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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University track and field team will open its outdoor season this weekend as most of the squad travels the North Carolina State Raleigh Relays and a select group of distance runners competes at the Stanford Invitational.

The EKU men and women both finished second at the OVC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February.

The EKU women’s 4x200 meter relay team won at the NC State Raleigh Relays last year with a time of 1:38.65, defeating teams from Ohio State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Rutgers and host NC State. Every member of that team – juniors Lutisha Bowen and Diamond Benjamin and sophomores Jazzmin Jeter and Bianca Forbes – returns this season to defend their title.

Bowen, who won the women’s 60-meter hurdles at this year’s OVC indoor championships, also ran a 14.20 in the finals of the women’s 100-meter hurdles last year in Raleigh, and this year leads a group of Colonel hurdlers – consisting of sophomore DanHeisha Harding, freshman Shiyana Mahendra and senior Jasmyn Norris – that were among the best in the conference all indoor season.

Sophomore Soufiane Bouchikhi, who won the men’s mile and the 3,000 meters at this year’s OVC indoor championships, was the only EKU runner to compete at the Stanford Invitational last year, placing 16th in the fastest heat of the men’s 5,000 meters with a time of 14:02.61. He will be joined this year, however, by four teammates, senior Kat Pagano and junior Lydia Kosgei, who were named the 2011 OVC Co-Female Track Athletes of the Year, junior David Mutuse, who won the men’s 5,000 meters at this year’s OVC indoor championships, and sophomore Victor Kemboi.

EKU will compete on Friday and Saturday in Raleigh, and on Friday night in Palo Alto.