The CWU Track and Field team is heading to the Washington State University Open in Pullman on Friday, Jan. 20 and will stay until Saturday, Jan 21.

For this first meet, head coach Kevin Adkisson will be evaluating the team.

“The expectation of our first meet for the full squad is just to get a true assessment of where everyone is at,” Adkisson said, adding that indoor season is always tougher.

“We do a great job of training all through the fall [by] getting our people in good shape before the quarter ends,” Adkisson said.

Once the quarter is over, the athletes do their best to stay in shape and then they come back here, Adkisson said.

Adkisson likes the way his team has practiced for the WSU Open.

“We’ve seen good enthusiasm and efforts as we’ve gotten back and have started practice,” Adkisson said.

The season just began, this is only the second meet of the year.

“I feel ready and excited,” senior sprinter Maddie Garcia said.

Garcia also expressed good nerves.

“I always get really nervous but it’s a good nervous,” Garcia said.

For sophomore hurdler Mariyah Vongsaveng, who surpassed records when she was a freshman, Adkisson’s goal is to get her to nationals.

Vongsaveng said she is ready but also expressed similar nerves like Garcia.

“I’m really trying to focus on [the] 60 meter hurdles this year,” Vongsaveng said. “I’m looking to be a little ahead of where I started last year, 8.99 [seconds] is what I ran in my first meet last year.” 

There are a few other athletes to keep eyes on in Pullman.

Senior decathlete Kodiak Landis, who competed at the team’s first event at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, earned himself a qualifying mark for nationals.

There are also a few All-American type athletes who had some provisional marks already, such as men’s triple jumper Luke Plummer and women’s pole vaulter Mckenna Emmert.

Senior Armando Tafoya is a men’s thrower. Tafoya placed sixth in shot put and second in men’s weight throw, at the 2015 GNAC indoor tournament.

“He’ll look to do extremely well conference wise and hopefully qualify for nationals.” Adkisson said.