Cullowhee, N.C. -- The Western Carolina track and field teams head back to familiar ground this weekend as they compete in the Tryon International Winter Invitational in Mill Spring, N.C. The first two-day meet of the season for the Catamounts begins at 2 p.m. on Friday (Jan. 16) with the first events of the women's pentathlon before wrapping up at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday (Jan. 17) with the women's 4x400m relay.
 
Friday and Saturday's Meet:
Tryon International Winter Invitational
Friday, Jan 16: 2 p.m. - 8:55 p.m.
Saturday, Jan 17: 9:20 a.m. - 4:55 p.m.
 
Catamounts to Watch:
The reigning Southern Conference Men's Track and Field Athletes of the Week are scheduled to compete again this weekend as Kolton Weaver and Ian Hicks return to action. Weaver is scheduled to compete in the men's weight throw and the shot put, an event in which he currently leads the SoCon. Hicks is set to compete in the 200m dash and the 400m, with both events scheduled to run on Saturday.
  
WCU's women's throws squad is sending a strong quartet to compete in Mill Spring, as Lexie Durban, Ericka Jackson, Emmie Finley, and Toria Roundtree are scheduled to show out in the shot put and the weight throw. Roundtree is the only one of the four to have already seen action at the Tryon International indoor facility, with Jackson, Finley, and Durban set to make their facility debuts.
 
The Catamount men's sprints team will heavily compete in the short sprints with 13 entries in the 60m and the 200m. Among those entries is Catamount wide receiver Painter Richards-Baker, who is set to make his track and field debut for WCU. A two-sport athlete during his time at Dartmouth, Richards-Baker competed in the 60m and 200m sprints as well as the 60H, 110H, and 400H. He is set to compete in both the 60m and the 60H this weekend.
 
Up Next for The Catamounts:
After a busy start to the year, the Catamounts have a week away from competition before returning to the Tryon International indoor facility for the ECE "Banked is Best" Invitational on Jan. 30. The Catamounts then leave the state of North Carolina for the first time since the Clemson Opener on Feb. 13-14 for the Liberty-hosted Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational in Lynchburg, Va.