Outdoor season begins today

The Hoosiers look for some fun in the sun this weekend as the men's and women's track and field teams head to Arizona State University. Spring training is not the only thing happening in Arizona as the Sun Devils play host to the Baldy Castillo Invitational. This is the first outdoor meet of the season, and the warm weather will give IU the opportunity to do well.\nThe beginning of the outdoor track and field season traditionally features meets that are in the warmer states. These meets give the Hoosiers a chance to compete in ideal weather conditions, and compete against athletes and teams they do not regularly see during the rest of the season. \n"It is a little expensive (to go to Arizona State) but it is one of those types of things that brings a lot of athletes to the program because we do give them the opportunities," Coach Marshall Goss said. "A lot of guys are coming off a good taper coming back from spring break and the first meet or so usually (leads) to a good time."\nNot all athletes will compete this weekend. Some athletes need this time to catch up in their classes, and others have some nagging injuries. The athletes who do get a chance to go this weekend will be busy.\nOn the men's side, sophomores Contrell Ash and Ryan Sarbinoff will run in several events to help them get ready for the Big Ten season. Sophomore Daniel Martin will run the intermediate hurdles Friday and two 400-meter dashes Saturday. The two 110-meter hurdlers, Matt Harris and Micah Harvey, will make the trip too.\nIU men's team will not take many distance runners so those runners can focus on next weekend's meet in California. In the 800-meter dash, juniors Joel Cotton and Ryan Huber will run. The men's team is also bringing guys to run in the steeplechase because of the quality field. The field events will be represented well with athletes in every event except the pole vault.\n"We have a lot of good competition (at this meet), but the meets we are concerned about do not start until May," senior Wasyl Fedoriw said.\nThis competition includes in-state rival Notre Dame and Big Ten foe Minnesota. Other teams that will compete this weekend are Dartmouth, Idaho, Northern Arizona, Washington State, UC-Santa Barbara and Utah State.\n"We are excited because we have a chance for a successful season," sophomore Kurtis George said.