Seahawks' WR DK Metcalf entered in USATF Golden Games & Distance Open at Mt. SAC Sunday...

It's gonna happen this Sunday.

Though it feels like a lifetime ago when I wrote the piece on October 30th, I wrote a column asking whether or not Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (photo by Paul Merca) could compete against America's top sprinters and possibly qualify for the US Olympic Trials next month in Eugene.

Kudos to Metcalf for taking USA Track & Field up on its offer, as Metcalf, according to NBC Sports, is among the entries in Sunday's USATF Golden Games & Distance Open at Mt.San Antonio College in Walnut, California.

The Seahawks' receiver confirmed his entry into Sunday's meet with this cryptic video with May 9 fonted, and a  pair of Under Armour (his cleat sponsor) sprint spikes dropped on a track.

... pic.twitter.com/SH9Co5rBwU

— DK Metcalf (@dkm14) May 3, 2021

Metcalf joins a 16-man 100m field that also includes Ronnie Baker, who ranks second in the nation this year at 9.94 seconds, and Rio Olympian Mike Rodgers.

Other athletes with Washington ties who are tentatively entered in the meet (the list of entries were posted earlier Monday, but removed by USATF late Monday afternoon) included several members of the Brooks Beasts, steeplechasers Mel Lawrence and Marisa Howard, 1500m runner Sam Prakel, current Husky Allie Schadler, Washington alum Gianna Woodruff, the current world leader in the women's 400 hurdles, and 400 hurdler CJ Allen.

NBC Sports will televise the meet Sunday, starting at 1:30 pm.  A meet preview will be posted here later on in the week, as entries are confirmed.

RYAN THOMA LEADS GNAC DECATHLON AT THE BREAK...

In Ellensburg, Ryan Thoma of Central Washington leads teammate Braydon Maier after the first day of competition in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference decathlon.

After five events, Thoma holds a 3448-3403 lead over Maier, who was an NCAA D2 All-American after he finished seventh two years ago.

Thoma opened the decathlon strong, taking third place in the 100 meters in 11.40 seconds before winning the long jump with a mark of 22-7.75 (6.90m). He finished no worse than sixth on the day, taking second in the shot put (37-4/11.38m), fifth in the high jump (5-10.75/1.80m) and sixth in the 400 meters (52.84).

Maier, currently ranked number 12 on the NCAA D2 descending order list, also finished no worse than sixth in the day one events, winning the shot put at 37-5.75/11.42m, and tying for first with Northwest Nazarene freshman Matt Mitchell in the high jump at 6-1.75/1.86m.

"On the whole I am pretty pleased with how things went, we came out and competed hard. It was really cool to see Ryan Thoma and Braydon Maier on top after day one. Maier is a big second day guy and the two of them have really pushed each other hard. Both of the guys should really be pushing their national qualifying marks," said Central Washington head coach Kevin Adkisson.

Ryan Kenny of Western Washington stands fifth at the break with 3321 points, while teammate Cooper Cummings is seventh at 3058.

In the concurrent heptathlon, Seattle Pacific's Renick Meyer, who finished seventh at the NCAA championships in this event in 2018, but failed to qualify in 2019, is in a tight battle with Alaska Anchorage's Elena Cano. 

Cano leads after four events, 2841-2838.

Meyer opened the day with a narrow win in the 100-meter hurdles, winning in 14.25 seconds to Cano’s 14.44 seconds. Cano took advantage of the big-point events to solidify her first-day lead, tying Western Oregon's Jenelle Hurley for first in the high jump at 5-4.25/1.63m, to earn 771 points and placing fourth in the 200 meters at 26.45 seconds to earn 758 points.

The Falcon senior bounced back from a seventh-place finish in the high jump to place second in both the shot put and 200 meters. Meyer finished with a mark of 32-5.75/9.90m in the shot put to score 523 points and finished with a time of 25.90 seconds in the 200, scoring 806 points to come within shouting distance of Cano.

Seattle Pacific's Kellie May was the only other event winner, taking the shot put at 34-8.25/10.57m.

May is currently seventh overall with 2402 points.

Hailey Holsey of host Central Washington is fourth with 2657 points, while teammate McCall DeChenne is sixth at 2615 points. Leanne Kibbee of Western Washington is eighth at the break with 2318 points.

Day two of the GNAC Combined Events Championships will commence with the decathlon 110-meter hurdles at 10 a.m., followed by the heptathlon long jump at 11 a.m.

Day 1 results of the GNAC Combined Events Championships are available here.

NOTE: USA Track & Field, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference  and the sports information offices of Seattle Pacific University, Western Washington, and Central Washington contributed to this report.

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