The Iowa women’s track and field team will send two distance runners to Palo Alto, Calif., to compete in the Stanford Invitational today.

Graduate student Mareike Schrulle and senior Brooke Gambrall will run the 5,000 meters, slated to begin at 9:07 (CDT).

Head coach Layne Anderson is optimistic about the meet.

“Hopefully, these two ladies going to Stanford this weekend will run well and get up toward the top end of the Big Ten list,” he said.

Schrulle will try to improve her time of 16:13.73 in the 5,000 at the 2012 Stanford Invitational. That mark is her best in the 5K since becoming a Hawkeye.