Cascade Conference track championships begin in La Grande this weekend

Courtney Blumer and Hope Maes are among the names to watch as Eastern Oregon University opens the Cascade Collegiate Conference men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships Friday at Banner Bank Track in La Grande.

More than 200 competitors are entered for the two-day meet, presented by U.S. Bank, with podium places and qualifying marks for the NAIA National Championships on the line. The conference’s championship page says live results and the event schedule are available for the meet.

For La Grande, the weekend puts Eastern Oregon University back in the role of regional host at one of its signature outdoor venues. The championships are scheduled for May 8-9, while the multi-events portion of the conference meet was held April 16-17 at Southern Oregon University’s Raider Stadium in Ashland.

The stakes are high because the Cascade Collegiate Conference has become a direct route to the season’s biggest stage. The NAIA Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championships are set for May 20-22 at Karl Straus Track in Asheville, North Carolina, giving athletes little time after this weekend to sharpen marks and secure spots.

Eastern Oregon enters the meet with recent history on its side. The Mountaineers won the men’s CCC outdoor title in 2025, continuing a streak that pushed the program to its fifth straight conference championship. On the women’s side, the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds won last year’s CCC title and then swept both the men’s and women’s NAIA national outdoor team championships.

That combination of returning champions and national qualifiers should keep the meet tight from the first event to the last. For EOU, hosting the championship is also another reminder that La Grande can stage a conference meet that draws schools, athletes and coaches from across the region, with Banner Bank Track serving as the center of attention for the entire weekend.