The Iowa track and field team will head to Notre Dame this weekend for the Alex Wilson Invitational on Saturday. It will be the second time for the Hawkeyes to travel to Notre Dame this season.

This weekend will be the last meet for the team before indoor postseason competition.

Many of the Hawkeyes’ top athletes, such as Mar’Yea Harris, will sit out the weekend to rest and prevent injury before the conference championships.

Harris is first in the 400 meters in the Big Ten (45.95 seconds) and also the anchor on the Big Ten-leading 4×400 relay team, which also includes Collin Hofacker, DeJaun Fry, and Bradford Garron.

For the men, the 400 is a major strength given Harris’ ranking in the individual, the 4×400 relay team, and Chris Thompson, Fry, and Garron — who are seventh, ninth, and 10th in the individual 400.

“I think we can run 3:03 indoor and break three minutes outdoor,” Director of Track and Field Joey Woody said. “We’ve got that type of talent.”

Though the relay team won’t compete at the invitational this weekend, the runners are the favorites heading into the Big Ten championships, especially if they can get close to Woody’s 3:03 expectation. They are first right now with a time of 3:06.06.

On the women’s side, Jenny Kimbro is fourth in the pentathlon in the Big Ten, just ahead of teammate Tria Simmons. Kimbro (3,900 points) and Simmons (3,859 points) both set their top marks at the Wieczorek Invitational earlier in the season.

Brianna Guillory is first in the Big Ten in the 200 and third in the Big Ten in the 400.

“I would like to be running faster,” Guillory told Hawkeye Sports. “[Those times] could change in a split-second any weekend.”

Laulauga Tausaga has been a force to reckon with as a top thrower in the Big Ten this season. She has set school records in the weight throw and shot put this season.

“To break these records is amazing to me,” Tausaga said. “It shows me that when I trust the process, I can achieve way more than I realize. I consider myself a discus thrower, but I’m finding out I have other strengths.”

According to the U.S. Track and Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association, the Hawkeyes began the season ranked 32nd for the men and 34th for the women.

After the Wieczorek Invitational, the team improved to 22nd in the men’s rankings and 27th in the women’s.

Currently, the women rank 38th and the men 41st.

“My expectations for my team are high,” Tausaga said. “I also believe that what we’ve been seeing is that it’s completely possible for us to improve our national ranking.”