The ISU men’s and women’s track teams return to action this weekend on their home track, hosting the ISU Open at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center. The Open will be the first home meet of the year for the Cyclones.

“We are excited to get started,” head coach Corey Ihmels said in a press release. “It is an opportunity to get all the events in and see where everyone is.”

The team and coaching staff will be using this meet, which features mostly Division II and III competition and some National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics schools, to see the progress that has been made in practice.

“We definitely want to work on race execution. That is key,” assistant coach Ronnie Williams said. “We are going to look at other things like how fit we are, how our acceleration is coming along – definitely technique and how we execute. How much of our training will come out in meets and then go back and evaluate and go get ready for the Indoor Big 12’s.”

Along with a way to work on execution, the meet will serve as a competitive warm-up for one the biggest meets of the season – the ISU Classic.

The ISU Classic is one of the largest and most competitive indoor meets in the nation and will give the Cyclones a real test. But before then, the Cyclones are excited to get back on the track after what has been, for some, a long break from competition.

“A lot of our kids, since we came back from break, have been doing nothing but training,” Williams said.

“This will be their first time competing since the Holiday Preview. Kids are excited to get out there competing. It’s easier [to get motivated] that way – kids just want to compete because we have been training so much at this point.”

Senior hurdler Megan Nielsen needs no extra motivation heading into the meet, however – the senior is excited to get her final season as a Cyclone underway.

“I am really excited,” Nielsen said.

“I have a lot of things I want to get done, being my senior year. I want to get [personal records] every run… To get my times down every meet would be best for me.”

Along with Nielsen, the women’s and men’s distance runners, including All-Americans senior Lisa Koll and junior Grace Kemmey, will be making their season debut.

“[The ISU Open] is a good starting point,” Ihmels said in the press release.

“For the long-distance kids, it is their first time out on an indoor track for the season, so they are going to be a little rusty. I think the meet is going to be competitive and set the barometer for the rest of the season.”

The ISU Open gets underway at 3 p.m. Friday and continues again at 10 a.m. Saturday.