The ISU track and field team is sending its entire men’s team and most of its women’s squad to Cedar Falls for the Mark Messersmith Invitational.

Nine other members of the women’s team will travel to Berkley, Calif., to compete in the Brutus Hamilton Invitational.

Both meets take place Saturday.

Women’s coach Dick Lee said the athletes going to California will experience a bigger meet with more competition.

“The Brutus Hamilton is a large meet,” Lee said. “There will be good competition in Cedar Falls also, but we did not want to push all of our kids with such a big meet this early in the season.

“We need to keep improving, but the season is long, and we do not want to peak too early.”

Among the athletes going to California are All-American Ada Anderson in the 800-meter run, national qualifier Rebecca Williams in the 100-meter hurdles and Sara Boisen, the 400-meter hurdles winner from the ASU Invitational.

Women’s sprints and hurdles coach Scott Roberts said he is hopeful for their success in California.

“It would be nice to get Rebecca and Sara regionally qualified,” Roberts said. “Ada already is; the goal with her is just to improve her time.”

Men’s coach Steve Lynn said his team would be trying several athletes in different events this weekend. Senior Abraham Rotich, who normally competes in the 800-meter run, will be competing in the 1,500-meter run this weekend in Cedar Falls.

The team did not compete in any meets last weekend, and Lynn said that his team benefited from having extra time off.

“It just seemed more beneficial for us to have last weekend to train than to go compete,” Lynn said.

Lynn said the primary goal of the meet for his team was to keep improving and get more regional qualifiers.

The team has been battling injuries.

Lynn said junior Tony Douglas has been having problems with his hamstrings this week but is hopeful of being back in time to compete in the Drake Relays at the end of April.

Lynn also said his shot-putters would still be throwing only the discus this week. He hopes they will be ready to throw the shot put in the next week or so.