No. 9 women hope to benefit from tough early meets

After several NCAA Regional qualifying performances at season-opening meets, the No. 9 women's track and field team plays host to its first outdoor meet this Saturday at noon against Central Michigan and Indiana State.\nThe team will be home after facing tough competition at the Florida Relays, Stanford Invitational and Purdue Invitational on March 28 and 29 and the Texas Relays on April 4 and 5. Saturday's meet will be the first in which sprinters will be able to compete in their individual events. \nSenior Danielle Carruthers said the sprinters have benefitted from competing against high-ranking opponents from LSU and Texas. \n"It helps to start out with hard meets," she said. "It's motivational."\nCarruthers is a member of the 4x100-meter relay team, along with sophomore Ara Towns and seniors Rachelle Boone and Rose Richmond, who posted regional qualifying times at both the Florida and Texas Relays. \nCarruthers said she expects many of her teammates to qualify for the NCAA Regional meet, which she added will "get them something to build off of."\nAs the first regular meet for the team this season, Carruthers said she is looking forward to Saturday because it won't be a pressure-filled meet.\nSophomore pole vaulter Emily Tharpe has been unable to compete thus far in the season because of cold weather, and said she is looking forward to competing on Saturday.\n"I expect for myself to have a solid meet," she said.\nTharpe said her goal for the weekend is to qualify for the regional meet. One challenge she must face is the adjustment to competing outdoors and being subject to the elements. \nTharpe said she expects the team as a whole to take advantage of being at home. \nCoach Randy Heisler said he is looking forward to the home meet this weekend, so long as inclement weather doesn't strike.\n"We only have two home meets, so I hope the weather is good," he said.