Women's track heads to Arizona

Having started off its season on a successful note at last weekend's Florida State Relays, the Michigan women's track and field team looks to continue its winning ways as it heads to Tempe, Arizona for the Castillo Invitational tomorrow and Saturday.

In the unscored meet, the Wolverines will face Arizona State, Northern Arizona, Dartmouth and Indiana. Dartmouth is led by a group of strong middle-distance runners, who should match up well against Michigan's competitive middle distance group, especially in the 400 meters.

At last weekend's unscored meet - the first of the outdoor season for the Wolverines - though many runners placed in their events, only two Michigan athletes took home individual titles. Senior Nicole Keith won the shot put and junior Elizabeth Kampfe took the 3,000.

But in contrast to late-season meets, the focus of these early meets is not exclusively on winning and head-to-head competition, Michigan assistant coach Mike McGuire said.

"Non-scoring events are all about cultivating team development," McGuire said. "Events like team relays aren't part of the Big Tens or national competitions, but we like running them because it lets us see what the kids can do together.

"Track and field isn't just about the score. It's more cost effective to have a multitude of events ... it provides opportunities for our kids."

The team will have plenty of opportunities this weekend to continue improving. Having had the chance to enjoy the Florida sun last weekend, the warm Arizona weather now awaits the team.

But does the shift to an outdoor venue, after a few months of strictly indoor competition, pose any adjustment problems for the team?

"After competing indoors, and now being outside for the first time, the track seems bigger than Texas," McGuire said. "But that's about it ... we've had good conditions so far, which should continue in Arizona, so that has definitely made the transition easier."

The biggest change - indeed a positive one - is that events that were really cut down by the nature of an indoor venue can be run as they should be. Hurdlers, discus competitors and hammer throwers get the biggest boost with the start of the outdoor season.

For example, during the indoor season, discus throwers have to toss a rubber version of the discus against a brick wall, whereas now they toss the traditional metal discus into the wide-open sky.

This weekend, the Wolverines will bring a relatively healthy team of 30 athletes (the NCAA limit for road events) to the Castillo Invitational.

And what does McGuire want to get most out of this weekend's trip?

"We just want to have a week better than last," he said.

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