It has been six weeks since the last ISU men’s track and field event but on Friday and Saturday, competition for the team will resume as the Cyclones host the Iowa State Open at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

More than 30 teams will compete in the meet, and coach Corey Ihmels said the ISU Open will give his team a chance to face better competition than it faced at the Holiday Preview in December.

“This weekend there will be some good small schools in Division II and junior colleges this year that will give us some good competition,” Ihmels said. “But then after that, we host the Bill Bergan [Invitational] and have some select teams come in, and there will be some really good competition again.”

Ihmels added that the Iowa State Open will be a fun event for him personally because it is a chance to see the sections of the team finally come together and compete. Sophomore distance runner Falko Zauber said he shares Ihmels excitement for the upcoming meet.

“I’m sure it will be a lot of fun for me,” Zauber said. “This competition is still just for training but I’m sure it will be a lot of fun to compete. I’m really looking forward to running the 3,000 meters on Saturday.”

Zauber was also on the ISU cross country team this past fall, finishing 31st at the Big 12 Championships. He said being on the cross-country team helped him gain a lot of power and makes him feel very prepared for the upcoming indoor and outdoor track seasons.

Ihmels said he feels the team has had excellent preparation throughout the winter and is excited to see the benefit of all of the work his team has put in.

“I’ve been really pleased with the distance group,” Ihmels said. “We’re in a really good spot, and I know the throwers had a really good break. We’ve got enough veterans coming back on both the men’s and women’s side that I think we’re in a good spot. We will know for sure when we have a meet this weekend, but I’m excited to see the progress.”

Friday’s events are scheduled for a 3 p.m., with Saturday slated for 10 a.m. at the Lied Recreation Center.