Iowa State will host a last-chance NCAA Qualifier, which will give runners a shot at the national championship, this weekend at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

The meet is just one of a number of last-chance meets held across the country that offer a chance for athletes on the cusp of qualifying to give it one more go. Teams commonly split up, picking their meets based on the strengths of each. For instance, if one meet is going to have a strong distance field, a coach will send his or her distance squad to that meet, while the sprint group could be somewhere across the country where the sprinting is going to be strong.

The NCAA will make nationals selections early next week and generally takes the top 24 performers in each event. However, it is not required to take 24 if fewer athletes have posted qualifying times.

Athletes that post automatic qualifying times are guaranteed spots in the field at the national championships. If there are not enough automatic qualifiers, then the field is filled with the athletes with the best provisionally qualifying times.