The men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete in Ames, Iowa Saturday in the Bill Bergan Invitational, held at Iowa State University. The meet, which features seven other teams, will likely be the most competitive Marquette has seen thus far this season, coach Bert Rogers said.

“This weekend, just in terms of the competition, it will be the most competitive meet of the season,” Rogers said. “We’re looking for faster times and better throws.”

Marquette will be looking to follow up last week’s performance that saw 44 Marquette athletes set personal bests, 28 of which were on the women’s team. Even with that many personal records set last week, Rogers is expecting to see just as many good performances this week.

“I think we’re going to see a lot of faster times in the running events. Iowa State has a 300-meter track, which means longer, less steep turns and faster times,” Rogers said.

Two of the athletes looking to follow up big performances from last week are actually not runners, but junior thrower David Carbajal and junior pole vaulter Lauren Darnall.

Carbajal set a personal record and took second in the weight throw last weekend in only his second meet since last February. His mark of 52 feet, 4 inches broke his personal best by seven feet.

Carbajal said personal record or not, he’s grateful to be able to compete again after suffering a knee injury.

“It felt good to compete again,” Carbajal said. “I haven’t really had a good meet in college yet, and everything finally worked out.”

Carbajal said of his record-setting throw that everything finally connected.

“I’ve been working a lot,” Carbajal said. “At Wisconsin I had a lot of jitters, but everything just came together this past weekend.”

The main athlete to watch this weekend is Darnall, who has won the pole vault event title at her last three meets and is looking to continue her winning streak this weekend. Rogers believes that feat is very possible.

“Her chances are actually pretty good,” Rogers said. “I think there are three other women vaulters that are right around her level, so I actually think she has a pretty good chance of continuing the streak.”

Darnall’s goal, however, is not an event title, but rather to vault a height of 13.12 feet, or four meters. Rogers said she has come close to that mark several times this season, and if she reaches it this weekend, she will break her own Marquette women’s record.

“I definitely want four meters this weekend, and with my results from the last meet, I think I can definitely get it,” Darnall said.

She said some adjustments must be made to reach her goal.

“I need to get working on my form with the bigger pole; that should give me the extra couple of inches that I need,” Darnall said.

The meet on Saturday will begin at 10:30 a.m. when Carbajal competes in the weight throw. The meet will run all day.