There will be no holding back this weekend. It’s go-to time for the ISU track and field teams, as they host the ISU Classic this weekend at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center.

More than 90 teams from across the country will converge in Ames for what is arguably one of the most competitive indoor track meets in the entire nation. The stiff competition will give the Cyclones an idea of how far they have come and how much more they need to progress as the Big 12 Championships loom in the distance — only two weeks away.

“This weekend, we really want to start letting things go. It’s a great chance to see where we are at,” said head coach Corey Ihmels. “After this weekend, we have two short weeks before the conference meet. For a lot of the kids, it will be a great chance to see where they are at.”

Sprints and hurdles coach Ronnie Williams feels the Cyclones have progressed a great deal, and if they continue to run well and achieve personal bests, that they should be able to take some giant steps forward this weekend.

“I think we have come a long way since the beginning of the year. Obviously, as the meets progress, as we get deeper in the season, we definitely put a lot of good marks out there to be competitive in the Big 12,” Williams said. “We are training and racing at a higher intensity, and we really feel like we are ready to come out this weekend and kind of take a huge step forward in what we are trying to do.”

Just how competitive is the ISU Classic? Ihmmels does not feel there is a single event that will take less than a top performance to win.

“We will have teams from all over the country, and every event will be won at a very high level,” Ihmels said. “There will be a lot of national and conference marks set this weekend. There is not one event, as we look down the list, that is soft or not competitive.”

For some Cyclones, it doesn’t matter how big the meet is – preparation remains the same as if it was a low-key meet.

“My attitude for this week is not just to be physically prepared, but also to be mentally prepared – and to stay focused on the things coach Williams has taught me,” said sophomore sprinter Lashawn Wright. “I’m more focused on myself and my team – I don’t worry about the competition. I just think about my races and what I need to do to reach my goals. I think you can expect an outstanding job from Iowa State this weekend.”

It will take outstanding performances by all the Cyclones this weekend to come away with some victories in their events. Williams thinks that if that happens, the rest of the country will take notice.

“I would like to see us continuing running personal bests,” Williams said. “If we continue to do that, we will continue to move up the Big 12 list and garner national respect for Iowa State track.”