This weekend, the ISU track teams will have the rare opportunity to perform in a packed stadium.

The men and women will both be participating in the Drake Relays, one of the top track meets in the nation. Drake Stadium has sold out for the meet every year since 1967.

The combination of a large crowd and an almost home-field advantage has brought a high level of excitement to the teams. Iowa State does not host any outdoor meets, but the Relays, hosted by Drake University in Des Moines, can almost be considered a home meet.

“It’s great,” said junior sprinter Jerod Torrey. “It gets your adrenaline flowing and makes it more fun to run, knowing that there are people out there that are interested.”

Torrey is one of many Cyclones who will be participating in relay races on Drake’s blue track over the weekend. He will be on the 4×400-meter relay team, a team that has its work cut out.

“It’s by far the strongest event at the meet,” men’s coach Steve Lynn said. “There’s no question. They have a really good opportunity to run faster than the regional qualifying mark.”

At Drake, the teams will put more focus on relays than usual, entering nearly every relay race on the schedule.

A few weeks ago, Lynn had high expectations for his middle distance squad. Recently though, those expectations have been somewhat tempered.

“After the Clemson meet, we felt like our mid-distance group would do some very big things, but injuries have made that questionable,” Lynn said.

Craig Cartier and Kristjan Hunter both suffered minor injuries but may be able to run this weekend. A more serious concern is the health of Abraham Rotich. Plagued by leg injuries throughout his career, a possible stress fracture has placed the rest of his season in question.

Relay races are an important part of the Drake Relays, but they’re not the only show in town.

Those representing the ISU men in the field events include Rocky Moore in the shot put, Jamal Salahuddin in the discus, Matt Murdock in the javelin and Daniel Kaczmarczyk in the long jump.

On the women’s side, the field events could produce a top finish for Iowa State.

“Gina [Rickert] will look at defending her record in the high jump,” women’s coach Dick Lee said. “She set a record there last year.”

Rickert will compete in the university division of competition, but Lee said if she was not trying to defend her record, she would probably enter the more competitive invitational division.

Susan Sherman will also be competing in the field events. She will represent the Cyclones in the discus, shot put and hammer throw.

The women’s team will also focus on relay races.

“Probably the two that we are loading up the most are the distance medley and the 4×800,” Lee said. The 4×800-meter relay is a race that is not included in most outdoor meets.

The Drake Relays hold special value for the many team members who competed there in high school.

“It’s one of our big meets because we have a lot of Iowa kids,” said Torrey, who hails from Centerville. “It does [mean something] to go back and run against some of the kids you ran against in high school.”

The high level of competition doesn’t hurt, either.

“It’s the most fun meet we have outdoors,” Lynn said. “It’s also the most competitive.

“It’s like playing Iowa in football. It’s a big, big deal.”