PITTSBURG, Kansas – Midwestern State begins the indoor track & field season this week and will be among the 31 schools competing in the Crimson & Gold Invitational at Robert W. Plaster Center on Friday and Saturday. The 5,000m competition is scheduled for Friday night at 7:15 p.m. and the meet resumes on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.

"Our sprinters and jumpers have been really excited and ready to go," head coach Kelsey Bruce said.

Bruce just wrapped up the most successful cross-country campaign during her five years as the head coach at Midwestern State, and she has turned her attention to the indoor track season.

"I think they're prepared. They've looked good. Everyone looks better than they did in the past," Bruce said. 

The Mustangs will be trying to fill the void left by the graduation of Nidhi Singh, who was second team All-Lone Star Conference during the indoor season last year. She competed in the 200m dash, 400m dash and 800m run.

"We've got a lot of girls that are filling the roles, so I'm excited," Bruce said.

Maggie Neal is among the runners returning this season after finishing third in the conference 800m run, and she was part of a successful 4x400m relay team last season. The sophomore from Krum, Texas, was third-team All-Lone Star Conference last year.

Jadyn Dangerfield, a senior from Lancaster, Texas, was also third-team All-Lone Star Conference last season, running in the 400m dash, 800m run and 3,000m run. Dangerfield finished fourth in the LSC 800m run last year, and her head coach is impressed with what she has seen this year.

"She looks better than ever. She had her best cross-country season ever," Bruce said.

Bruce says junior Jessie Heath looks "really awesome." Heath was third-team All-Lone Star Conference last year, running the 60m dash, 200m dash and 400m dash for the Mustangs.

Sophomore Kennedy Johnson, who just missed going to the national championships in the triple jump last season, is another athlete that has impressed Bruce in the lead up to the first event of the year.

"She's very fun to coach," Bruce said. "She's very athletic." 

Johnson also competes in the long jump and runs the 60m dash.

"I think everybody that's returning, looks better," Bruce said. "But in the Lone Star Conference, that only means so much. You still got to do it."

Dallas Baptist, Eastern New Mexico, Oklahoma Christian, St. Edward's, Texas A&M-Kingsville and UT Tyler are among the LSC schools competing at Pitt State, where Bruce knows her team will be tested.

"Pitt is very competitive," Bruce said. "It's gotten more and more competitive every year. They have a wonderful facility. They host the Division II championships year-after-year. Since it's the culmination of fall, everyone gets really excited to kick off track season."