After having to travel to all their outdoor meets so far this season, the bulk of the track and field team will have the opportunity to compete on campus this weekend.

The Huskies will host the 2013 Huskie Open at 10 a.m. at the NIU Track and Field complex.

Head coach Connie Teaberry said coaches and players look forward to finally competing at home.

“The athletes and coaches are extremely excited to be home for a competition,” Teaberry said. “Being home for a competition, it [enables] the girls’ family members, administration and friends to come out and support them, and also it’s [a] little easier on the girls because without traveling they’ll be able to attend classes all week and make sure they’re getting their assignments done to keep their grades up where they need to be.”

There will only be one more weekend of regular-season meets before the MAC outdoor championships May 9 to 11 at the University of Akron, making this weekend a crucial one if the Huskies want to send more athletes to the conference meet.

Teaberry said having momentum as the team heads into the last part of the season is important.

“Heading into the final stretch of our season, we just want the girls to continue to execute as far as their form, their competition, skills, as far as making sure they’re competing,” Teaberry said. “[Also,] making sure the girls are eating right and just mentally making sure that they believe in the capabilities that they have [and] that they can produce the qualifying marks for the MAC championship.”

Megan Gregory, senior sprinter and hurdler, said she feels the team is positioned well to have a good end to the regular season.

“I think we’re kind of mentally where we need to be,” Gregory said. “We just need the work on a couple mechanics and focus and build our confidence for the MAC championships.”

NIU is coming off a somewhat successful weekend at the Sea Ray Relays at the University of Tennessee where six Huskies set personal bests in their events.

Not every NIU track and field athlete will be in DeKalb this weekend, as redshirt sophomore Meghan Heuer and sophomore Jamie Burr will travel to southern California to compete in the Mt. SAC Relays on Thursday and the Beach Invitational on Saturday morning.