The ISU women’s track and field team will be splitting for the weekend.

A group of distance runners will head to New York City for the Armory Collegiate Invitational and the sprinters and field athletes will head to Lincoln, Neb., for the Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational.

The distance runners heading to New York will be competing in the distance medley relay and attempting to qualify for the NCAA indoor championship in the event.

“They know it’s a ticket for them to get to the national championship which is special and really hard to do, especially in the indoor [season] and something that’s never been done by a relay team here at Iowa State,” said ISU assistant coach Andrea Grove-McDonough.

With many other teams attempting to score NCAA qualifying times, the Armory Collegiate Invitational will feature some stiff competition.

One of the toughest competitors Iowa State will face at the meet is an Arkansas team, who was ranked No. 6 in the USA Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association poll this week and has an especially strong distance medley relay team.

“Basically, we will be chasing Arkansas, one of the best women’s teams in the country, a [distance medley relay team] that certainly has the potential to win a national title, so we’re just going to try to get in their slip stream and see if we can hang on and try to make some magic happen,” Grove-McDonough said.

Relay events are especially difficult because all four team members have to be on top of their game on the same night in order to run fast enough for a NCAA qualifying time.

“I think focusing on really just running fast and giving everything you got, I think makes me a little more nervous, but it’s also excitement,” said Bethanie Brown, a member of the distance medley relay team. “This is what racing is all about.”

While the distance athletes are in New York, the rest of the women’s track and field team will be half way across the country in Nebraska at the Frank Savigne Husker Invitational.

Instead of going for NCAA qualifying times there, many athletes will use it as a final tune up before the ISU Classic, which will be the following weekend.

The ISU classic is a premier track meet hosted by Iowa State, and attracts some of the top teams in the country every year. With top-level competition, the Cyclones will need to be prepared to be in top form.

“It’s just like any other meet,” said Kendra White of the Frank Savigne Husker Invitational. “I’m going to use this as preparation for the [ISU] Classic. I guess it’ll just be extra preparation, because I’ll get more practice and mileage on my legs.”

White made her season debut last weekend at the Bill Bergan Invitational, where she set a program and personal-best in the 400-meter dash.

Both meets are slated to start Friday evening, with competition continuing throughout Saturday.