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Red and White gear up for final regular season meet

Tyler Young, For The Miami Student

The Miami University men's and women's track teams travel to Indiana this weekend to compete in the Billy Hayes Invitational.

This will be the last meet for both teams before the Mid-American Conference Championships begin on May 15.

The men's and women's teams have often used the Billy Hayes Invitational as a tune-up for the MAC Championships.

The men's team hopes to build on some strong performances from last weekend's RedHawk Invitational.

The men have put together a handful of impressive meets, which they hope will carry over to the post-season. Most importantly, the men are trying to get healthy before the important meets start to roll around.

A long track season can take a toll on the body, men's head coach Warren Mandrell said.

"At the end of the year, the injuries begin to pile up, last weekend for example only five of 12 signed-up athletes competed in an event because they were injured," Mandrell said. "A lot of athletes put a great amount of torque and pressure on their limbs and they can't always handle it. We understand that and try to give our athletes rest as needed."

In terms of qualifying spots for the NCAA Championship, there are still a few up for grabs.

"Right now we have six people with qualifying marks, and we are hoping to add a few more," Mandrell said.

The women's track and field team also looks to build on some recent successes from past meets.

The women are coming off four victories and 15 top-five finishes in the RedHawk Invitational. The women hope to improve on last year's fourth place finish in the MAC Championships.

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"This is a nice tune-up for the girls before the Conference Championships," women's head coach Kelly Phillips said.

The stage is set for the final regular season meet of the season, and both teams want to show they are ready for the big meets ahead.

Events for the Billy Hayes Invitational will begin 10 a.m. Saturday at the Haugh Track and Field Complex.