Track and Field Team to Split Meets

The Arizona men and women's indoor track and field teams will come out running when they split between the University of Washington Indoor Invitational in Seattle and the Arizona/California Invitational in Flagstaff today.

The Arizona/California Invitational features men and women's sprinting and field-event athletes, said head track and field coach Fred Harvey.

The meet used to be strictly an Arizona event, but it has changed to include teams from California, Harvey said.

California, Cal State-Fullerton, Cal State-Northridge, ASU and NAU will be competing in the event.

"It's going to be a great meet for our sprinters, jumpers and throwers because of the style of the meet and the facilities," Harvey said.

Harvey said he believes Cal and ASU will be the toughest competitors.

"Always in my mind any time you compete against ASU in anything it just raised the blood level," Harvey said.

Arizona assistant coach Sheldon Blockburger, who felt his team did well at the Modrall Sperling Lobo Invitational Saturday, said the Wildcats could always improve.

"This weekend we're hoping to build on what we did last weekend," Blockburger said. "I think we can do a little better."

Meanwhile, the distance runners will be sent to Seattle to compete today and tomorrow.

The UW Indoor Invitational will include athletes from around the Pacific 10 Conference; Cal, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA and Washington will be among those joining the Wildcats.†

Seattle has historically been a great place for distance running, Arizona distance coach James Li said.

"We're excited ... it's our first track meet we're running," Li said. "We are excited to see where everyone is at."

Li said he expects the meet, which features post-collegiate athletes, to bring great competition for senior All-American distance runner Robert Cheseret.

Cheseret, who ranks No. 1 individually in the 5,000-meter and No. 9 in the 3,000 races, has been training well, Li said.

"I see him making at least provisional qualifying marks for the NCAA champions," Li said.

Many athletes said they are also pumped up about the upcoming meets.

Senior sprinter Marquita Taylor said she is really excited about the meet in Flagstaff.

"I'm just ready for this weekend, and I know that we'll all do well," Taylor said.

Taylor, who placed 13th in the 60 last weekend and ninth in the 200, said she expects to place higher in Flagstaff.

"I wasn't too excited with my race from last week," Taylor said. "I'm just glad I got one race out of the way."

Sprinter and jumper Nikki Martin, a junior who placed 12th in the 60 last weekend, just ahead of Taylor, said she believes she will also do much better this weekend.

"I have to get myself mentally focused for the event," Martin said.

Senior sprinter Jennifer Whitlock said she is also looking forward to the weekend and has already set high standards for herself.

"My goal is to run a nice, clean, fast hurdle race," Whitlock said.†"I have a lot of power coming off of the blocks into the hurdle, and now I just have to put it all together."

Whitlock placed ninth in the women's 60-meter hurdles last weekend and said she sees herself placing first in Flagstaff.

"I don't see why I shouldn't," Whitlock said. "Each meet, I have to learn what I can do to run faster for the rest of the meets."

ASU star sophomore Jacquelyn Johnson will be one of the toughest competitors out there, Whitlock said.

"I expect us to battle it out with the result of me being on top," Whitlock said.

Harvey said he believes both Whitlock and junior sprinter Troy Harris, a junior college transfer, will do well at the meet.

"As a collegiate athlete, now (Harris) is going to be a lot more relaxed," Harvey said. "Not to put any pressure on him, (but) I think he has a chance to break our record in the 60-meter dash."