Gonzaga, Eastern & SeattleU head to Colfax for Friday's Cougar Classic...
The Colfax Golf Course will host the NCAA West Regionals in November, and with the exception of the University of Washington, who are in the middle of their pre-season training camp, all of the state's Division I schools will have a presence as they preview the regionals course.
The women kick off racing at 5 pm over 6k, while the men's race starts at 5:45 pm over 8k.
Besides host Washington State, Gonzaga and Eastern Washington, who are regulars to this meet, the University of Idaho will make the short drive to Colfax, while Seattle University will make the trek across the state to race.
Lagat has two athletes with Washington ties on his roster: Yakima's Kara Mickelson, and Selah native Cooper Quigley.
On paper, both Gonzaga squads are the early favorites based on their national rankings in the USTFCCCA Division I pre-season coaches poll.
All four Washington D1 teams have raced once so far this season, with Gonzaga sweeping both team titles at the Clash of the Inland Northwest on the Eastern Washington campus on August 30th, while Washington State ran essentially an intrasquad race at their WSU Alumni Open in Colfax on the same day.
Seattle University was swept by identical 15-50 scores by the nationally ranked University of Washington squads in their dual meet at Seattle's Warren G. Magnuson Park on September 3rd in the head coaching debut of Jordana LeSavage.
Several of Gonzaga's top runners on both the men's and women's squads, including All-American Rosina Machu, and US Olympic Trials qualifier Wil Smith, were held out of the season opener in Cheney, and could open their 2024 campaign Friday.
Perhaps the most intriguing runner in the field is Washington State freshman Evans Kurui (photo courtesy WSU Athletics), who won the Alumni Open meet in 16:57 over the 6k course in Colfax, beating the field by more than 54 seconds.
The Cougars' Zenah Cheptoo, who won the women's race at the Alumni Open in 13:06 over 4k, could be in the mix for the top individual at the Cougar Classic.
Both Kurui and Cheptoo were named the West Coast Conference's runners of the week for the week ending August 31st.
WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE FINALS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...
The last major pro meet on the European circuit happens Friday and Saturday, as the Wanda Diamond League finals take place at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme meet contested at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.
Washington State University alum CJ Allen, who stands second in the Diamond League standings in the 400 hurdles with 32 points, takes a shot at the Diamond League title.
As is the case in all Diamond League finals events, it's winner-take-all, which includes $30,000 for the win, the Diamond Trophy, and most importantly, a bye into next year's world championships (certain rules apply for world championship byes).
The field in the 400 hurdles finals includes season points leader Alison dos Santos of Brazil (46), third place Rasmus Magi of Estonia (29), and most of the top ten scorers from the season-long series.
Two of the most notable missing from the field are the last two Olympic 400 hurdles champions, Rai Benjamin of the USA, the Paris winner, and Tokyo champion Karsten Warholm of Norway, both of whom have ended their 2024 campaign.
That race gets underway at 11:04 am Pacific time on Saturday.
Woodinville native Olivia Markezich is entered in the women's 3000 steeplechase at 11:27 am Pacific Saturday. She is currently tied for 13th in the event with 5 points going into the finals, and is one of three Americans in the field, along with Olympic Trials champ Valerie Constien, and Gabi Jennings.
Washington alum Eleanor Fulton will be one of two pacers in the women's 5000 finals in a field that includes current world leader and Paris Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet of Kenya.
That race is one of the final events of the Diamond League finals, starting at 12:18 pm Pacific on Saturday.
Some of the notable athletes with Washington ties who are missing from the field as they've ended their season include Katie Moon in the pole vault, and Josh Kerr in the 1500.
No athletes with Washington ties are competing on Friday.
Peacock ($) will stream both days of the meet starting at 11 am Pacific. A condensed, delayed version of the Diamond League finals will be shown on CNBC Sunday at 10 am Pacific.
NOTE: The sports information offices of Washington State, Gonzaga, Eastern Washington, Seattle University and the Wanda Diamond League contributed to this report.
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