THE WEEKEND AHEAD: Husky Classic closes out UW home season at Dempsey...

With two weekends to go before the majority of Division I collegiate conference championships, the focus shifts to moving up in the national descending order lists before having to concentrate on scoring points at the conference meet.

For the collegians, this is for the majority, the last big weekend to try and qualify for conference championships, though depending on the outcome of meets this weekend, some teams will send individuals to potential last chance meets next weekend.

The four GNAC schools--Central Washington, Saint Martin's, Seattle Pacific, and Western Washington, are either having only a few individuals competing, or in the case of Saint Martin's and Central Washington, skipping competition completely, as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship meet begins Monday at The Podium in Spokane.

All four Division I schools--Washington, Washington State, Gonzaga, and Eastern Washington will have a significant presence at the Husky Classic.

Friday and Saturday's Husky Classic at the Dempsey Indoor facility at the University of Washington is a meet that has national implications, particularly in the distance races.

Washington alum Nathan Green (Paul Merca photo), who in his first race as a pro at the Dempsey, paced Sam Prakel to victory in the mile at Mile City two weeks ago, is the top entry in the men's invitational section of the mile Friday night at 6;35 pm, where the Dempsey could potentially see the 400th sub-4 minute mile in the facility's 25-year history.

Entering the Husky Classic, the sub-4 minute mile mark's been broken 390 times.

Friday night, the women's distance medley relay could see a legitimate threat to the Dempsey facility record of 10:37.58 set by BYU last year, which is superior to the listed collegiate record (set on a 200m track) by Oregon of 10:42.05, also set last year.

Teams could also threaten the absolute collegiate record of 10:37.55 set outdoors by Harvard two years ago.

A pair of NCAA champions from the University of New Mexico are listed in the field for the Husky Classic, which closes out the Huskies' home meets.

Pamela Kosgei, the NCAA outdoor 5000 and 10000 meter champion, is expected to race for the first time in 2026. She hasn't raced since a December 6th appearance in Boston and is entered in Saturday's invitational 3000 meters. 

Habtom Samuel, the Lobos' NCAA cross country champion, will race for the first time since placing ninth in the Millrose Games 2-mile, where he broke Henry Rono's collegiate record. He's entered in Friday's 3000, where he's the defending champion, and holds the meet record of 7:39.39.

Besides headliner Samuel, Iowa State's Robin Kwemoi Bera, Eastern Kentucky's Taha Er Raouy and Washington's Reuben Reina Jr lead a long list of runners with sub-8 credentials in the men's 3000.

One intriguing race is Saturday's women's invitational 800 featuring Stanford's Paris Olympic finalist Juliette Whittaker, as she'll face Washington State's Rosemary Longisa and the Huskies' Chloe Foerster. Longisa surprised many people with her mild upset of Foerster, a NCAA scorer, in the mile at the Mile City meet two weeks ago.

Another race to watch Saturday is the invitational section of the women's 3000. That race has Utah's Erin Vringer, Iowa State's Betty Kipkore and Mercy Kibet, New Mexico's Marion Jepngetich, and Washington's Mia Cochran and Julia David-Smith. 

With Washington's sprints and jumps group headed to Albuquerque for this weekend's Don Kirby Elite Invitational, those events will be missing some depth.

However, top individuals, including Washington alum Prestin Artis in the men's long jump, are entered in the meet. Cal Poly's Melody Nwagwu tops the entries in the women's long jump and triple jump. 

Sydney Brewster from Montana State is the top thrower in the meet and is in the shot put and weight throw. 

The men's shot put and weight throw could possibly be a preview of the Big Sky championships with strong entries from Idaho, Montana State, and Eastern Washington.

Eastern Washington's Suzi Woodall, the Big Sky indoor champ, goes against Cal Poly's Lexi Evans, who was second to the Huskies' Hana Moll two weeks ago in the women's pole vault. Evans' mark of 14-8.25 (4.48m) was a personal best and has her ranked in the top ten in Division I.

The Husky Classic gets underway at 1 pm Friday. Media partner RunnerSpace.com ($) will live stream the meet. B1G Ten Plus ($) customers will also have access to the stream.

Live results for the Husky Classic are available here.

DAWGS HEADED TO NEW MEXICO FOR DON KIRBY ELITE...

The Washington men's and women's sprints, jumps, and throws group are off to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Don Kirby Elite meet Friday and Saturday, hosted by the University of New Mexico, at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The women's pole vault will be the meet's headline event, featuring Hana Moll of the Huskies, who goes against 2016 Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi of Greece, and former WSU NCAA qualifiers Tatum Moku and Eva Lowder, both of whom transferred to Grand Canyon in Arizona.

The Huskies' Jimmy Rhoads looks to make it three meets in a row over 19 feet in the men's pole vault, as he goes against UW alums Mathis Bresko and Max Manson, along with Trey Oates and Husky teammate Eli Crabb-Gault.

Washington's men's and women's triple jump group looks to build upon the momentum from a strong showing two weeks ago at the UW Invitational.

Flotrack ($) will stream both days of the meet.

The link to live results is available here.

ON THE PRO CIRCUIT...

The Brooks Beasts will end their month-long altitude training stint in Albuquerque by competing at the ASICS Sound Invite at the JDL Track in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on Saturday.

Entered at the ASICS Sound Invite for the Beasts on the men's side are: Brandon Miller, Isaiah Harris and John Rivera in the 800; Brannon Kidder in the mile; and Matt Strangio, Waleed Suliman and Parker Stokes in the 3000.

On the women's side, Laura Pellicoro and Valery Tobias are in the 800. Teagan Schein-Becker goes in the mile, while Chloe Scrimgeour and Kayley DeLay will run the 3000. Allie Buchalski rounds out the Beasts roster in the 5000.

Gonzaga alum Wil Smith is running in the men's 5000.

Former Huskies Sam Tanner, Aidan Ryan and Ronan McMahon-Staggs are entered in the mile, while Luke Houser is entered in the 3000.

Tanner recently switched shoe sponsors, going from Puma to On. McMahon-Staggs, who graduated from Washington last spring, was picked up by Diadora within the last week.

Media partner RunnerSpace.com ($) will live stream the meet. The link to live results is available here.

Finally, Washington alum Scott Toney, who finished ninth at last week's Fly Athens invitational pole vault competition in Greece, competes in Saturday's Perche aux Étoiles pole vault meet in Paris.

He'll actually jump in the B section of the men's competition.

The start list for the Perche aux Étoiles pole vault meet is available here.

NOTE: Sound Running, the Perche aux Étoiles, and the sports information offices of Washington, and New Mexico contributed to this report.

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