Traveling to a familiar venue this weekend, the Arizona track teams look to pick up steam heading into next weekend's Mountain Pacific Conference Championships.
The Wildcats trek to Flagstaff for the third time this season for the NAU-hosted Springo Invitational, but the team said it doesn't mind the trip.
"It's kind of like a home meet," says senior hurdler Gina Mazzone. "We've been up there so many times."
Arizona head coach Fred Harvey said being familiar with a facility helps athletes prepare.
"That's a big thing: knowing what to do, where you can do it, and when you can do it," he said.
The men's team leaped over Florida in this week's Trackwire 25, moving up one spot to No. 8. The women's team dropped out of the rankings one week after being ranked No. 25.
Harvey said his teams' recent success is good for their confidence, as long as it's applied correctly.
"I'm always a firm believer in confidence, as long as it's not cockiness," he said. "That's where I draw my line.
"At this level if you don't have confidence within yourself, you're not going to compete well. You have to believe in your abilities," he said.
Still, Harvey said he is careful to make sure his teams don't lose sight of what they are up against.
"You never disrespect the competition in which you're competing against," he said. "They're Division I athletes, and they're out trying to achieve the same thing."
Sophomore hurdler Jennifer Whitlock has her sights set on an automatic-qualifier for the NCAA Indoor Championships March 11-12, something she says she has yet to accomplish because she hasn't reached her potential.
"I'm looking to run to my potential, so I can go into (the MPSF Championships) with confidence, and to just enjoy myself," she said. "When I enjoy myself, I perform much better."
Harvey said Whitlock is right on the verge of qualifying for the NCAAs in the 60-meter hurdles.
"If she's going to do it, I think this is going to be a meet that she's going to do it in," he said.
After next weekend's MPSF Championships in Seattle, the Wildcats kickoff the outdoor season at home March 5, a day Harvey said many of his athletes are looking forward to.
"They're ready to get outside," he said. "The indoors, it's real nice, and it's a change of pace, but most of these folks, they're outdoor athletes."