Zags & Dawgs head to Stanford; GNAC schools all in Ellensburg for CWU Open...

As the weeks to the various conference championships get closer, all of the state's Division I and II schools will be in action this weekend, with the exception of Seattle University, who will take the weekend off.

Both Gonzaga and the University of Washington are headed south to Stanford for Friday and Saturday's Payton Jordan Invitational at Cobb Track & Angell Field on the Stanford University campus.

Gonzaga has ten entries, led by NCAA qualifier James Mwaura (Paul Merca photo), who is entered in the men's 5000. The Zags also have Wil Smith and Yacine Guermali entered in the 1500. On the women's side, Kristen Garcia is entered in the 5000.

Washington has 13 entries in the meet, with Olympian Ed Trippas in the men's steeplechase the most notable entry, where he'll face a field that includes UW alum Julius Diehr.

Carley Thomas is entered in the 800, and the Dawgs have three entries in the 1500, in Sophie O'Sullivan, Anna Gibson & Madison Heisterman. Stanford alum and Seattle resident Rebecca Mehra is also entered in the 1500.

The link to live results is available here, while Flotrack ($) will stream the meet both days. The list of accepted entries is available here.

In the state of Washington, the big meet of the weekend happens in Ellensburg, as Central Washington hosts the CWU Open meet on Saturday at the CWU Recreation Sports Complex.

Field events get underway at 10 am, with the men's 10000 starting at 11 am.

All four of the state's Division II schools will have athletes competing in the meet. Additionally, the throws group from both Washington State and Eastern Washington will be represented at the meet.

Central Washington's release, which includes a link to the meet time schedule and link to live results is available here.

The remainder of the Eastern Washington team heads east to Missoula, Montana for the Montana Open, hosted by the University of Montana.

Perhaps one of the top events of the meet is the men's pole vault, featuring Montana's Zane Johnson in a battle against Eastern's Zach Klobutcher. The two currently share the Big Sky conference lead in that event at 16-11 (5.16m). The number four and five vaulters in the conference, Brayden Freitag of Eastern, and Carson Weeden of Montana are also in the field.

Eastern's release is available here.

PROS IN ACTION IN EUGENE FRIDAY & SATURDAY...

As part of the Oregon Relays high school invitational Friday & Saturday at Historic Hayward Field on the University of Oregon campus, the meet will host a men's invitational 4 x mile Friday night, and a men's and women's invitational mile Saturday.

Washington volunteer coach Sam Prakel, along with Johnny Gregorek, and 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz, are part of a Oregon alumni foursome that are taking a shot at the world best in the 4 x mile relay of 15:49.08 set by an Irish foursome spearheaded by Eamonn Coghlan in 1985.

On Saturday, Gregorek, along with recent UW grad Kieran Lumb, Tacoma native Jack Yearian, and Isaiah Harris of the Brooks Beasts are entered in the men's pro mile. The women's pro mile has UW volunteer coach Alli Cash entered along with Nia Akins and Laurie Barton of the Brooks Beasts, and Winlock resident Ashley Maton.  Rebecca Mehra, who is entered in the 1500 at Stanford, is also entered in Eugene.

Media partner RunnerSpace ($) will stream the Oregon Relays. The time schedule and link to live results for the Oregon Relays is available here.

NOTE: The sports information offices of Washington, Central Washington, Gonzaga, Eastern Washington and Washington State contributed to this report.

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