Released on Release: 02/28/2008
SEATTLE -- Twenty-three University of Oregon men and 20 women are scheduled to compete this weekend as the Ducks’ men’s and women’s track teams will venture to Seattle to compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation indoor championships Friday and Saturday in the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility.

Friday’s competition gets underway at noon with the start of the women’s pentathlon and 20-lb. weight throw, and is scheduled to conclude with the start of the finals of the women’s distance medley relay at 7:45 p.m. Saturday’s schedule will begin at 10 a.m. with the men’s heptathlon 60-meter hurdles and will end with the women’s 4x400-meter relay.

Pacific-10 Conference schools Arizona, Arizona State, California, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Washington and Washington State will be joined by Cal State Northridge and Long Beach State, with the Huskies claiming last year’s men’s team title and the Sun Devils winning the women’s championship.

The Ducks will approach the meet as an opportunity to better the marks of several entries as they jockey for position on provisional qualifying lists for next month’s NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark., according to Associate Head Coach Dan Steele.

"We always strive to do as best as we can but we will approach this meet much like any other as we look ahead and point towards the NCAA championships as well as preparing for the outdoor season," Steele said.

Sophomores Ashton Eaton and Nicole Blood already have