After this past weekend's convincing display of dominance in the Washington's Birthday Invitational, winning seven individual events and the event itself, the men's track team is hitting its peak just in time.

This weekend, the team will face its stiffest challenge yet, its first-ever Big Ten Championships, being held in Lansing, Mich.

"We have some people that are doing a lot of good things for this team," Coach Harry Groves said. "We will be looking toward them for leadership, but the other guys have to respond with a solid showing in a meet like this, in order for us to make a good showing."

Groves was referring to Mason Ternay, Andy Scott, Brian Kelly, Aidan O'Reilly and Antonio Davis, among others.

Ternay continues to perform well in the pole vault, leaving no record safe from being broken. Scott and O'Reilly are forces in the distance running, Scott with the speed and O'Reilly complementing him well with leadership on the track.

Kelly and Bob Belfonti are giving each other a run for their money in the high jump, and Davis is giving the team stability in the 55-meter hurdles, as well as the long and triple jumps. Also, Kevin Cripanuk came on and performed well in the Washington's Birthday Invitational, winning both the 55 hurdles and the 400-meter run.

They will all have to put aside their competitiveness between themselves and concentrate on their tough, upcoming competition.

The Lions competed against Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State in their second meet of the season and came away with third place behind Michigan and Ohio State.

"We know what we have to do to compete well," Groves said. "We will have to turn it up a notch this time around."

He added that it will take a complete team effort, not just five to seven people doing well, to make a good showing, since this is a team competition.

It will be difficult, however, for the team to go into Lansing and walk over the competition.

"We will call this season so far a success if we can take either fourth or fifth place," Groves said.

Getting away from the team aspect, everyone should be looking to perform as best as they can, since there will be only one more qualifing meet after this to qualify for the NCAA Championships.

Said Groves, "This should give our underclassmen a taste of the talent that some of these teams possess, and that should give them some leadership and experience that some of them need."