The Arizona track and field teams open a four-week homestand tomorrow as they host instate rivals Northern Arizona and ASU.
If recent rankings are any indication, competition should be stiff.
All three teams cleared the top-40 mark in Monday's U.S. Track Association power rankings. The Sun Devils lead the men, ranking fourth. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks come in at No. 30 and 36, respectively.
Arizona set the women's standard at No. 19, while Northern Arizona comes in at 27th and ASU sits 31th.
"The most important thing is that this is a rivalry and to get your rival down here on your home track," said UA head coach Fred Harvey. "It doesn't matter how many times you see them a year. This is team against team, and that makes it a little more interesting."
With the Pacific 10 Conference Championships just two weeks away, the Wildcats are happy to be back on home turf.
"The least amount of traveling prior to a championship meet, the better," Harvey said.
"Being a rival, yes, we want to do better than them," said sophomore thrower Rachel Varner. "I just think about myself and what I need to do. I just do my best. It's good to feel at home again, to get things going. And it's easier to rest and have fun."
Fellow thrower and freshman Billie-Jo Grant said competing against instate foes brings the team together.
"There's a feeling towards team unity to beat ASU because there's an instate rival," Grant said. "For track and field, you compete the same way because it's individual, but it does make us more united."
Action gets under way tomorrow at 3 p.m. at Drachman Stadium with the women's hammer throw.