The Irish will kick off the prestigious Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center today.
Schools from around the country are coming to town to test their mettle against each other.
After impressive showings at the first few meets of the season including the Notre Dame
Invitational and the Indiana Invitational, the Irish will look to add themselves to the growing list of Big East and NCAA qualifiers. After getting into the full swing of training and seeing how they have fared against the competition, the Irish look to continue to improve their marks and times.
Assistant coaches from the sprints, jumps and throws squads all had positive remarks about their group's chances this weekend.
"[I hope] to see continued improvement in performance as we head into the major part of the indoor season and prepare for the Big East championships," Irish sprints coach John Millar.
"I am hoping for some great performances this weekend," Irish throws coach Adam Beltran said. "I would expect nothing less with this being the last meet before conference."
Seventeen jumpers have already earned spots in the Big East championships, so Irish jumps coach Jim Garnham will be able to rest two of his standouts, seniors Eric Quick and Matt Schipper.
With the strongest group of competitors the Irish will face before the conference meet, this weekend promises to be one of intense action in all events. The Irish will certainly be challenged by the field, which features some of the top programs in the country, and even some from Canada.
"This will be one of the deepest fields the Meyo meet has seen in a while," Beltran said. "The competition this weekend will be a big test for us and will be the most competitive meet of the indoor season."
More specifically, the events to watch closely will be All-America senior Jaclyn Espinoza, junior Denes Veres, and junior Rudy Atang in the throws, and the "Meyo mile," which is consistently one of the most exciting events of the indoor season.
According to Garnham, there were five athletes that ran the mile in less than four minutes last year. To run the mile in less than four minutes is a stunning feat in itself. To watch five runners do it while racing each other is a spectacle.
"It was electrifying to stand next to the track," said Garnham, referring to last year's thrilling finish.
With Big East and NCAA qualification on the line, a host of strong competition coming to campus, and one of the most thrilling events of the season, the Meyo Invitational promises to be one of the best events of the year.
Competition kicks off today at 7 p.m. at the Loftus Sports Center.
