DES MOINES — The final weekend of preparation for the Big 12 Track and Field Championships has officially concluded.

The ISU men’s track and field team competed this past weekend at the Drake Relays in front of roughly 14,500 people and beautiful spring weather to warm the event.

“When I was competing in high school [at the Drake Relays], I enjoyed coming here because the atmosphere was great and continues to be every year,” said freshman Jacob Aune.

Aune was a part of the distance medley relay team that placed fourth with a time of 9:52.28.

Senior Mohamed Hrezi and sophomores Nick Efkamp and Alec Baldwin were the others competing on the distance medley relay team.

“I was a little disappointed in the end result of the distance medley relay, but I was happy with the position I left my team when I handed off the stick,” Efkamp said.

Efkamp is familiar with the blue track at Drake, having won the 400-meter hurdles at the 2011 Drake Relays in high school.

“The experience is relatively the same as it was in high school, the only difference is the teammates that I am sharing the experience with,” Efkamp said.

Aune and Hrezi were also on the 4×1,600-meter relay team that placed third with a time of 16:56.29.

Senior Troy Walls set a personal best in the high jump with 6-08.00.

Senior Ian Warner placed sixth in the 100-meter dash with a time of 10.46.

“This is a big meet in the sense that you need to perform well since conference is so close,” Warner said. “The goal is always to get better and these meets are what you need to run your best when conference comes.”

Warner is hoping to break his personal best of 10.25 in the 100-meter dash in the conference championships next weekend.

The Big 12 Championships will be in Waco, Texas, on May 3-5.

“I am ready to see the hard work pay off for our team,” Efkamp said of the Big 12 Championships next weekend.