A year ago, University of Hawai'i track and field was finding itself after five years of re-invention. The Rainbow Wahine revived their program in 2003 and, after taking baby team steps for four years, were on the verge of the Western Athletic Conference Indoor Championship.

They more than doubled their previous best point total and tripled their medals ... and lost by a point to Louisiana Tech, in the final event a year ago. Going into tomorrow's WAC Indoors at Nampa, Idaho, the 'Bows' best marks might not add up to a championship on paper, but their memories are long.

"I'm definitely not putting pressure on anyone, saying let's go win the WAC and score that point that was missing last year," said UH coach Carmyn James. "The main lesson we need to learn is that every hundredth of a second and centimeter counts."

James expects the WAC to be more balanced this weekend; last year LaTech and Hawai'i were nearly 40 points ahead of everybody. She also believes more schools can cut into the Techsters' sprint dominance.

The Rainbow Wahine's massive challenge is to make up for the 28 points and three silver medals senior Mallory Gilbert scored last year. She left a huge puka all over the field portion of Hawai'i track and field.

"I think we can do fairly well," said senior high jumper Emily Sheppard, who will also compete in pentathlon. "I don't know if winning is possible at this point. ... It would be a huge surprise, but it would be awesome."

What it would take is for everything and all 20 Rainbows to come together over the next three days, much as they did last year when the Rainbows set 23 personal bests and three provisional NCAA marks. Half the travel team is currently ranked among the top eight in the WAC. A few will be entered in events — such as the triple jump — for the first time this season in an effort to score that elusive point.

It starts with senior Annett Wichmann going for her third straight pentathlon title, on her way to trying to improve last year's fourth-place national finish. Hawai'i is hoping for a 1-2 finish with Sheppard, who will also defend her high jump title and participate in the long and triple jumps. Wichmann will compete in all those events plus shot put, where the lean, mean, German multi-sport machine is ranked second.

Sheppard's most serious challenge in high jump should come from teammate Amber Kaufman, who didn't compete indoors last year. The all-conference volleyball player, and 2008 WAC Outdoor champ, was injured this winter break and celebrated her return this month by going over a school and personal best 5 feet, 11 1/2 inches in her first meet since June's Olympic Trials, where she was 12th.

Hawai'i hopes to sweep the top three places in high jump with Kaufman, Sheppard and freshman Sarah Saddleton, and get more points from Thalia Amanakis, who will defend her 800-meter title in another surprise entry designed to score more. Amanakis is coming back from an injury suffered before last year's WAC Outdoors, but offered to give up her indoor redshirt season to help the team.

Freshman sprinter Jamilee Jimenez, out of Kaua'i High, set a school record in 60 meters this year (7.93) and, like many of the LaTech sprinters, will also compete in long and triple jump this weekend. The 'Bows also have a good chance to pick up points in throws, under coach Garrett Collier, and pole vault, with volunteer coach Spencer Chang.

James is counting on more long-distance production with first-year coach Althea Belgrave, who became the program's third full-time staff member last fall. She coached cross country last semester and every runner had a personal best — by anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes — at regionals.

"She is making the most of the athletes we have," James said. "On top of that, she has done an amazing job recruiting. With the people coming in next year we will be dramatically different."

Belgrave was the 1,500-meter national champion in Barbados and is in charge of all distance events from 800 meters on up — and improving the 'Bows' confidence level. She came here from Florida State, which has won the last three NCAA men's titles. Belgrave was a graduate assistant for a program with six fulltime coaches.

She earned a second master's at FSU, in sport management. Her first was in counseling of human services from Idaho. Now she is trying to impart all that knowledge in Manoa, and inspire her athletes to reach finals and score points.

"We didn't score any points last year in those (distance) events," Belgrave said, "so our goal is to go in and put ourselves in position to score."

The 'Bows' best distance hopes are sophomore captains Mariana Monasi and Tava Tedesco. Belgrave believes they have a personal best in them this weekend. After her experience at FSU, and the atmosphere at UH since last season's one-point disappointment, Belgrave believes almost anything is possible.

"A conference championship would be nice," Belgrave said. "In the back of my head I always foresee us being conference champions. That would be the ultimate. My other additional goal would be that the distance group performs well and scores to gives us a chance to win. "