Iowa State track and field has now entered postseason competition in the indoor season and will look to build up momentum for the Big 12 Indoor Championships on Friday and Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
The indoor season has been filled with personal bests, school records broken and top national marks. It all sets the stage for a competitive weekend of conference competition.
The Cyclones will enter the championships after going through a full slate of meets, from the season opener in Boston to the last regular-season meets in Iowa City and Arkansas.
Iowa State has tested its squad against national competition and some of the deepest and most elite fields this season.
One of the most dominant performances of the season came in the Iowa State Classic, where the team combined for nine event victories and added on seven top-10 program performances.
Last year, the men finished fourth in Lubbock while the women finished sixth.
Both sides had first-place winners and multiple podium performances. This time around, the Cyclones will be looking to improve on last year’s results.
On the men’s side, senior Emanuel Galdino has posted standout times in the distance events this year and will be one runner to watch for Iowa State as a big-time point scorer.
On the women’s side, senior Makayla Clark has posted times close to program records in middle-distance events and will be a runner to watch for the Cyclones as someone who can provide podium finishes.
The hope is that the Cyclones will find more than just individual success at this meet and help fuel their run toward the NCAA Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas on March 13-14.
The Cyclones have continued to show balanced contributions from sprints to field events and both teams have the experience and depth to top the team leaderboard.
In the men’s competition, some schools to watch out for include elite athletes from Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, and in the women’s field, they will battle Baylor and TCU for the top spots.
It is important not to look ahead, but the Cyclones must continue to produce top marks to set themselves apart from the other competitors as they focus on the indoor championships in March.