Senior sprinter Lashawn Wright isn’t used to sitting still.

Wright covered 60 meters in just 7.6 seconds at the 2010 ISU Classic to win the event. The victory was her first indoor track and field event after coming off surgery to repair her third dislocated shoulder.

“They gave me a scope and reconstruction — it’s a three-month process,” Wright said. “The first month you can’t do anything, the second month it’s about getting your range of motion back and the third is all about getting your strength back.”

She seemed to be at full strength and health this season, posting the victory at the ISU Classic and a second-place finish in the 200-meter dash at the Bill Bergan Invitational in January.

Wright is happy for the opportunity to compete after her multiple injuries, but she isn’t satisfied with herself or her team just yet.

“My last year was a downer, I’m looking forward to coming out this weekend and do the best that I can,” Wright said. “It’s been a long ride, but I’m really excited to see how I do and how the freshmen do against serious Big 12 competition, but more than anything I’m really excited for my team.”

Wright will compete for the final time at the Big 12 Track and Field Championships this weekend, where world-class athletes, including past Olympians, will compete at Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

“I want to bring home a medal and score points for the women’s team, to set a high standard for the freshman and better the program,” Wright said. “For seniors, this is make or break. We want to leave here with something to show.”

The Mesquite, Texas, native will be part of the show Friday and Saturday at the Big 12 Championships to finish out an indoor track career that has never included a final in Big 12 competition.

The No. 26 ISU women’s track team begins the Big 12 Championships at 10 a.m. Friday with heptathlon and pentathlon, and continuing Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Big 12 conference has three women’s teams ranked in the top 25 nationally, and with Iowa State on the outside the ISU women have tough competition stacked up against them.

Coming in as the favorite for the Big 12 crown is the second ranked track team from Texas A&M. The Aggies are coming off their third consecutive title, but things don’t always go according to expectations when it’s time for the championships according to coach Cory Ihmels.

“I think it’s going to be a dogfight. The conference meet is a funny thing, it never goes to form.  It’s not going to be easy; we’re going to need some luck and some momentum from the home crowd,” Ihmels said. 

The home track advantage inside Lied will come from some of the 2,000 person max capacity for spectators. As one of the nation’s top track facilities, Iowa State has the luxury of hosting 20 percent of all collegiate indoor track and field events that will have taken place in the 2009-’10 track season. 

The ISU track teams have yet to have a meet away from Harry Hoak Track this year.  Ihmels attributes Iowa State’s extended home stay to the facilities in Ames.

“It’s good to have the Big 12 meet here, it helps recruiting and I think it would be unfortunate if we weren’t able to host the Big 12 meet frequently on this track, just  because I do think it is one of the best facilities in the country,” Ihmels said.

With a home crowd advantage behind some very talented performers, the Cyclones could come out of this weekend with several individual Big 12 Champions. The women’s pentathlon will get the festivities of the Big 12 Championships off the ground with the 60 meter hurdles, Friday at 10 a.m., with regular running events beginning at 2 p.m. and field events starting at 3 p.m.