Numerous coaches and athletes of the Iowa men’s track and field team have said they feel the squad is better suited for the outdoor season.

The Hawkeyes will have their first chance to prove that thought Saturday at the inaugural LSU Invitational in Baton Rouge, La., as the outdoor track and field season gets underway.

Following an eighth-place finish at the NCAA indoor track and field championships on March 11-12, the Hawkeye men will kick off the outdoor season against two of the top men’s programs in the country in host LSU and Texas A&M. LSU is ranked fifth nationally, and Texas A&M — which won last year’s outdoor national championship — is ranked second in the country. Also competing against Iowa this weekend will be Army, Connecticut, and Illinois.

The Aggies boast a number of athletes who rank in the top five of their respective events early in the outdoor season, including senior sprinter Demetrius Pinder, who holds the fastest 200-meter time this year at 20.54.

The 4×400 meter-relay should be one of the most competitive events at Bernie Moore Stadium on Saturday. LSU and Texas A&M currently hold the top two times in the event.

The last time an Iowa 4×4 quartet graced an outdoor track, Steven Willey, Patrick Richards, Erik Sowinski, and Chris Barton placed seventh at the 2010 NCAA championships, earning All-American honors.

Scheduled starting time is 10 a.m.

— by Ben Schuff