Back up. Look out. Heads up.

All three are common words of advice at an ISU track and field practice as the men’s and women’s throws squads load up, spin with and launch weights ranging from 15-35 pounds, sometimes more than 70 feet out towards the turfed area of the Lied Recreational Athletic Center.

First-year assistant coach for throws at Iowa State Grant Wall most often issues those cautionary remarks at practice, but for a trio of men’s throwers who hope to surprise at this weekend’s Big 12 Indoor Championships, he could make the same call for awareness to the visiting Big 12 teams that will be in Ames this weekend.

Three of the throwers on the men’s squad of six are poised to be in contention to place eighth or higher which will earn the Cyclones men’s team some much needed points this weekend at the Big 12 Indoor Championships. Juniors Josh Koglin and Robbie Utterback and sophomore Mike Zika currently rank fifth, fourteenth and seventeenth in the Big 12 this season.

“They’ve had great practices and have been training well both in the weight room and in the ring,” Wall said. “If they go out and compete like I know they can, good things are going to happen for them.”

One of Wall’s top competitors in his time as time as head coach at Saginaw Valley State University, Koglin, along with junior thrower Emily Nugent, transferred to Iowa State this winter and has already made his presence known with a pair of second place finishes in the ISU Open and Cyclone Open. Koglin has also placed eighth or higher in three of his first four meets as a Cyclone, something he will need to do if in order to score points for the men’s team score this weekend.

“This is what we’re training for so as long as we hit it right we should be all be firing on the same page and ready to throw our best,” Koglin said.

In regards to training, Koglin surprised himself last week with a memorable week of training as he and the rest of the throwers got in their final full week of training before their most important team meet of the season.

“Last week was the best week of practice I have ever had in my life, including leading up to [Division II] Nationals last year,” Koglin said. “I don’t know how everybody else is feeling but I’m definitely feeling the way I should be right now.”

In practice last Friday, Koglin was throwing a 30 lb. weight, a 35 lb. weight is used in competition, and was able to hit 73 feet, nearly six feet farther than he had ever thrown before. Koglin also hit 63 feet a few times with the 35 lb. weight, a distance that nears the 63-11.70, the NCAA provisional qualifying mark. Although Koglin has enjoyed remarkable success in training, he clearly has his focus on Friday’s weight throw competition.

“Practice doesn’t really matter, it’s just reps,” Koglin said. “I really just have to keep it together for when it counts.”

Wall believes that if Koglin can get the weight to travel even 61 feet that he would be in good position to place third, the same place earned by ISU graduate Zac Brouilette at last year’s Big 12 Indoor Championships. Wall also sees a direct comparison between this season and last season when Koglin was preparing to compete at the Division II NCAA Championships, an event which he threw a personal record 62-10.00 and earned All-American honors with an eighth place finish.

“He threw his PR by about two feet [last season] and he’s throwing as far or further right now but more often than he did last year leading up to nationals,” Wall said.

As the leading thrower all season for the Cyclones, Koglin appears most ready for a top eight finish, but Utterback and Zika may also have a say in who grabs the top eight spots. The big challenge for both will be breaking their personal records by two or more feet. However, that is something the duo has already achieved once this season when they both increased their personal records by nearly 2-08.00 at this season’s Cyclone Open.

The elder of the ISU men’s throws group, junior Utterback currently holds the fourteenth farthest throw in the Big 12 this season with a 55-08.50 that he threw three weeks ago at the Cyclone Open. Utterback hopes to better his Cyclone Open throw by two to three feet as he and Coach Wall realize that a throw of 57 feet or more could propel Utterback into the finals.

“He’s Mr. Consistency,” Wall said of Utterback. “Robbie knows his body, he knows what he’s capable of and he knows how far to push and how far not to.”

Utterback finished in 20th place last season at the Big 12 Indoor Championships with a throw of 49-02.25.

“I know obviously in the weight [throw] I’m not the top athlete here so I’m hoping to just kind of surprise some people and throw a little above what they expect me to and throw [other competitors] off of their game,” Utterback said.

Zika, who was unable to be reached for interview due to illness, competed as a freshman last season in the Big 12 Indoor Championships, placing 18th overall with a throw of 52-07.50. Despite sitting out most of the week with an illness, Wall remains confident that Zika, a former Wisconsin high school state champion in the discus, will be prepared when he steps into the ring this weekend.

“Mike’s probably been the worst case [of sickness] we’ve had over the past few weeks,” Wall said. “We are in the peak of our training so you run a fine line physically and mentally so it’s almost bound to happen.”

Zika was one of three freshmen weight throwers competing for the Cyclones at last season’s Big 12 Indoor Championships under assistant coach for throws John Dagata.

“He’s really picking up the last couple weeks in his training and in his confidence,” Wall said. “As a freshman I don’t know if he was there [confidence-wise] but he believes now that he has the capability to do something which is nice to see.”

Moving up seven to 10 places over some of the top throwers in the Big 12 won’t be easy for Utterback and Zika but Wall remains hopeful that they can make a move and make the rest of the Big 12 aware of their potential.

“If we do [place in the top eight] or if they can get close and maybe make the final I think that would be something tremendous for them in what they’ve been able to do.” Wall said.

The men’s weight throwers will be in action beginning at 6 p.m. Friday with trials in the Lied Recreation Athletic Center to be followed by the finals. The two-day Championships will commence at 10 a.m. on Friday with the women’s 60 meter hurdles event in the women’s pentathlon.