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Since no team scores were kept, Northwest Missouri State's singular focus at every indoor meet to this point has been individual achievement.
While that remains a high priority this weekend, Northwest's main objective is to perform well as a team at the MIAA Championships in Joplin.
This is the first and only meet of the indoor season in which team scores are tabulated.
"Everything is about developing to this point ," said Northwest Missouri State head coach Scott Lorek. "The important goal is to do well as a team, but to do that, our individuals have to come through."
Lorek says the Bearcats have several athletes on each side that could compete for MIAA titles, thereby helping them score points as team.
On the men's side, Craig-Fairfax graduate Will Haer (pole vault), Porter Groves (triple jump), Travis Manning (60M hurdles), Ryan Darling (800, 1600M) and the distance medley relay team should challenge for first place.
Haer has won two meets already this season. Groves won the triple jump at Concordia.
Some of the top women's contenders include freshman Chloe Wichman (600M), sprinters Samantha Fender and Brianna Evans, Taylor Woodruff (1600M) and shot-putter Lekiesha McKnight.
Wichman and Woodruff won their events last week at the Central MIssouri Classic. Fender and Evans finished 1-2 in the 60-meter dash.
"I think we're in good position," said Lorek. "More importantly, we're a really young team and we're competing really well. We're not going to be intimidated. We're just going to go and compete well."
Last year, Northwest finished fifth in the men's meet and ninth on the women's side.
Lincoln is the defending women's champion and Central Missouri is the reigning men's champion.
Central's women and Emporia State's men should also challenge for a team title.
"They're all just tremendous teams," said Lorek. "For anyone to beat them is pretty tough."
For most of the Bearcat roster, this will be their last meet of the indoor season.
The Bearcats have a hand-full of individuals that have qualified provisionally for nationals, but no one is assured a trip to Mankato, Minn. March 9-10.
"Everything is on the bubble," said Lorek. "You never know how many you're taking. Unless you're ranked in the top five, you can't think about that. You just got to really focus on competing well."
Since no team scores were kept, Northwest Missouri State's singular focus at every indoor meet to this point has been individual achievement.
While that remains a high priority this weekend, Northwest's main objective is to perform well as a team at the MIAA Championships in Joplin.
This is the first and only meet of the indoor season in which team scores are tabulated.
"Everything is about developing to this point ," said Northwest Missouri State head coach Scott Lorek. "The important goal is to do well as a team, but to do that, our individuals have to come through."
Lorek says the Bearcats have several athletes on each side that could compete for MIAA titles, thereby helping them score points as team.
On the men's side, Craig-Fairfax graduate Will Haer (pole vault), Porter Groves (triple jump), Travis Manning (60M hurdles), Ryan Darling (800, 1600M) and the distance medley relay team should challenge for first place.
Haer has won two meets already this season. Groves won the triple jump at Concordia.
Some of the top women's contenders include freshman Chloe Wichman (600M), sprinters Samantha Fender and Brianna Evans, Taylor Woodruff (1600M) and shot-putter Lekiesha McKnight.
Wichman and Woodruff won their events last week at the Central MIssouri Classic. Fender and Evans finished 1-2 in the 60-meter dash.
"I think we're in good position," said Lorek. "More importantly, we're a really young team and we're competing really well. We're not going to be intimidated. We're just going to go and compete well."
Last year, Northwest finished fifth in the men's meet and ninth on the women's side.
Lincoln is the defending women's champion and Central Missouri is the reigning men's champion.
Central's women and Emporia State's men should also challenge for a team title.
"They're all just tremendous teams," said Lorek. "For anyone to beat them is pretty tough."
For most of the Bearcat roster, this will be their last meet of the indoor season.
The Bearcats have a hand-full of individuals that have qualified provisionally for nationals, but no one is assured a trip to Mankato, Minn. March 9-10.
"Everything is on the bubble," said Lorek. "You never know how many you're taking. Unless you're ranked in the top five, you can't think about that. You just got to really focus on competing well."
