The Golden West Invitational (GWI) high school track & field all-star meet brings together top high school athletes from throughout the country and provides them with the very highest levels of competition. The GWI made its debut in 1960 and is held in the Sacramento, CA area in June each year.
Past participants have represented the United States in every Olympic Games since 1964 and have filled more than 150 positions on the American Olympic Track & Field teams. They have won more than 75 medals, 40 of them gold. An additional nine GWI athletes represented their native countries of France, Ireland, Japan, Trinidad/Tobago, Fiji, Jamaica and Cape Verde Islands.
GWI alums include the following track & field legends:
- Evelyn Ashford
- Bob Beamon
- Stacy Dragila
- Marty Liquori
- Steve Prefontaine
- Jim Ryun
- Tommie Smith
- Dwight Stones
- James Beckford
- Marion Jones
Recent Olympic medalists who participated at the GWI meet include:
Future NFL football stars who participated at the GWI meet include: