KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The indoor track and field season is a good warmup for the outdoor season.

Warm will be the operative word for Western Michigan University when it opens the season on Thursday with the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C., where the temperature will be almost 90 degrees.

''To go from the 40s to the 90s, well, it's going to be a bit of a shock,'' WMU head coach Kevin Cataldo said with a smile.

A balanced group of returners and newcomers loaded with talent in the sprints/jumps/hurdles, field events and distance events will be looking to improve on last season's sixth-place finish in the Mid-American Conference meet in May.

''I think this is one of the best teams we've had on paper in my time here,'' the fourth-year coach said.

''We're looking at a top three finish and hoping to win the MAC this season,'' one of those senior leaders, sprinter Soniya Jones said. ''With the distance, throws and sprinters, I think this is a strong team.''

If any teammates are looking for someone for experience competing around the world in track, Jones is there. After winning the 60-meter dash at the MAC indoor meet on Feb. 28, Jones found out she could run in the IAAF World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland. The only problem was she had to get to Poland very quickly.

''The travel was ridiculous,'' Cataldo said. ''She left here on a Wednesday, flew from Grand Rapids to Chicago to London with a layover and got to Poland with one day to recoup before her qualifying race.''

Running for Antigua, needless to say, Jones was out of gas before even starting.

''I arrived in Poland at 7 p.m. got to the hotel at 2 a.m., then had to be up at 6 a.m.'' she said. ''It was terrible.''

The experience of running against world-class competition was very good.

''I had thought that this would be my last year of track, but going to the Worlds has me rethinking my life right now,'' she said. ''The Olympics are in two years, and I don't want to be done.''

Another top performer returning for WMU is Mabinty Kebe, who won the 400 hurdles in the MAC Outdoor meet for the second straight year last season. She also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor quarterfinals.

Among the throwers is senior Lane Hagens, who also can't wait to get outside.

''In the shot put, the technique is the same indoors and outdoors, but it's just a different vibe outdoors,'' she said. ''It's just more fun for me.''

She finished fourth in the shot at the MAC Outdoors last season with a personal record of 14.76 meters. She's already looking to better that mark early this season. She was second in the shot in the MAC Indoors, earning a medal with her best throw of 14.12 on her final attempt.

''This is my last season and it's go big or go home,'' Hagens said. ''I won a medal this past indoor meet and I want to win another and also inspire my teammates and keep pushing.

''I would like to throw in the mid 14s in this meet so I can get a good start on the season. And in the discus, since I haven't thrown it since last year's outdoor season, I'd like to be in the 40-to-42 meters range.''

Another event not held indoors, but a mainstay outside, is the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which features hurdles and water. One of the better ones in the league could be WMU sophomore Ava Kurczewski. 

''I'm tall, I have long legs and coach asked me if I wanted to do the steeplechase,'' she said. ''I was already interested in it, so it was mutual I got started.''

In her first steeplechase competition as a freshman, she ran a time which would have put her in fourth place in the MAC Outdoors. However, as the season rolled on, she developed an iron deficiency that affected her. She finished ninth in the MAC Outdoors.

''She is a natural in the event,'' Cataldo said. ''We can also enter her in the 1,500 and possibly in the 800.''

The biggest thing last year in the steeplechase was just learning how to run the race.

''It's slower than a normal pace, and because of the hurdles, you can't go all out and run too fast because you will die,'' she said with a smile. ''You just have to focus on the hurdles, your form and not get out of rhythm.''

And on the first weekend at least, enjoy the heat.