The hard training has been put in over the last month and now the ISU men’s track and field team will face league foes at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in College Station, Texas.

The goal for the team throughout the indoor season has been leading up to the Big 12 Championships, and ISU coach Corey Ihmels said he feels his team is moving in a good direction. The work, he said, has been put in preparation for the meet, and he is ready to see what his kids are capable of doing.

“We’ve got some youngsters that this is going to be their first opportunity on this big stage especially in the middle distance,” Ihmels said. “There is definitely a level of excitement there [for that level of competition].”

This will be the first trip to College Station for redshirt freshman distance runner Kyle Donnelly, who will compete in the 800 meter run. Donnelly said this is the culmination of the indoor season and the team is ready to compete.

“Definitely excited for this race,” Donnelly said. “The whole indoor season we build up for this race and then wait for the outdoor season so I’m ready to go out there and have a good race.”

Junior distance runner Charlie Paul, who will compete in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter runs, said the Cyclones as a team are very focused and ready to have great performances on a big stage.

“I think everyone is really coming together and peaking at the right times,” Paul said. “Every meet so far this year has just been better and better so we just kind of expect that to keep going into the conference [meet].”

This will be the last time that Iowa State will travel to College Station as a league foe of the Texas A&M Aggies, but while the facilities are great and the team is fun to compete against, Ihmels said, “I’d say we are more looking forward to the ‘new’ Big 12 than we are worried about the past.”

Competition will be held on Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at Gilliam Indoor Stadium in College Station, Texas.