The Stanford track and field team heads to Seattle this weekend to compete in the MPSF Championships. This meet is the last qualifier before the NCAA Indoor Championships held March 11-12 in Birmingham, Alabama. The indoor track season provides ample training time before competitions move outdoors, where meets are more heavily weighted.

“One of the things that makes track and field really exciting is seeing just how much the athletes have developed over the indoor season once we move to the outdoor competitions,” said Rebecca Mehra, a senior who will compete in the 3,000 meters this weekend. “People really improve a lot between MPSF and the Pac-12 Outdoor Championships held in May.”

A primary reason for such improvement is the extensive practice schedule. Practices are tailor-made for competition day, and the MPSF is no exception.

“Coach tells us that no matter what meet we are at or when it is in the schedule, we should be doing the same thing. Our team warm-up on race day looks a lot like what we do in practice,” Mehra said.

This commitment to consistency allows the Cardinal to perform well even under the pressure of big meets. The MPSF Championships will pit Stanford against conference rivals Oregon, USC and Washington, among other top-performing track and field teams.

The Cardinal will compete all day this Friday and Saturday at the University of Washington’s Dempsey Indoor Facility.

Contact Matthew Bernstein at mbernste ‘at’ stanford.edu.