Oregon 6A state champion Emma Bennett of Jesuit OR is set to take on Canadian standouts Jaina Kang, Zoe Unger and Alexa Dow in the girls 3,000 meters Saturday night as the Washington High School Invitational gets started. 

 

Kaing and Unger finished first and second, respectively, at the Canadian U18 Championships in the steeplechase last spring, with Dow finishing second in the 800 at the Canadian U20 Championships.

 

USATF Junior Olympic national champion in the 3,000 and steeplechase Sydney Collier is slated to race as well in the talented girls field.

 

 

Matthew Edwards of Classical Academy CO returns as the top boys performer from last year's 3,000, looking to move up from a seventh-place finish. The senior won the Colorado 3A state cross country title and followed with a 29th-place finish at Foot Locker Nationals in San Diego.

 

Jack Henzke from Seattle Prep WA finished a close second to Edwards last year in eighth and will look to challenge the Colorado standout alongside Nike Cross Nationals Northwest teammate Noah Laughlin-Hall of Summit OR.

 

Laughlin-Hall's teammate, Hayden Boaz, will be in the mix, along with Ida B. Wells OR's Asher Danielson, Sheldon ORs Malachi Schoenherr, Canada's Tyler Browne, Newbury Park CA's Dev Doshi and Cheyenne Mountain CO's Aiden Le Roux.

 

The girls weight throw competition features a rematch of the Spokane High School Invitational competition with Marissa Johnson and Kimberly Beard set to do battle once again. Johnson, a sophomore at Tigard OR, ranks US#2 in the event, while Beard, sophomore at King's WA, ranks US#8.

 

Sunday's events are highlighted by both the boys and girls miles, featuring talent from last fall's NXN race.

 

Lakeridge OR's Chloe Huyler, 32nd at NXN, brings in a lifetime best 4 minutes, 50.01 seconds as the top seed in the girls mile, as she's set to take on Canada's Unger, Adrianna Buitelaar and Maggie Epp. 

 

Timberline ID's Ruby Ihmels, 23rd at Foot Locker Nationals, and Oregon standouts Josie Fale of Ida B. Wells, Lauren Tittel and Morgan Matthews of Oregon Episcopal and Keira Saavedra of Lincoln are among others to watch for.

 

Templeton CA's Joshua Bell, ninth at Nike Cross Nationals, faces the Summit duo of Boaz and Laughlin-Hall, JSerra CA's Bradley Arrey and Alden Morales, Classical Academy's Edwards and West Salem OR's Justin Bell in the boys mile. 

 

Beard and Johnson will continue their throwing battle on Sunday in the girls shot put competition, along with Wilsonville OR's Avery DeVincenzi and South Kitsap WA's Grace Degarimore.

 

Hanford WA's Landry Allen and Canada's Mackenzie Hurtubise are the headliners of a competitive girls pole vault competition, with top clearances at 12 feet, 8 inches (3.86m).