The SIU track and field outdoor season has been filled with great individual accomplishments, but the Salukis will focus all their attention on team goals Friday.

The Salukis will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, for the Missouri Valley Conference Championships May 11-13.

SIU coach Connie Price-Smith said individual performances would determine the Salukis’ overall success.

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“To make it successful, you have to have individual performances. Overall though, you are looking for team performance,” Price-Smith said. “Our men were third indoors and I definitely think we can finish in the top three. As far as the women, we need to finish better than we did indoors, which was fifth.”

Junior thrower Brittany Riley will have a target on her back as she defends her MVC Female Field Athlete of the Week title. In her last meet, Riley broke the SIU, MVC, stadium and Drake Relay’s hammer throws records with a toss of 237 feet and 11 inches.

Riley is undefeated in the hammer toss and has won seven meet titles. This season she also has the second longest hammer throw in the nation this season and has won MVC Female Field Athlete of the Week 10 times.

“I feel confident but I have a lot of work to do in the shot and discus,” Riley said. “I’m going for second in the shot and I’m going to try to contend in the discus as well as the hammer.”

Freshmen sprinters Sammy Biggs, Brandon Love and Kendra Deck are preparing to make some noise in their first MVC Championship.

Biggs, who garnered attention after his MVC Male Track Athlete of the Week April 10, said he is confident after getting some rest.

“I’m feeling pretty good. The week of rest will probably pay off for us,” Biggs said. “I just hope that everybody can stay healthy over this next week and practices well and is ready to compete.”

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Indiana State took both the women’s and men’s titles at the Saluki Spring Classic March 24. The Northern Iowa men captured the MVC Indoor Championship and Wichita State won the women’s Indoor Championship February 24.

Price-Smith said MVC teams have been competing well and the Salukis hope to overcome the challenge.

“I think it’s going to be tough with Indiana State and Northern Iowa,” Price-Smith said. “Everybody is competing really well right now. I look for Wichita State and Indiana State on the women’s side of it. I think all of them it’s going to be very competitive.”