The Marquette track and field team heads into this weekend's UTEP Springtime Invitational riding high on confidence from an impressive array of performances at last weekend's Georgia Relays.

Headlining the two-day event were the NCAA-qualifying marks set by junior Erynn James in the high jump, and junior Jayne Grebinski in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

"I was really happy with the weekend and how everything turned out," said coach Bert Rogers. "We came and competed well against some pretty good competition."

Running the steeplechase for the first time in her Marquette career, Grebinski flat-out destroyed the competition, winning the 3,000-meter event by over 42 seconds. Now that qualifying is out of the way, she can focus on training and building her strength and speed.

"Track is a really long season, so right now I'm just focusing on just staying healthy, staying relaxed, and getting my mileage in," she said. "So as the season progresses, I'll focus on working up my speed."

Normally a long-distance runner, Rogers felt the transition to the steeplechase was a natural one for Grebinski.

"Jayne is a very solid athlete and she is tough," he said. "That 3-K distance is a strong distance for her. In a sense it was a no-brainer. We thought she's probably going to run well, and she obviously did."

Having as much success as anyone, James' 1.81-meter jump is just the latest accomplishment in a recent run of form that has seen her tie and break personal and school records. But qualifying for the NCAA's is nothing new for the junior.

"I was surprised (to qualify) because it took such a long time last year," James said. "But I was so happy."

By staying consistent in technique, Rogers believes that James can reach even higher distances.

"She was looking pretty solid," he said. "I think (the end of the indoor season) was a good jumping-off point to get ready for outdoor. It really gave her a confidence boost and carried over well."

Senior Scott Mueller's blistering performance in the 5,000-meter run set the tone for the rest of the team on Friday. His 14:41.78 time surpassed the nearest competitor by nearly 20 seconds.

"For the first half of the race, he was really just helping to pace the younger guys," Rogers said. "Then at the two mile mark, he was given the green light to go and go he did. He really ran a nice race."

This weekend's event in Texas will see a group of 27 Marquette athletes make the trip. They will be mostly comprised of throwers and jumpers. The Duke Invitational April 3 will see distance runners and sprinters. But whomever is competing, Rogers has one goal in mind.

"You start the year at a point and you want to build on that point," Rogers said. "By having success early, we want to build on that and improve. So I think if we met those goals early you have to aim higher."