All nine Washington D1/D2 schools spread throughout Southern California starting Wednesday...

All nine of Washington’s Division I and II schools will have a presence in Southern California over the next few days as its teams and athletes make their mid-season push to ensure their spots in the conference championship meets next month.

The multi-events get the Southern California expedition underway, as Washington and Washington State have entries in the Mt. SAC and California Invitational decathlon and heptathlon competitions that start Wednesday at Azusa Pacific College.

In the Mt. SAC Relays heptathlon, defending Pac-12 champion Alissa Brooks-Johnson (left/photo by Paul Merca) along with coach Angela Whyte, fresh off a fifth place finish in the 60 hurdles at the world championships in Portland, will go against a field that includes US Olympian Sharon Day-Monroe, world championship competitors Barbara Nwaba and Jessica Zelinka, along with Kansas State’s Akela Jones.

In the California Invitational decathlon section, Eastern Washington freshman Aaron Pullin, along with Washington’s Cole Jensen and Josh Gordon are entered.

The California Invitational heptathlon has Washington’ State’s Liz Harper and Lindsay Schauble, along with Washington’s CJ Smith and Erika Budinich.

Thursday, all nine schools, along with a handful of Washington post-collegians and pros will be in action at either the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, the Pacific Coast Invitational, hosted by Long Beach State, or the Mt. SAC Relays, which are being contested this year at Cerritos College in Norwalk, due to a remodeling project at Hilmer Lodge Stadium at Mt. SAC in Walnut. The stadium is being remodeled with the intent to bid for the 2020 US Olympic Trials.

Friday, action continues at the Bryan Clay at Azusa and the Mt. SAC Relays, along with the first day of the Beach Invitational hosted by Long Beach State on their campus track.

Southern California’s  track and field marathon finishes off Saturday with the final day of the Beach Invitational and the Mt. SAC Relays.

A limited number of athletes from Washington schools will compete Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Oregon Relays in Eugene at Hayward Field on the Oregon campus.