Often getting overlooked in the winter sports landscape, the women's winter track and field team is looking for a big season of its own.

The program has been on the rise in recent years and has transformed itself into one of the more formidable teams in the Atlantic 10.

Coming into the 2009-2010 campaign however, the team is no longer just settling for a respectable showing. This season the goals are much higher.

"Our team goal this season is to win the A-10 Championship," Head Coach Adam Steinwachs said at the beginning of the season in an interview with DaytonFlyers.com.

Steinwachs is coming off a season in which he was named A-10 Coach of the Year, the first ever such honor in the history of the program. He's also led the team to back-to-back second place finishes in the indoor and outdoor conference meets.

Leading Steinwachs squad this winter will be junior Ashley Cattran. Cattran is coming off one of the most successful track seasons ever for a UD runner, winning six individual races and breaking three different school records.

The junior stand-out also became the first ever Flyer to compete in the NCAA Championships, where she finished 12th overall in the 800 meter run.

On the field, Dayton will be looking to sophomore pole-vaulter Courtney Siebenaller to account for some major points.

Siebenaller is the reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year as well as the defending champion in both indoor and outdoor pole vaulting. In addition, she broke the school record 14 times last year.

Throw in the distance runners from the cross country team, this fall's A-10 champions, and it puts the Flyers in serious contention for a conference championship.

With all the expectations, the team certainly did not disappoint in its first meet of the season at the Findlay Oiler Open.

Junior weight thrower Mallory Barnes broke the school record on her way to an individual championship, out-throwing her opponents by over six feet.

The impressive performance was also all Barnes needed to provisionally qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championship.

To top it off, Barnes was honored by being named the A-10 Performer of the Week.

On the track, senior sprinter Lauren McCormick won the 60 meter dash while teammate Brittany Thomas came in fifth.

All the pieces are in place, and it appears this season could be a historic one for Dayton track and field.

The team will be in action Saturday for the second time this year when it travels to Columbus to compete in the Ohio State Invitational.