In the early part of the track season, it's all about seeing where you stand.

The Derrick Brooks Wildcat Invitational at Washington High on Saturday will give area teams their first chance to do so against a nearly complete local field of teams, both boys and girls.

That group includes the Pine Forest girls, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A by flrunners.com, who have their sights set on state supremacy in May. The road to get there, though, may unofficially begin here, with a large meet featuring the best of the Pensacola area.

"The big deal is it gives all the schools a chance to find out where they're at. It's really the first big invitational," Pine Forest girls coach Paul Bryan said. "It's a good chance to establish some individual rivalries. These kids like each other, but they love to compete."

They'll get a chance to do just that Saturday, with the preliminaries beginning at 10 a.m. and the finals starting about 3 p.m. Pretty much all the local teams will be there.