The ISU track and field team will be competing in the Big 12 Championships in Lincoln, Neb., on Friday and Saturday.

The team competed at the Husker Invitational just four weeks ago at the same venue, and sprinter Ian Warner finished second in the 60-meter dash to Kansas State’s Martynas Jurgilas at the event.

Warner said last week that he was “eager to get back at everyone,” not just the KSU runner, after he and sprint partner Amara Sama finished at the bottom of the standings in last year’s Big 12 Championships.

The men also finished second in the 4×400-meter relay against Colorado that weekend in Nebraska. And the distance runners, which could be seen as the strength of the team, did not compete.

So, the experience of the track and all of its nuances — such as banked turns — will help the team out, coach Corey Ihmels said.

“It’s a great environment,” Ihmels said. “Most of our squad was down there four weekends ago so we are familiar with it.”

And Ihmels believes his team has improved in recent weeks.

“We’ve made great progress the last couple weeks,” Ihmels said. “Throughout the team each group has done a really good job of getting better.”

One group that impressed at the ISU Classic two weeks ago was the distance group.

Joel Limo won the 3,000-meter race, and Rico Loy won the men’s mile with a personal-best time, while teammate Hillary Bor was in third.

And while Bor won the event at the Big 12 Championships last year, it will be difficult to duplicate.

“Our competition has been getting better each week as we move through the season,” Ihmels said. “Hillary Bor, who was a conference champ last year, has got a tough pass to win another conference championship.”

Josh Koglin will compete for a high finish in the men’s weight throw, while Amara Sama is primed to get payback along with fellow sprinter Ian Warner.

And if everyone gives their best effort, Ihmels believes they’ll have a chance this weekend.

“We just gotta go and do what we’ve done to this point and we’re gonna be in the mix,” Ihmels said. “We’re gonna have to have a big day Friday, and use that momentum going into the second day.”

The meet begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.