Track travels to opposite ends of country to compete

The majority of the CSU track and field team is traveling to New Mexico to compete in the Modrall Sperling Don Kirby Invitational hosted by the Lobos. The meet starts Saturday at the Great Friends of UNM Track Stadium at 9:30 a.m.

While most of the team is representing CSU in Albuquerque, some have traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Drake Relays.

These Rams can anticipate a large crowd to attend the meet held at Drake Field. In 2001, a record 39,280 people were in attendance to watch the Drake Relays. Ten athletes will represent the green and gold in Des Moines and will compete today and Saturday.

Senior thrower Loree Smith is the sole Ram traveling to compete in the 111th Penn Relays held at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The elite competition began Thursday and continues until Saturday.

Smith will be competing in the premier U.S. track and field event, which is also the largest in the nation. The weight of the meet is in the back of her mind, since Penn Relay competitors have won gold medals in every modern summer Olympics, except the 1980 games boycotted by the United States. Former medal-winners Marion Jones and Alan Webb competed in last year's meet and 23 Penn Relay competitors won Olympic gold medals in Athens.

Smith is eager to compete and do her best in Philadelphia, and she hopes the higher level of competition will push her further.

"This meet includes the nation's best; both professional and in college," Smith said. "Hopefully, I'll do well."

The Penn meet is playing host to 425 races, which factors out to more than one race every five minutes.