GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.  Western Colorado's track & field team opens its outdoor season this week with a trip to the Colorado Mesa University Track & Field Complex for the Maverick Early Bird Open, scheduled for March 19–20.

Thursday's slate begins at 11 a.m. with the men's and women's hammer throw, followed by javelin, long jump, and pole vault. On the track, the day concludes with the women's 10,000-meter run at 5:30 p.m., followed by the men's 10,000.

Competition ramps up Friday with field events starting in the morning, including discus, high jump, shot put, and triple jump. Track events get underway at 12:30 p.m. with the 4x100-meter relay, followed by a full schedule of races.

The Mountaineers enter the outdoor season with strong momentum after an impressive indoor campaign. On the men's side, Brandon Kolb turned in a standout performance in the high jump, finishing third at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships with a clearance of 1.96 meters (6-5) in his conference debut. For the women, Nykole Meshew captured the RMAC indoor title in the high jump with a mark of 1.68 meters (5-6) and looks poised to carry that success into the outdoor season. In the pole vault, Brayden Jones impressed with a second-place finish at the RMAC Indoor Championships, clearing 4.93 meters (16-2).

In the throws, Johanna Brown looks to build on her debut season after placing eighth at the RMAC Indoor Championships. On the track, Lauren Willson claimed gold in the women's 3,000-meter run at the indoor conference meet with a time of 10:11.83 and will aim to maintain that form outdoors. Emma Kjellsen also returns following a strong indoor season, highlighted by a seventh-place finish in the mile at the national championships.

Western's Distance Medley Relay squad, which earned second-team All-American honors at indoor nationals, will look to build on that success during the outdoor season. The women's distance relay group also delivered a strong showing, earning first-team All-American recognition with a seventh-place finish at the national meet.

Action begins Thursday at 11 a.m. and continues through Friday, marking the start of what Western hopes will be another standout season.