Ken Shannon Invite Returns At Husky Track
May 2, 2013
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Ken<!> Shannon Invitational May 4 at Husky Outdoor Track Heat Sheets | Schedule | Live Results |
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SEATTLE - The new outdoor Husky Track will get taken for a spin once again this Saturday, as the Ken Shannon Invitational brings the regular season to a close for the Washington track and field squads. One week removed from the official opening of the new facility, and the thrilling dual meet against the Cougars, and it's right back to business for UW in what will be the home finale.
The annual Ken Shannon Invite, which took a hiatus last year as the new track was being built, will give many more local colleges a chance to compete on the purple Husky Track for the first time. The fields will include a number of Huskies alongside schools such as Seattle U., Western Washington, Central Washington, Seattle Pacific, and Saint Martin's, plus some Canadian teams from University of Victoria, University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser and a handful of community college squads.
The meet actually will get going on Friday afternoon with the women's and men's hammer throws at 4:00 and 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, the action begins at 9:00 a.m. in the field and at 12 noon on the track, and should finish around 5:00 p.m.
Fans unfamiliar with the new outdoor track location should simply follow the line of Husky facilities to the north of Husky Stadium, as the track is right in line with Husky Soccer Field and Husky Ballpark. Parking is available, and most convenient in the E1 lot. Admission is free for all spectators.
With just one week to go until the Pac-12 Championships, many of Washington's top-ranked athletes will have the day off on Saturday, but others will use the meet as a final tune-up, especially for field event athletes.
Also on Saturday down in Los Angeles, the postseason will in fact get underway, as the Pac-12 Multi-Event Championships are held at Loker Stadium, hosted by USC, where the rest of the Huskies will be headed next weekend. Senior Jeremy Taiwo will be one of the favorites, as he won the Pac-12 decathlon title back in 2011. Taiwo needs a strong showing this Saturday and Sunday in L.A. to qualify for the NCAA Championships. Joining Taiwo in the decathlon will be freshman Josh Gordon, while junior Shelby Williams will compete in the heptathlon where she looks to eclipse the 5,000-point mark for the first time and crack the top-eight finishers in a talented field.
