BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The days are getting longer, temperatures are slowly creeping up and that can only mean one thing…it's outdoor track & field season.
 
A small contingent of Western Washington University student-athletes will help open up the 2022 outdoor season at the Ed Boitano Invitational Friday and Saturday in Tacoma.
 
Competition begins Friday evening with the hammer throw held on the PLU campus and the men's and women's 10K at Baker Stadium in Tacoma. The remainder of events will be held Saturday on the UPS campus with competition scheduled to begin at 11 am.
 
The Boitano Invitational kicks off a busy spring schedule for the Vikings, who are the two-time defending GNAC men's outdoor champions and the women's team is coming off a runner-up finish in 2021. The Vikings are scheduled to host a pair of Saturday home events at Civic Stadium during the season with the WWU Team Invitational on April 2 and the Ralph Vernacchia Track & Field Meet on April 30. WWU will also host the GNAC Combined Championships May 2-3.
  Here is a tentative look at who is scheduled to compete for the Vikings at the Boitano Invitational:
 
Friday:

• Carmen Cleveland-Barrera – Hammer Throw
• Katie Potts – Hammer Throw
• Raine Westfall – Hammer Throw
• Jerrod Lee – Hammer Throw
• Jared Alderfer – 10,000m
• Jason Blinn – 10,000m
• Jalen Javurek – 10,000m
• Kevin McDermott – 10,000m
• Alec Ritter – 10,000m
• Sean Sands – 10,000m
• Quinn Wilcox – 10,000m

Saturday:

• Sonny Chhim – 400m
• Ryan Witters – 100m, 200m
• Brian Le – 800m
• Denzel Pinto – 800m
• Kale Engebretsen – 400m Hurdles
• Jerrod Lee – Shot Put
• Jaydon Tryon – Javelin
• Sean Witters – Javelin
• Tyrel Halme – Pole Vault
• Kacey Provo – Pole Vault
• Taliah Coe – Discus
• Amanda Short – Javelin
• Kaylee Coble – Pole Vault
• Alexandra Dorn – Pole Vault
• Shawnee Konrad – Pole Vault
• Annie Tran – Pole Vault

WWU will be right back in action next weekend at the PLU Invitational in Tacoma. A pair of Vikings – Mac Franks (Mile, 800m) and Beau Sheeran (High Jump) – will also be in action March 11-12 at the NCAA Division II Indoor Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas.
  The Viking men not only recorded its third straight team title winning the 2021 GNAC Indoor Championships (2019, 2020, 2022), but also the program's seventh all-time for the most in conference history. Dating back to the 2019 season, WWU has won the last five GNAC Track & Field team titles with three indoor trophies and two outdoor championships (2019, 2021).