Track and field season is nearing its climax as UCSB men’s and women’s teams prepare for the Occidental Invitational, their final tuneup before conference championships.

The focus for both teams is to rest up and prepare themselves physically and mentally to perform their best at the conference meet. The women’s team is only planning on sending 15-20 people to the meet, all of which have already qualified for conference.

“A lot of it is rest, we need people to be physically ready for conference, but it is also a mental game and we need to focus on what we need to do to win,” junior shot-putter Kayla Smithsaid.

In years past, the men’s team has only sent those who were attempting to qualify for conference to Occidental, but this year the meet is being used as more of a dress rehearsal.

“A lot of people who will be competing in conference will be scoring this weekend,” junior thrower Michael Guerra said.

The Big West Multis, which includes the decathlon and heptathlon, also begin today and are a part of the overall Big West Championships.

Current UCSB heptathlon record-holder, junior Barbara Nwaba, spearheads a group that will be looking to contribute as many points as possible to the team’s total conference score.

The Multis will kick off today in Northridge while the Occidental Invitational begins Saturday in Los Angeles.