The WSU track and field team is nearing the more intense part of its season in coming meets as they prepare to move into outdoor competition.

The team will split this weekend to attend both the Don Kirby Elite Invitational in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the Husky Classic in Seattle. Both meets will take place today and Saturday.

“Staying with that game plan, staying focused and kind of levelheaded throughout the entire season, and especially through the next few competitions is mostly what I’m trying to work on,” junior thrower Katie Wardsworth said.

The other throwers, middle distance and distance runners and some hurdlers headed to the Husky Classic at Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility with Wardsworth have the same motivation to execute as well as her.

They all want to remain focused on competing and making their marks on Friday and Saturday as the indoor track and field season finishes up.

That mindset is reiterated by the rest of the jumpers and sprinters who are going down to New Mexico.

“I’m actually hoping I get another lifetime PR going down there because it’s a fast track,” sophomore Abu Kamara said. “It’s great competition so I feel like it’s the perfect time to have these kinds of expectations and as long as I’m feeling good on race day, I think I can put together a pretty good race.”

In the 2014-15 indoor season, it was at the Don Kirby Invite where Kamara made his season-best time of 8.09 seconds in the 60-meter hurdles.

Junior sprinter Danielle Darden will also go to the Convention Center in Albuquerque, where she has performed well in years’ past.

“My expectations are really to just execute my race,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of practice for indoor. Just really working on executing, showing off all my strengths. Definitely looking forward to going out there, body is feeling fresh and running the 60 and the 200 the way I’m supposed to. I’m really excited about it because I finally feel healthy and back in shape.”

Being healthy and racing at Don Kirby and the Husky Classic is especially important for those athletes who have missed prior meets, in order for them to see where they line up with opposing collegiate athletes before the outdoor season begins.

The high level of competition is emphasized at Don Kirby by the addition of the Olympic Development events.

However, there is some additional excitement in New Mexico for Kamara besides having a chance to stretch his legs in the hurdles.

“This is going to be my first travel trip because I missed the two meets going to UW, so I’m really excited to just be with my teammates outside of practice and the food there is really good,” Kamara said. “They have this restaurant that has this kind of Brazilian theme to it and you go in and they serve you different meats like bringing it over to your table and cut you up a slice and you just keep asking for more. I’m looking forward to that.”

Both meets will have live results that can be found through wsucougars.com. the day’s results will be posted there as well at the end of competition.