Despite an impressive performance during the indoor season, the ISU women’s track and field team is not satisfied with looking back, but instead is looking ahead to the outdoor season with high hopes.

“The outdoor season feels more like a track season; it’s more exciting,” senior Gina Curtis said. “It’s a longer season, and we compete against different teams … The performance level goes up and people are more ready and willing to compete.”

The team doesn’t compete again until March 30, but head coach Dick Lee said they’ll use that time wisely.

“Right now we’re going to have rest and recovery for a little bit,” he said. “We’re going to back up right now and point toward being at our highest level around the time of the Drake Relays and outdoor conference.”

Iowa State is coming off last weekend’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The women’s team took four competitors and brought home almost as many All-Americans.

Seniors Gina Curtis, Lisa Griebel and Lenka Kalabova placed within the top eight in their events to earn All-American honors.

Curtis tied for second place in the high jump with a jump of 6-0, behind the winner’s jump of 6-0 3/4.

“Gina had a good, solid day,” Lee said. “It was not a day where she jumped great. She struggled through warm-ups, but she put that behind her.”

Curtis agreed with Lee’s assessment of her performance.

“I’m okay with the way I performed,” she said. “I didn’t jump my best, but I don’t have any qualms about getting second.”

Griebel was ranked eleventh in the nation going into NCAA shot put competition, but threw a personal-record length of 54-10 to place third. She earned All-American honors for the fifth time in her career after capturing the Big 12 crown just a week before.

“Lisa is probably the best big-meet performer we’ve ever had,” Lee said.

“She always does very good at conference and national meets. There are just certain performers that do their best in the most important meets.”

Kalabova placed sixth in the 800-meters against what Lee called the most competitive field of runners. She ran a 2:06.84 in her first NCAA appearance, besting her preliminary time of 2:07.01.

“Lenka came from the back of the pack in preliminaries to advance to finals, and she finished sixth against the best in the country,” Lee said.

Other national competitor and fellow senior All-American Barbara Szlendakova competed in the long jump, but missed making finals with a jump of 19-5 1/2.

Although Lee feels the same core group of Curtis, Griebel, Kalabova and Szlendakova will lead the team again in the outdoor season, he said he’s also looking for other women to contribute points to the team.

Other strong competitors could include Susan Sherman in the discus, and Keosha Sanders and Sheba Clark in the sprints.

But as far as the season will play out, Lee is unsure.

“Ask me at the end of April,” he said.

“Right now we’re going to keep our fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy and take it one week at a time.”