The ISU track and field team will be splitting up this week to compete in three different meets, while sending eight women — seven sprinters and one distance runner — to compete in Austin, Texas, at the Texas Relays this weekend.

Cyclone sprinters Ese Okoro, Kendra White and Donnise Powell headline the group traveling to Austin.

Okoro, a senior sprinter and Big 12 indoor champion in the 600-meter run, is coming off a victory in the 400-meter hurdles at the Arizona State Invite last weekend. Powell, also a senior, finished third while setting a personal record time of 59.39 seconds.

White finished second in the 400-meter dash and fifth in the 200-meter dash. ISU coach Corey Ihmels attributes the quality performances of his team to a tough week of training during Spring Break.

“We’ve been here all Spring Break and had a chance to train without worrying about classes and all the groups got some good work in last week,” Ihmels said. “Now it’s just a matter of getting their first outdoor meet under their belt.”

The outdoor season is preferred by athletes and coaches alike. It is important for each group of runners, field athletes and coaches to prepare for the grind of the cold, early spring weather.

“Each group needs something a little different,” Ihmels said. “The sprints group is a good example: They wanted to get outdoors early and get in some good competition last week and the women we are sending out to Texas will get their chance now.”

The Cyclones will be sending four more sprinters to Texas within the group: Dana Christensen, Jessica Nichols, Caprisha Treadwell and Krista Shoeman, who finished fifth in the 400-meter hurdles at the Arizona State Invitational.

White and Nichols will compete in the 200-meter dash and will be joined by Christensen in the 400-meter dash. Shoeman will join Okoro and Powell in the 400-meter hurdles.

Iowa State will also be putting forth an effort in the 4×400-meter medley race, competing with a group consisting of Shoeman, White, Powell and Okoro.

Emily Meese, a redshirt junior distance runner, and Treadwell, a freshman, will be competing in their first events of the 2013 outdoor season at the Texas Relays.

The outdoor schedule picks up quickly for the Cyclones who will compete out west again next week at Arizona.