The Iowa women’s track team travels to Walnut, Calif. this weekend to compete in the 56th annual Mt. SAC Relays; the meet is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most prestigious meets.

“We haven’t been to this meet in recent years, but with this young team looking to compete at the national level — these are the types of meets we need to have in our schedule,” head coach Layne Anderson said.

The Hawkeyes will compete against highly ranked athletes from schools across the country and the Big Ten, including Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Penn State, and Minnesota.

With the number of outstanding athletes competing this weekend, the squad is looking to stand out with as many highlights as possible, starting with the school’s record holders.

The 4×4 relay team — freshmen Elexis Guster and Alexis Hernandez, and sophomores MonTayla Holder and Lake Kwaza — lead the conference after a record-breaking performance at this year’s Arkansas Spring Invitational.  Junior Annemie Smith set the hammer throw record at Arizona State on March 28.

Also in the hammer throw, seniors Jasmine Simpson and Ashlyn Gulvas rank fourth and seventh, respectively, in the Big Ten.

“Overall as a team, I think things are looking pretty good,” assistant coach Clive Roberts said. “Mt. SAC is a great opportunity for us to get out there, have some great competition, and see if our brand of track is better than the others.

— by Katrina Do