The expression “day off” is foreign to the ISU women’s track and field athletes. An expression more common to the team is “hard work.”

Athletes on the team will have their first opportunity of the indoor track and field season to show just how important “no days off” means to them when they travel to Lincoln, Neb. to compete in the Holiday Inn Invitational on Jan. 16 and 17.

This 2015 indoor season features a group of athletes in a variety of events that has planted itself in the ISU women’s track and field record book.

Iowa State does, however, lose two first-team All-Americans in Ese Okoro and Ejiro Okoro, along with honorable mention All-American Kelly McCoy from last season.

“We lost a huge group on the women’s side, so it will definitely make a big impact,” said ISU assistant coach Glenn Smith. “We have a very small group of women right now. Ese Okoro was huge and three-quarters of our [4×400-meter relay team] that qualified for the first round at NCAAs all graduated. They’ll definitely be a big lost, that’s for sure.”

While the team loses a few key pieces from last year’s squad, it returns some of the biggest track and field names in the country, including NCAA champion shot putter Christina Hillman.

Hillman is actually a two-time NCAA champion and two-time Big 12 champion. Hillman enters the 2015 season as Flotrack’s favorite to become a three-time NCAA champion in 2015. Sixteen of the farthest throws in school history belong to Hillman, including the school record of 18.15 meters.

The list of record-breaking performers on this year’s team doesn’t end with Hillman. Hammer-throwers Kayla Sanborn and Anna Holtermann return for this year’s indoor season. Sanborn and Holtermann rank fourth and ninth in ISU history, respectively, in the event.

In the jumping events, redshirt senior Hannah Willms, who owns the second highest mark for the high jump in school history, returns with newcomers Marine Vallet and Jhoanmy Luque Leon.

Senior Kendra White highlights the team’s sprint competitors. White broke the school record in the 400-meter at last year’s season opener with a time of 54.11.

“It would be nice to do that again, open up with another school record,” White said. “If not that, then I’d like to run the same time that I ran last year for my season opener.”

In order to meet that goal, White said many factors must be in place.

“Every little thing makes a difference in the race, like your diet, your attitude, so just staying positive and working hard and keeping a good mentality about the season,” White said.

On the distance side, Iowa State’s roster runs deep, and as a group, it has won 15 of the past 20 Big 12 indoor and outdoor championships. An important part of that group ran to a second place finish at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country Championships.

The distance group is anchored by redshirt senior Katy Moen, who ran to the outdoor 5K and 10K titles, and junior Crystal Nelson, who finished seventh at the national cross country championships.

“This coming indoor and outdoor season, I’m looking to enjoy my final semester at Iowa State as an athlete and improve upon my performances, both time-related and competitively, leaving here ready to take the next step forward with consistent, smart training,” Moen said.

In order to depart on a high note, Moen said it is important for her to continue logging miles, taking care of herself and believing in the coaches and the program.