There was excitement around the ISU track again this week.

A trip to Arizona can do that for track athletes that have been stuck inside for so long during this cold and dreary spring.

This weekend, the women’s sprinters and jumpers will head to Tempe, Ariz. for the Sun Angel Track Classic.

 “I’m very excited,” junior Lashawn Wright said.

Wright will be making her second trip to the desert. When she last participated in the meet, she set a personal-best mart of 23.99 in the 200-meter dash.

“This meet means a lot to me,” Wright said. “Last year was the time I ran my first 23. It was only a 23.99, but it was the breaking point for me last year.”

Wright and the rest of the young sprinters will be looking for more break-through performances in Tempe. The group feels they are miles ahead of where they were last season at this time.

In Raleigh two weeks ago, Wright led the way for the group, setting a personal-best in the 100-meter dash while the 4×400-meter relay team ran a time better than any they posted in 2008.

“Lashawn is very fast, powerful and explosive,” assistant coach Nate Wiens said. “She’s really ready to come out here and run a time that’s able to compete in this conference.”

Wright’s time in Raleigh was in a preliminary event, so it does not count as a regional-qualifying mark, but Wiens seemed confident she would continue her progression this weekend.

The team has had a week off from competition, again, so the coaches have had more opportunities to work on details with the athletes. Wiens has been encouraged by what he’s seen from his group early in the outdoor season.“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Wright said about their preparation. “We come out every day trying to do the best we can. We have to run through the pain, stay strong and not give up.”

It is expected that the weather in Tempe will be much nicer than that the runners have experienced at home. In Arizona, it should be warm and dry, two conditions that are ideal for sprinters and could lead to some fast times.

“It’s going to be great,” Wiens added. “The main thing is, you’re going to expect a lot better marks because it’s going to be a lot better weather, but you’ve also got to shelter your athletes from the risks of that as well.

While the sprinters and jumpers will enjoy the sunshine of the desert, the throwers and distance runners will stay close to home and participate in the Jim Duncan Invitational in Des Moines.

Head coach Corey Ihmels and assistant coach John Dagata will travel south with the groups for the smaller meet. Both groups are hoping to continue their preparation for long road of the outdoor season.

“Each week we’ve got to keep getting a little bit better. We had outstanding efforts last week, and we’ve just got to keep building on that.”

“That’s where we’re at in the season, we’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities and keep getting better. We’ve got to keep building toward the conference meet.”

For the throwers, this meet will act as a mini-vacation, as Dagata used the time away from competition for some very intense workouts.

“The throwers are just going to keep plugging away,” Ihmels said. “They’ll kind of be training through this weekend, but obviously any chance to get out and compete is good for them.”

Ihmels mentioned the potential for inclement weather several times and hoped for the best for both groups.  The weekend is forecasted to be rather cool in Des Moines, but shows no signs of rain- a  promising outlook for the groups attending the Invitational.

“You know, we may have 60 degree and sunny day in Des Moines and we’ll have to take advantage of that,” Ihmels said.