LARAMIE, Wyo. – With the 2017 cross country season now in the rearview mirror, the University of Wyoming track & field team will begin its 2017-18 indoor campaign by hosting the annual Power Meet on Friday. The Cowboys and Cowgirls will welcome athletes from the University of Colorado and University of Northern Colorado to the friendly confines of the War Memorial Fieldhouse to get the competition season underway.
 
UW athletes have been historically primed for impressive marks at the Power Meet, with months of fall training under their belts to prepare them for the beginning of the track & field season. At the 2016 Power Meet, Cowgirl sprinter Jerayah Davis smashed the War Memorial Fieldhouse record for the 55-meter dash with a time of 6.73 seconds, also breaking the UW 60-meter dash record with a converted time of 7.25. Senior Scott Carter began one of the most successful seasons for a jumper in UW history with a win in the triple jump at the 2016 Power Meet, leaping 51-6. He would go on to win indoor and outdoor conference titles in the event and eventually take the triple jump bronze medal at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the spring.
 
Allegra Carson, one of the veteran leaders for the Cowgirls in 2017-18, won the women's triple jump with a mark of 38-3.5 at last season's Power Meet. Davis and returning star Ja'la Henderson were the top two finishers in the women's long jump, with Henderson leaping 19-6.75 for the win. Sophomore sprint trio Sam Kirkeide, Jace Marx and Jackson Wood all started their impressive 2016-17 seasons with solid times at the Power Meet and will look to start their quest for 2018 indoor all-conference selections with similar performances on Friday.
 
A number of newcomers will wear the Brown and Gold for the first time on Friday, as 21 new Cowboys and Cowgirls are joining the program for the 2017-18 season. The 2017 Power Meet will get underway at 4 p.m. MT, while track events will start at 5:30. Admission is free to the public. Stay tuned to @wyo_track on twitter for additional information.