With the season’s judgment day two weeks away, some members of the Iowa women’s track and field team will have their competitive fate decided at home this weekend.

Beginning today at the annual Iowa Invitational, some women are laboring to fine-tune their events by getting a few extra runs, jumps, and throws in before contending for a Big Ten championship on Feb. 27.

For those who haven’t competed much this season, including Iowa’s redshirt freshmen, this afternoon’s meet is a time to prove their skill level and get more comfortable competing under pressure.

However, some tracksters will not participate in the invitational, choosing instead to use the coming week as an opportunity to refocus and recuperate before the traveling to State College, Pa.

Iowa coaches said this weekend is important for the track and field squad, regardless of whether the Hawkeyes compete.

“We’re looking to see how much improvement people have made,” Iowa head coach Layne Anderson said. “To this point, we’ve gotten progressively better. I’m anxious to see what this group does and how we finish up.”

The roster for the Big Ten meet has not been completed, and today’s invitational will give coaches a last look at their options before the conference meet entry deadline on Feb. 22.

Freshman pole vaulter Katie Truedson, who has competed in every meet this season, has her season on the proverbial chopping block.

If Truedson fails to clear 11-6 today, her indoor campaign will be over.

Iowa coaches made this height the standard to determine which vaulters will enter in the Big Ten meet. So far, neither Truedson nor freshman counterpart Kirsten Weismantle have cleared the mark.

But Truedson said she won’t let the added responsibility negatively affect her performance.

“I’m definitely nervous, but it’s not a bad nervous,” she said. “It’s kind of nice to have more pressure on me. I think I’ll be able to step up and get over the next bar, then go to Big Tens.”

One Hawkeye with a secured spot at the conference meet is Iowa freshman high jumper Megan Glisar, who plans to practice her approach at the invitational — a perfect place to do so because of the familiar territory, she said.

“Our season depends on Big Tens,” she said. “I want to have my approach worked out this weekend, so I’m not as nervous for the championships.”