There will be no shortage of elite athletes this weekend at Dempsey Indoor when Washington hosts the UW Invitational. Starting today, it will feature some of the nation’s premier track and field programs and athletes.

Coming off the Winter Preview’s field, which included Olympians Kara Goucher and Amy Yoder-Begley, the women’s distance group is in no position to rest with Colorado’s Jenny Barringer set to compete in the 3,000-meter run. The senior was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing and set the American record in the steeplechase, taking ninth in the Summer games.

While the women have their work cut out for them, the men also face quite a battle, going up against top-ranked Arkansas. The UW men’s distance runners will be led by cross country stars Jake Schmitt and Jordan Swarthout. Sophomore Andrew Ferleman is expecting big things in the heptathlon.

“Our group is really deep this year,” Ferleman said. “We’re working on improving with every meet and I think we’re going to surprise some people.”

But distance runners aren’t the only group facing elite competition this weekend. Some of the biggest programs in the nation will be competing, including Oregon, Arizona, UCLA and Stanford.

“It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure,” freshman jumper Clayton Johnson said. “It’s cool to compete with so many great athletes. We’re all just going to go out there and do our best and it should be a lot of fun.”

Ferleman said that there are bound to be some other stand-out performances too.

“Our entire pole vault group is amazing this year,” Ferleman said. “It’s already thought that they will do well, but I don’t think people realize exactly how well.”

Reach reporter Ben Foutz at sport@dailyuw.com.