FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – The Northwestern State indoor track and field teams' longest trip of the season stands to be one of its most fruitful, regardless of what happens in any competition.
 
The Demons and Lady Demons take part in the two-day Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas, beginning Friday. They will face a slew of nationally ranked teams on both the men's and women's sides as 26 squads are set to compete at the Randal Tyson Track Center.
 
"There are teams from all over the U.S. coming to this meet," head coach Mike Heimerman said. "LSU, Louisville, Arkansas, of course, Oklahoma, North Carolina A&T, which is a sprint powerhouse. This is a great measuring stick from top to bottom for us."
 
Seventeen ranked teams – 10 men's, seven women's – according to the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association will challenge the Northwestern State squads. The Lady Demons were ranked 23^rd in the USTFCCCA rankings two weeks ago.
 
A trio of Lady Demons find themselves among the elite in their events, competing in the invitational high jump, long jump and pole vault.
 
Reigning NCAA national champion Jasmyn Steels is one of 12 long jumpers in the invitational while LaTyria Jefferson (high jump) and Annemarie Broussard (pole vault) also find themselves among the top competitors in their respective events.
 
Steels and Jefferson both have national meet experience, something Broussard, a sophomore who broke the school indoor pole vault record at the Houston G5 & Super 22 Invitational two weeks ago, can use to her advantage.
 
"To be in the invitational events, you have to be some of the best," Heimerman said. "You have 40 or 50 entries in those events, so to be in the invitational gives you a little more juice. All those girls have been doing very, very well. Annemarie is the youngest, but she is beginning to catch her stride.
 
"LaTyria and Jasmyn, as seniors, have been there and done that at the national meet. Everyone can go and talk to them about it."
 
Friday's schedule opens with field events at 1 p.m. before the running events begin at 3 p.m. The SEC Network will begin its meet coverage at 3 p.m. Saturday's schedule gets going at 11:30 a.m. with the women's pole vault. Saturday's running events start at 1 p.m.
 
This weekend marks the second straight two-day meet for Northwestern State, which took this past week off after competing in the Jan. 31-Feb. 1 Houston G5 & Super 22 Invitational.
 
In addition to the measuring stick the likes of LSU, Indiana, Georgia, Arkansas and other Power 5 conference teams provide, the meet schedule sets up in a way Heimerman sees as beneficial.
 
"These two-day meets are great," Heimerman said. "We go there to compete at a multi-day meet, which is what our conference meet is. The kids get to learn how to run rounds. You have preliminaries, semifinals and finals, if they're fortunate enough to make it. It's the same thing at conference. You have to go out there and run full throttle.
 
"They learn how to handle the pressures in a competition like this. Another reason we go to this meet is it gets us ready to handle pressure at conference or nationals or outdoor regionals and nationals for those who are lucky enough to make it. It helps us prepare mentally and physically to compete at that level."