The No. 7 men’s track and field team is going to be without its top distance runner this weekend as senior All-American Robert Cheseret will be scratched from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships in Seattle because of a family emergency.

The absence of Cheseret, who left home for Kenya Wednesday morning at 8 for what was described as a “”family emergency”” in a press release, will prove to be a great loss for the team, said Arizona head track and field coach Fred Harvey.

Cheseret, the defending champion in the 5,000-meter run, is going to miss an opportunity to qualify for the 5,000m at this year’s NCAA Championships, Harvey said.

“”It’s definitely going to affect us,”” he said.

Meanwhile, both the men’s and women’s track and field teams hope to improve upon last year’s performance, in which the Arizona men’s team took third and the women placed fifth overall.

But it’s going to be tough, Harvey said.

“”Every event is going to be extremely highly contested,”” he said. “”There’s not a single event that is going to be low-key.””

On the men’s side, many athletes are going to have to step up their performances, especially with the loss of Cheseret, Harvey said.

Junior hurdler Dan Cook is among the athletes expected to shine, Harvey said.

Cook, who finished fifth in last year’s 60m hurdles competition, said he believes the men’s team should be successful again this year.

“”This team is the best team that we have had in my three years here,”” Cook said.

On the women’s side, Harvey said he hopes the talent of athletes like senior sprinter Marquita Taylor and junior sprinter Nikki Martin will help propel the team further up in the rankings.

Martin, who finished second in the 60m dash with a time of 7.47 at last year’s MPSF Championships, said she feels confident she will do well this weekend.

“”I plan on competing very hard,”” Martin said.

In the women’s weight throw division, all eyes are going to be on senior thrower Sara Vigil and sophomore thrower Megan Howard, who both did well at last year’s competition.

Howard, who placed third overall in the shot put competition with a throw of 15.55m, said she feels pumped up.

“”(It) will be an awesome meet,”” Howard said. “”I will be throwing against five of the top 15 shot putters in the country.””

Overall, Harvey said he expects this weekend’s competition to put the women’s team on the map.

“”We need to have a good showing on the ladies’ side,”” Harvey said. “”We don’t have a lot of depth, but we have a lot of quality people up front.””