PITTSBURG, Kan. - After a modified indoor track and field season, the Iowa Central men and women are now set on finishing the mission.

The Tritons will compete alongside the best of the best here Friday and Saturday from inside the Robert W. Plaster Center on the campus of Pittsburg State University.

On the men's side, Iowa Central has won the last two team titles, besting Barton County both times. They enter the meet ranked second behind South Plains and ahead of Cloud County, Barton and Indian Hills.

"The Texans have a well-built team, but so do we," said Dee Brown, Iowa Central Director of Track and Field. "I am excited to see our guys rise to the challenge. I believe they are hungry enough for a three-peat that they will not let off the intensity this weekend."

The Triton women are ranked fourth behind Cloud County, South Plains and Iowa Western. They claimed team titles at indoor nationals in 2010, '12, '14 and '16.  

"Both Cloud County and the defending champions from New Mexico appear to have great depth," Brown said. "After that, it will be a fight for the podium. Iowa Western, Barton and South Plains all standout in various areas. We can't control their outcome, all we can do is control our own performances to the best of our abilities.

"Each point is going to be crucial as it will be a plus for us and a minus for one of them. Both our teams have traditionally peaked well. I am confident we will out-perform many of our rankings both individually and as a team."

During the regular season, the Tritons made two trips here for events, including the Triton Kansas Challenge in February. The coronavirus caused several meets to be canceled and changed preparations for teams around the country.

"We have been very fortunate this season regarding testing and all of our COVID mitigation procedures," Brown said. "We were able to get to all of the scheduled competitions, which is more than some teams can say.

"These kids have worked so hard, not just this semester, but all fall as well. They lost their (outdoor) season last year and all they really want to do is compete and have fun. It's not the same as it was, but every chance we get to compete is one step closer to getting back to where we were."

-By Dana Becker