STILLWATER, Okla. (U-WIRE) -- So much for taking a break.

Fresh off the completion of cross country season, Oklahoma State track coaches turned their focus toward the upcoming track season.

The Cowgirls start their season Saturday at Kansas State with the jumpers and throwers competing.

"What it is is mainly for the throwers and jumpers because they haven't competed all fall, and they're just going to get some marks in," OSU women's track coach Rene Sepulveda said. "The coaches just want to see how they compete a little bit. It's mainly for all the field event people."

After this weekend's meet, Sepulveda will send his team home with some work to do and start competition again in January.

"It's been mostly preparatory work, a lot of base work and things like that," Sepulveda said. "The girls have just been training, they had a good fall. They're just going to maintain what they did in the fall, and then they come back and we'll start competing again in January."

Sepulveda is excited about track season after a weak cross country season. With the addition of more events, some of his runners will do better in track than they did in cross country. Sepulveda is hoping that the addition of several recruits in January will also help the team.

"We should see some success in track, and we've got a couple of girls coming in at midterm that will help," Sepulveda said. "It should be a lot better season."

Oklahoma State men's track coach Dick Weis and his team start their season after the new year on Jan. 10.

"We're going easy now. Cross country is over and the kids are all in exams," Weis said. "They'll be going home, and we give them a schedule to do when they go home. Then they'll come back and the first meet is in January."

The Cowboys will be led in track by Jason Woolhouse. Woolhouse placed 7th at the NCAA championships last year to earn All-American status.

"Hopefully, he'll make All-American again," Weis said. "Scott Rantall has got a chance to run really well indoors."

Weis has given his runners a schedule to keep over the break, though he expects that a few of them may overeat during the holidays.

But, then, who doesn't?

Regardless, Weis's team will keep a tight schedule until the big competitions start in February.

"They'll run 80 miles a week until they come back," Weis said. "Then we'll keep it up to 80 until about February and then knock it down and get ready for the conference meet and see who can qualify for the nationals."

(C) 2003 Daily O'Collegian via U-WIRE.