Huskies head to Sacramento with largest regional contingent ever...

Washington, Washington State, Gonzaga, and Eastern Washington will have entries into next weekend’s NCAA West Regional track and field meet (aka the NCAA First Round) in Sacramento, California.

In Sacramento, the top twelve individuals will advance to the NCAA Division I track and field championships in Austin, Texas.

One athlete who has her spot locked up in the national championship is Washington’s Hannah Rusnak (left/photo by Paul Merca), who scored 5762 points at the Pac-12 heptathlon championship to win the title.

Rusnak will enter the NCAA championships ranked #8 in the country.

The Huskies head to Sacramento with 20 entries on the women’s side, and 25 on the men’s side, including at least one entry in every individual running event except for the 110 hurdles.

Washington State will have six women and fifteen men entered in the first round in Sacramento, including NCAA indoor qualifiers Emmanuel Wells, who made it in both the 100 and 200 meter dashes, and Paul Ryan, who is entered in the 1500 meters.

They join Pac-12 hammer champion Brock Eager on the team of fifteen men on the Sacramento roster.

Eastern Washington will have Keshun McGee in both the long and triple jumps, along with Larry Still in the pole vault, and Isaac Barville in the 1500.

Samantha Raines and Liz Prouty in the pole vault, along with Madison Deeper in the hammer and javelin, comprise the Eagle entries in the first round of the NCAA championships.

Gonzaga will have All-American Andrew Gardner and Kellen Manley in the steeplechase; Scott Kopzynski and Brandon Pollard in the 1500; James Mwaura in the 10000, and Yacine Guemali in the 5000.

Among notables from the state of Washington in the meet include Chinne Okoronkwo of Texas Tech in the pole vault and the triple jump; Lexi Ellis of Oregon in the triple jump; Kaelyn Carlson-Shipley of Arizona in the javelin; and John Dressel of Colorado in both the 5000 and 10000 meter runs.

The NCAA First Round begins Thursday, with the East Regionals contested in Jacksonville, Florida, while the West Regionals are in Sacramento.

In addition to the top 12 individuals from each regional advancing to Austin, the top eight relay teams advance to the national finals.

The link to the list of qualifiers is available here.

DIVISION II NATIONAL QUALIFIERS ANNOUNCED

All four of Washington’s NCAA Division II schools will have athletes competing at next weekend’s NCAA Division II track and field championships in Kingsville, Texas, hosted by Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Three distance runners will compete in two events at the D2 nationals, including Central Washington senior Alexa Shindruk (5,000 meters, 10,000 meters), Seattle Pacific sophomore Dania Holmberg (1,500 meters, 5,000 meters) and junior Kate Lilly (1,500 meters, 5,000 meters).

Automatic qualifiers for the nationals include Central Washington senior HarLee Ortega in the heptathlon, Central Washington sophomore Sidney Trinidad in the women’s 400-meter hurdles, and Saint Martin’s freshman Tyler Cronk in the men’s high jump.

Decathlete Braydon Maier, pole vaulter Halle Irvine, and hurdlers Mariyah Vongsaveng (100 hurdles), and Erykah Weems (400 hurdles) comprise the remaining members of Central Washington’s squad.

Scout Cai of Seattle Pacific will contest the pole vault and the heptathlon, while Kaylee Mitchell will run the steeplechase for the Falcons.

Western Washington will have Karlington Anunagba (100 Meters), Alex Barry (Javelin), Cordell Cummings (400 Meter Hurdles), Amanda Short (Javelin), Raquel Pellecer (Javelin), Paige Shimkus (Javelin), and Maddie Taylor (High Jump).

Hammer thrower Liz Larson and triple jumper Keshara Romain join Cronk to comprise Saint Martin’s squad at the nationals.

The GNAC release announcing the conference’s entries into the national championships is available here.

SHANGHAI DIAMOND LEAGUE

Pullman’s Katie Nageotte, former Emerald Ridge HS runner Hassan Mead, and Washington alum Mel Lawrence are all entered in Saturday’s IAAF Diamond League stop in Shanghai, China Saturday.

Nageotte is one of the top entrants in the women’s pole vault, where she renews her rivalry against top American Sandi Morris, and reigning world and Olympic champ Katerina Stefanidi.

2016 Olympic 5000m finalist Mead runs in his specialty against American teammate and Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo, and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha of the Beaverton based Nike Oregon Project.

Lawrence, last year’s NACAC champion, will face a field that includes two sub-9 minute steeplechasers.

The start list for the Shanghai Diamond League meet is available here.

NOTE:  The USTFCCCA, the sports information offices of the University of Washington, Washington State University, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference contributed to this report.