Arizona track and field will head to Des Moines, Iowa, for a three-day competition in the Drake Relays beginning today. Competition begins this morning, and the Wildcats will be up against some fierce opponents.

The Drake Relays are one of the most prestigious events of the season and will feature almost 9,000 athletes.

To be exact, there are 8,787 athletes registered to compete and 16 Drake Relay record holders will be back to compete this year. Another thing that sets this meet apart from the rest is that it will be held in front of a massive audience.

While the Arizona track and field squads are used to competing in front of crowds of 2,000-3,000, more than 20,000 fans are expected to be on hand this weekend.

ãThe Drake Relays is definitely one of the highlights of the outdoor season. It has a great atmosphere to compete in,ä UA head coach Dave Murray said. ãThere will be 20,000 to 22,000 fans in the stands everyday. It will give our athletes the opportunity to compete against some great competition in front of a big crowd.ä

As the season nears its end, Murray has only a few meets left before retiring. Arizona will enter in a number of relays, including the 4x100m and 4x400m, and it will also be competing in individual events.

Senior sprinter Brianna Glenn will run the 200m race and look to defend her 200m title tomorrow.

The Wildcats are coming off an impressive weekend at the Mt. SAC relays, where they posted solid performances.

Several Wildcats earned Pac-10 and NCAA qualifying times while others improved on ther times.

The weekend was highlighted by Tara Chaplin, who earned an automatic NCAA qualifying time in the 10,000m.

As Arizona turns its focus to this weekend, there are a few things on the playersâ minds other than the competition. At this time of year in Des Moines, the weather will definitely be factor.

ãWe know the weather is always unpredictable at the Drake Relays, so weâre just praying that the weather will be good,ä Harvey said.

With only one home meet left after this week, the Wildcats will really be pressing hard to get athletes qualified who arenât yet and improve on existing times.

Murray and Harvey said they are both looking forward to this weekendâs meet.

ãItâs just a really exciting meet with a lot of enthusiasm,ä Murray said. ãThis meet is always a great (one).ä