The women’s track and field team will try to keep pace in the Big Ten when it competes in the Jim Click Shootout in Arizona this weekend.

The competition will give the Hawkeyes an opportunity to maintain their position as one of the top teams in the Big Ten.

Last time out, at the April 1-2 Florida Relays, MonTayla Holder, sprinters Lake Kwaza and Elexis Guster, and long jumper Jahisha Thomas recorded marks that rank in the Big Ten’s top-three spots.

Hawk Director of Track and Field Joey Woody is pleased with the way the team has started the season.

“The outdoor season really plays into the strengths of our program,” he said. “A lot of things are progressing, and overall, it’s been a really good start to the season.”

Not only did the Hawkeyes set records individually in Florida, they broke school history once again in the relays.

In the 1,600-meter relay, senior Holder, freshman Briana Guillory, and juniors Alexis Hernandez and Guster topped the previous school record of 3:34.83 set in 2014 when the foursome clocked 3:33.25. The relay’s time ranks seventh nationally, first in the Big Ten.

The sprinter group also broke a school record in the 400-meter relay, when Kwaza, Guster, Guillory, and Hernandez finished with a time of 44.04.

Woody has high expectations for both groups.

“Our expectations are to have both of those relays at the NCAA finals and to win the Big Ten Championship,” he said.

With lofty goals, Woody is still tinkering with the relay lineups in order to get the best results.

“We are making an adjustment this week, and it’s good to have multiple options. It comes down to consistency in the baton exchanges,” he said. “It’s not always about the four fastest athletes, it’s about the athletes with the four best handoffs.”

Excellent performances in the relay events have transitioned in the individual events as well.

In the 200 meters, the Hawkeyes have four athletes who rank in the top 10 on Iowa’s all-time list: Brittany Brown (first), Kwaza (second), Guillory (third), and Guster (eighth). With four impressive rankings this 200-meter group is the fastest in Hawk history.

“It’s a good sign of where we are at as a program, but we have to protect our position in the Big Ten,” Woody said. “It’s better to start at the top and protect instead of being at the bottom and having to work your way up the standings.”

Holder has helped the Hawkeyes secure a top spot in the Big Ten. The Indianapolis native is known as a “hybrid athlete” used in the hurdles and relays.

The importance Holder brings to program is greatly appreciated.