Don Kirby Invitational: Schedule | Heat Sheets | Live Results

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - The UNLV track & field program will make the first of two back-to-back trips to Albuquerque, N.M., this weekend with its participation in the New Mexico-hosted Don Kirby Invitational. The two-day meet at the Albuquerque Convention Center is a precursor to the Mountain West Indoor Championships that will take place in two weeks at the same site.

The Scarlet & Gray will go head to head with some stiff competition for the second straight weekend, as No. 1 Oregon, No. 19 Oklahoma State, No. 24 Harvard and five other top-50 teams partake in this weekend's meet. In all, the Don Kirby Invitational will feature 42 teams -- eight from the Mountain West alone -- and a total of 930 athletes.

The Rebels have at least one entrant in 14 events with eight of those taking place on the track and five more in field disciplines. Friday's schedule will include the weight throw, long jump, high jump, 200m, 600m, 3000m and the qualifying rounds of the 60m and 60m hurdles. Saturday's slate will see the 4x400m relay, 400m, 800m, mile, triple jump, shot put and the semifinal/final rounds of the 60m and 60m hurdles.

"We haven't had a long indoor season, but we are definitely trying to line our team up with some really competitive programs, so that they can get used to handling pressure," said Yvonne Wade. "This is another opportunity for them to do just that."

Entering the week, UNLV has 11 of its own listed a total of 14 times in the top 10 in the MW. Ayana Gales is tops in the long jump as well as eighth in the triple jump while Destiny Smith-Barnett, Kaysee Pilgrim and Stella Clemens are second in the 60m, high jump and pentathlon, respectively.

The Rebels have three ranked in both the 60m -- Kaysha Love (fifth/7.45) and Drea Austin (seventh/7.49) -- and 60m hurdles -- Taylor Pegram (third/8.35), Jaela Williams (fourth/8.43) and Amari Norris (fifth/8.48). Najia Hudspeth (seventh/24.61) and Austin (eighth/24.62) are back to back in the 200m.

Additionally, Vanessa Sierra is ninth in the shot put (46-0/14.02m), Williams is also 10th in the long jump (18-11.75/5.78m) and the program's 4x400m relay squad ranks third.

Smith-Barnett has only competed in the 60m this season, but will instead run the 200m -- a distance that she ran during her freshman season (2015) prior to an injury that sidelined her from the 2016 indoor campaign.

Mandy Chitwood will, once again, run in both the 600m and 4x400m relay this weekend; however, she is also entered in the 800m -- an event she has scored multiple times in at MW meets.

Gales will not only partake in her jumping events, but also improve upon her time in the 60m.

Clemens, who scored 3,585 points and finished sixth in the pentathlon at last week's Frank Sevigne Husker Invitational, is slated for the long jump, high jump, 60m hurdles, shot put and 4x400m relay.

Sierra will throw in both the shot put and weight throw.

The Rebels will have a pair of 4x400m relay quartets running Saturday afternoon in hopes of finding the best foursome to compete at the MW Indoors.