The Massachusetts track and field teams view this weekend as an opportunity to figure out how they will approach the Atlantic 10 Championships scheduled for Feb. 16.

This weekend’s Rhode Island Invitational will offer plenty of competition and is the same track UMass will run on for the championship.

The Minutemen come off a third-place finish at the Reebok Invitational Jan. 25. The sophomores gave UMass a decisive edge over many of the teams with their performance. Tyler Cotto had a second-place finish in the 55-meter hurdles with a time of seven minutes, 73 seconds while Jonathan Pierce won first in the 5,000 meter run with a time of 15:09:66.

Minutemen coach Ken O’Brien said this weekend will be a chance to experiment with athletes in different events.

After running one of the longer events, Pierce will move to the mile event in order to keep his legs fresh.

O’Brien alternating runners between long and short events is just one way he has dealt with his team’s inexperience. He acknowledged he likes the set of talent he has available, but knows there will be challenges starting with the A-10 championships.

“They lack experience,” O’Brien said. “Each meet they go to will be the first time at that level.”

However, Cotto will gain valuable experience this week going against two of the best runners in the A-10.

On the women’s side, UMass took fifth place in the Invitational. Redshirt senior Danielle Bolt took first place in the 55-meter dash with a time of 7.16 seconds, the third-fastest time at UMass in school history.

The Minutewomen’s second visit to URI will not be anything like the first time when they competed in Rhode Island for the Jan. 11 New Year Classic. If anything, their meet this weekend should be more representative of what they will face at the A-10 Championships.

“The last time we were at URI, it was almost like an ice-breaker,” said UMass women’s coach Julie LaFreniere. “It was an open meet so it wasn’t very competitive.”

UMass will face the likes of URI, UNH, and Quinnipiac this weekend. The team prepared itself with a difficult workout Tuesday night.

“I’m hoping their legs will feel a little better,” LaFreniere said.

North Kingston will also be a physical test for UMass in preparation for two weeks ahead. The Minutewomen will run in more events as part of the tournament, which explains why senior Christina DeRosa, who normally does not run more than a 5K, will participate in the mile race this weekend.

“DeRosa is a little out of her element when she runs the mile,” LaFreniere said. “She’s going to have to really work hard.”

But even runners not participating in the A-10 have reason to push themselves this weekend. LaFreniere expects many of the freshmen to reach personal records as the team makes a last assessment before the championship.

Adam Miller can be reached at [email protected].