The Salukis are competing in their last meet before the Missouri Valley Conference Championships (Feb. 27 and 28 in Normal), at the Saluki/USA Open at the SIUC Recreation Center this weekend.

Women’s coach Don DeNoon said the main goal of the weekend is to stay competitive and injury-free.

DeNoon said he will not sit any of his athletes out of the meet, but he will attempt to conserve some of their energy.

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It’s a big debate because we’ve competed week after week after week, and some of them are used to competing every week, DeNoon said.

Women’s track and field distance runner senior Kelly French is preparing for the conference meet by taking a break from her rigorous 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs and competing in the 1,000-meter race for the first time.

French will compete in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs in the conference meet, but she said the 1,000-meter run will be something different for her.

I’m looking at it as more of a race to get me ready for conference, French said. It’s going to be a good experience for me.

Another Saluki distance runner, senior Raina Larsen, will head into the meet on a positive note. Larsen was named MVC Track Athlete of the Week Monday for her performance Saturday.

Larsen became the eighth Saluki female to break the five-minute mark in the mile run. Larsen finished in third place with a personal best time of 4:59.14 to help the Salukis to a second-place finish.

Larsen is the third Saluki to be named MVC Female Athlete of the Week in the last five weeks. French won the honor the week of Jan. 21, while sophomore Felicia Hill took the honor the week of Feb. 2.

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The men’s track and field team is also looking at the meet as a preparation for the conference meet.

Men’s track and field coach Bill Cornell said he wants to keep everyone in good health during the last week until conference.

We’re just keeping our fingers crossed and hoping everyone gets healthy, Cornell said.

Cornell is preparing his athletes for conference by giving them a lighter race schedule than usual after last week’s first-place finish at the McDonald’s/Saluki Invitational.

I want the best from them the following weekend in conference, Cornell said. I’m running everyone in shorter runs this weekend.

Cornell said the conference meet should be a battle between Illinois State University and Northern Iowa University, but after that it could be a tight race for third place.

It’s pretty much up for grabs after that (Illinois St. and Northern Iowa), Cornell said. Wichita State and Drake look tough.

The men’s and women’s track and field teams will be in action this weekend at the Saluki/USA Open at the Recreation Center.