LARAMIE, Wyo. – With sunny and warm weather expected in Laramie on Friday, the University of Wyoming track & field team will host a group of regional teams at the Memorial 8 Track at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex for the 7220 Invite. The Pokes will welcome Air Force, Colorado, Colorado State and Northern Colorado to compete at 7220 feet in preparation for the upcoming outdoor track & field postseason.

UW returns home to host the meet after a busy trip to California that included a number of UW all-time top 10 performances. Standout jumper Ja'la Henderson broke her own school record in the women's triple jump at the Beach Invitational on Saturday, leaping 43 feet, 8.5 inches and collecting Mountain West Women's Outdoor Field Athlete of the Week honors on Tuesday for her effort. Henderson now leads the conference by over two feet in the event, while she is ranked 10^th nationally.

Sophomore Daniel Hintz clocked the No. 2 time on the UW all-time list for the men's 1,500 meters at the Bryan Clay Invitational, checking in at 3 minutes, 44.92 seconds. His time ranks fifth in the conference. Fellow New Zealand native and redshirt freshman Harry Ewing clocked 8:52.70 in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Mt. SAC Relays, the No. 8 time on the UW all-time list and good for third in the current conference standings.

Laramie native Christopher Henry, also a redshirt freshman, posted the No. 9 time on the UW all-time list for the men's 10,000 meters at the Mt. SAC Relays. Henry's time of 29:46.24 is good for eighth in the Mountain West rankings. Meanwhile, sophomore Ashley Bock recorded the No. 5 time on the UW all-time list for the women's 10,000 meters at the Beach Invitational, checking in at 36:19.12. That time is ninth in the current conference standings.

Friday's meet is sure to feature exciting competition in the hammer throw, an event in which Wyoming has been very successful this season. The UW throws bros, Damon Unland and Kirk Unland, remain No. 1 and No. 2 in the Mountain West for the event. At 199-3, Damon has thrown seven feet farther than any men's hammer thrower in the conference this season, while Kirk (192-3) is five feet clear of third-ranked Bailey King of Colorado State (187-3). Air Force's Brooks Hardy currently ranks fourth in the league at 178-11, while the Cowboys also have the seventh and ninth-ranked throwers in Hap Frketich (173-5) and Garrett Lynch (170-5). On the women's side, Cowgirl junior Emelda Malm-Annan trails only CSU throwers Kelcey Bedard (203-6) and Linnea Jonsson (200-3) after her mark of 197 feet even from the Pacific Coast Intercollegiate. Colorado State's Aimee Larrabee is fourth in the league at 196-9.

The five Front Range teams will bring a large amount of collective talent to Laramie on Friday. In the latest edition of the USTFCCCA Regional Rankings released on Monday, Air Force checks in at No. 3 in the Mountain Region while Colorado State is fifth and Colorado is sixth. The Cowboys are slotted at No. 13 while Northern Colorado is No. 14. On the women's side, Colorado is ranked No. 3, with Colorado State No. 4 and the Cowgirls at No. 12. Air Force is ranked 13^th in the region, while Northern Colorado checks in at No. 20.

The 7220 Invite will begin at 11 a.m. MT Friday from the Memorial 8 Track at the Louis S. Madrid Sports Complex in Laramie, with the women's hammer throw and women's 3,000-meter steeplechase as the first events on the schedule. Admission is free to the public. For a full meet schedule and more, check out the 7220 Invite meet notes and follow @wyo_track on twitter for further coverage.