus.

The men's heptathlon starts competition at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Friday, followed by the women's pentathlon starting at 12:30 p.m. The second day of the men's heptathlon starts at 9 a.m., with individual field events at 10 a.m., men's pole vault starting at 12:00 p.m. and individual running events at 12:30 p.m.

The meet is actually a dual between the Eagles and the University of Montana; however, the school is hosting a men’s heptathlon and women’s pentathlon competition as well, with athletes from Western Washington and Central Washington entered.

Among the notables entered in the multi-event competition are Central Washington’s HarLee Ortega (left/photo courtesy Central Washington University), who was third at last year’s GNAC heptathlon outdoors, and second in the pentathlon indoors, and was an NCAA D2 All-American while finishing fifth at last year’s national championships outdoors and eighth indoors.  She heads into the 2019 campaign with a personal best of 3702 points.

She’ll be joined by teammate Katie Collins, who was sixth in the heptathlon at the GNAC championships last season.

Jessica Linde of Eastern Washington, who just missed scoring in the heptathlon at the Big Sky championships last spring, is the Eagles’ top entrant, with a personal best of 2836 points in the pentathlon, and 4319 in the heptathlon outdoors.

Montana’s Erika McLeod is the favorite heading into the meet, as she’s scored 5541 in the heptathlon, and 3955 in the pentathlon. She won the Big Sky pentathlon in 2017, and redshirted in 2018. She won the Candy Cane pentathlon in December 2016.

Defending GNAC decathlon champion Braydon Maier of the Wildcats is the top entry in the heptathlon, as the sophomore looks to put himself in a position to qualify for the NCAA indoor championships. He enters the 2019 season with a personal best of 5006 points in the seven events.

Teammate Kodiak Landis, a D2 All-American for Central Washington last season, who only has indoor eligibility left, will open his 2019 campaign next weekend at Boise State.

Entries for the multi-event portion of the meet are available below.  Thanks to Eric Allison of Eastern Washington for snapping a photo of the entry lists.

   Candycane Multis by paulmerca70601 on Scribd

Meanwhile, Washington alum Aaron Nelson, who competes for North Carolina-based Zap Fitness, is entered in Friday’s top section in Boston of the Boston University Season Opener in the fast section of the men’s 5000, where he’ll go against a field that includes Oregon alum Trevor Dunbar, who is now part of the Boston Athletic Association team.

The women’s 5000 field at the BU season opener has the most intrigue among college track and field fans, as it includes NCAA steeple champ Allie Ostrander of Boise State, former NCAA cross country champ Ednah Kurgat of New Mexico, and former Husky Charlotte Prouse, who also competes for New Mexico.

The start list for the BU Season Opener 3000m and 5000m heats are available here.

NOTE:  The sports information office of Eastern Washington, Central Washington, and Boston University contributed to this report.