James Galvan will be the lone representative for the ISU men’s track team as he competes in the 800-meter run at this weekend’s NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.

Galvan holds the ISU record for the 800m with his time of 1 minute, 48.36 seconds, which he set in January. The junior from Tempe, Ariz., is currently ranked 10th entering the weekend.

For sprint coach Ronnie Williams, the goal for Galvan, going into championships, is to obtain All-American status.

“We want to be All-American, and we want to be in the top three. That’s what we have talked about since the onset,” Williams said.

In order to be named an All-American, Galvan will have to reach the finals.

Galvan has even higher expectations for this year, as well as next season.

“I would like to race 1:45.00, even though that seems way out,” Galvan said. “That has always been my goal before I graduate college.”

He will be up against a strong field in the 800-meter, which is highlighted by Elias Koech of the University of Texas-El Paso, whose time of 1:46.77 is the fastest in the nation.

Galvan is running in his first season as a Cyclone, after he transferred from Mesa Community College in Arizona.

The Arizona native said he made the decision to come to Iowa State because of Williams.

“I could have gone to a couple of schools, but because [Williams] was here, I chose ISU,” Galvan said.

Williams was Galvan’s coach at Mesa College, where he coached Galvan to a third-place finish in the 800m run at the 2007 NJCAA Outdoor Track Championships.

“He is probably the hardest working athlete that I’ve ever been around – as an athlete or a coach,” Williams said of Galvan. “He puts everything he has into running and his performance.”

After a strong start to the indoor season, Galvan struggled in several meets following a record setting performance at the ISU Classic. Coach Corey Ihmels said these struggles are a part of the ups and downs that come from being in a new situation.

However, Ihmels believes Galvan is starting to regain the momentum that he had in the early part of the season.

“I think he’s rounding back into good form, and he has done a good job at keeping an even keel all year,” Ihmels said.

Galvan is the only Cyclone runner to obtain a spot in this year’s championship meet.

The Cyclone’s distance medley relay was not chosen to participate at Nationals, despite posting a provisional qualifying time of 9:45.39. The NCAA only chose the top 11 teams in the event.

Notre Dame nabbed the 11th and final spot in the relay after a third first-place finish at last weekend’s Alex Wilson Invitational.

Iowa State’s other provisional qualifier, Hillary Bor, was also passed up by the NCAA. Bor set a provisional time at the Big 12 championship meet, achieving a career best 4:03.43. He came up three seconds short of the 16th place cutoff time, as set by the NCAA, of 4:00.87.

Ihmels said that having Galvan in the championship provides a good example for the rest of the team to follow.

“Everyone can take a look at [Galvan] and say, ‘You know what? If I work hard and do what he has done, I can make it to that level,'” Ihmels said.

The indoor championships, being held in Fayetteville, Ariz., begin on Friday and continue Saturday.

Galvan is scheduled to compete at 7:50 p.m. on Friday, with the finals being held on Saturday.