The Evergreen State College senior Zeb Hoffman will attempt to defend his men's hammer throw title when the 23rd annual Cascade Collegiate Conference Track & Field Championships are held Friday and Saturday at Southern Oregon University's Raider Stadium in Ashland, Ore.

Hoffman, an Olympia native, set the conference meet record a year ago in Hermiston, Ore., with a winning throw of 64.84 meters (212-9), and he is also the defending national champion. Hoffman has thrown in only two meets this spring but ranks fourth on the NAIA national list with a throw of 59.25 meters (194-5).

The men's hammer throw competition is scheduled for a Friday afternoon start following the conclusion of the women's hammer throw, which gets underway at 2 p.m. Evergreen senior Ali Mackey is entered in the women's hammer with a mark of 32.50 meters (106-7), which ranks her 15th in the event.

Evergreen has two other conference meet qualifiers competing this weekend. Junior Camille Christenson is seeded ninth in the women's long jump at 5.00 meters (16-5) and 11th in the triple jump at 10.25 meters (33-7 1/2). The long jump is slated to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, while the triple jump has a 2 p.m. Saturday start. Freshman Jaz Smith is 11th in the 110 hurdles with a time of 16.66, and seventh in the 400 hurdles with a time of 1:00.08. He competes in the 110 hurdles at 7 p.m. Friday and in the 400 hurdles at 2:55 p.m. Saturday.