It’s a busy weekend in indoor track as collegians enter the final scramble for fast times across the nation. In Seattle at the Husky Classic, the focus is once again on the distance races. Here are five events to watch from the Dempsey on Friday.

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Women’s 3000m

Time: Friday, 1:55 PM PT

Notable Entrants: Jessica Hull, Allie Ostrander, Adva Cohen, Ednah Kurgat

New Mexico’s Kurgat will make her first appearance since her 15:14.78 5000m in December. That time was the third fastest of all-time by a collegian and puts her atop the yearly NCAA list. 

If she can run anywhere near her personal best of 8:57 in the 3000m, then she will get her qualifying mark. This weekend is a big one for the Lobos--a team that could get on the podium at the NCAA Indoor Championships using just distance runners. Adva Cohen will race alongside Kurgat in Seattle. Her 15:42.85 from December is currently 13th on the descending order list, but her steeplechase background might make her a better candidate for the 3000m. Weini Kelati, like Kurgat, will try to secure a spot at NCAAs in the 3000m and the 5000m, though she will be racing at Saturday’s Millrose Games.

Boise State’s Allie Ostrander and Oregon’s Jessica Hull should be right alongside Kurgat. Ostrander is already in qualifying position in three events--the 5000m, mile and distance medley relay. A solid race on Friday would give her plenty of options heading into the championships portion of the season. Two weeks ago, Hull ran a 4:31.03 mile in Fayetteville, tops in the nation. Her best accomplishments have come in the 1500m/mile, but Hull’s success on the cross country course this fall indicates that she might be even better in the 3000m. 

Men’s 3000m

Time: Friday, 2:20 PM PT

Notable Entrants: Isai Rodriguez, Woody Kincaid, Garrett Heath, James West, Cooper Teare, Alex Ostberg, Dillon Maggard, Cameron Griffith

Kincaid and Heath both have lifetime bests of 7:47, but it’s hard to gauge how fast they will be on Friday. This is Kincaid’s 2019 opener and will also be just his second race since the beginning of last year. 

Heath raced two weeks ago at the USATF Cross Country Championships where he was in contention for a qualifying spot to the World Cross Country Championships before ultimately fading to 23rd place.

 Heath’s Brooks Beasts teammate Maggard, who also raced at the USATF Cross Country Championships, has already run 7:51 on this track this year. 

The collegiate entries are led by Oklahoma State's Rodriguez, Arkansas’ Griffith, Stanford’s Ostberg and Oregon’s West and Teare. Teare is coming off a 3:59.21 mile two weeks ago, while Rodriguez tries to continue the momentum from his breakthrough cross country season. 

Men’s 5000m

Time: Friday, 3:25 PM PT

Notable Entrants: James Sugira, Zach Long, John Dressel, Joe Klecker, Tanner Anderson, Steven Fahy

This is more collegiate heavy than the men’s 3000m so the focus will be on qualifying marks. Eastern Kentucky’s James Sugira ran a converted 7:52 in the 3000m at the Camel City Invitational and looks sharp. 

Zach Long of Tennesee has an outdoor personal best of 13:39 from last spring and will take his first crack at the distance in 2019. Dressel, Anderson, Klecker and Fahy all have the ability to race to a qualifying time and with such a short indoor season, will need to take full advantage of the assembled fast field. Klecker ran a converted 7:48.32 at altitude last week, tops in the NCAA. 

Men’s Mile

Time: Friday, 1:25 PM PT

Notable Entrants: Izaic Yorks, David Ribich, Henry Wynne, Sam Worley, Carlos Villarreal, Jonah Koech, Brannon Kidder

There is a heavy presence of Brooks Beasts with Yorks, Ribich, Wynne and Kidder all on the start list. Yorks has the fastest personal best of the group, a 3:53.40. This will be his first mile of 2019 after running 7:55.81 in the 3000m last month in Seattle. Ribich finished just ahead of Yorks in that race and has an indoor best of 3:58.88 that looks attainable. 

On the college side, Worley, Villarreal and Koech are the names to watch. Worley has run 4:03 and 4:02 in his last two meets and will have to improve on that to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships. Villarreal's mammoth kicks are well documented and he could qualify for both the mile and the 3000m with a good run on Saturday. Koech should be safe in the 800m, but Texas Tech could also use he in the mile as the Red Raiders go for a team title. He has a lifetime best of 4:00.82. 

Women’s 800m

Time: Friday, 12:00 PM PT

Notable Entrants: Susan Ejore, Ashley Taylor, Justine Fedronic, Savannah Camacho-Colon

Ejore, will be trying to improve on her best of 2:04.53 in a field that has several professional athletes capable of running right at two minutes.