If you're willing to navigate the LA freeways, you can see eight Washington schools in action this week!

Azusa. Walnut. Long Beach.

If you happen to be on the coaching staffs at Washington, Washington State, Gonzaga, Western Washington, Seattle Pacific, Seattle University, or Central Washington, you had better learn quickly how to navigate between your team hotel and those three Greater Los Angeles cities as those schools will compete in at least two of the four major track meets starting Wednesday.

As we wrote about three years ago, you'll need a good map of Greater Los Angeles, and a better GPS navigation system in your team van to navigate the myriad of freeways that criss cross LA.

On Wednesday, the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut get underway with the multi events, with Washington's crew, led by All-American Ida Eikeng (Paul Merca photo) leading the charge.

Seven of the eight Washington schools will have a representative competing at Mt. SAC this week, where the meet, hosted by Mt San Antonio College, goes on until Saturday at newly-remodeled Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

Among Washington pros entered in the Mt. SAC meet include Tim Duckworth (LJ), Rebecca Mehra (800, 1500), Gianna Woodruff (400H), and Izaic Yorks (1500).

All but Eastern Washington will have representatives at the Bryan Clay Invitational only eleven miles away from Walnut in Azusa, hosted by Azusa Pacific University. 

Wednesday and Thursday's portion of the Bryan Clay Invitational mainly consists of the multi-events, along with the 800, steeplechase, 10000, and 5000 meter races, while the main portion of the meet goes on Friday.

One team that is not navigating the freeways of Los Angeles to drive between meets is Eastern Washington, which is staying in Long Beach for the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate meet on Thursday, and the Long Beach Invitational on Friday and Saturday at Jack Rose Track, hosted by Long Beach State University.

For Thursday's Pacific Coast Invitational, the Eagles will be joined by Washington State, and Central Washington, while for the two-day Long Beach Invitational, Washington State, Western Washington, and the University of Washington throws group will join Eastern Washington.

Washington State alum Brock Eager will also throw the hammer at the Long Beach Invitational.

Here are the links to the entries for Mt. SAC, Bryan Clay, and both Long Beach meets (click on name of the meet).

NOTE: The media relations offices of Mt. San Antonio College, Azusa Pacific University, and Long Beach State contributed to this report.

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