Some of the top collegiate track talent in the world will descend upon Ames this weekend.

Iowa State is hosting the Iowa State Track and Field Classic, with field events starting at 3:30 p.m. Friday and the men’s 3,000-meter run and relay races starting at 10:15 a.m. Saturday.

“[The meet is] probably the premier meet in the nation,” ISU men’s head coach Steve Lynn said.

Including men’s and women’s teams, more than 70 schools will be represented. National powers such as Alabama, Oregon, Texas A&M, Texas-El Paso, Missouri and Illinois will make the Lied Recreation Center their home for the two-day event.

Also present will be in-state rivals Iowa, Northern Iowa and Drake.

“Many, many of the top teams in the nation will be here,” Lynn said.

With so much competition, taking a high place at this meet is not easy. However, those who do will have something to be proud of.

“It takes an All-American performance to place in the top eight at this meet,” Lynn said. “It’s just a heck of a track meet.”

ISU women’s head coach Dick Lee agreed.

“In the sprints, if you make finals, you’re doing great,” he said.

Often, Iowa State does not take all of their available athletes to any given track meet. For example, Iowa State’s throwers did not attend last weekend’s meet in Illinois. At this meet, however, all areas of the team will be in competition.

Iowa State’s top athletes will be looking to better their performances through the strong competition.

Gina Curtis-Rickert has been literally head and shoulders above the competition in the high jump, routinely beating her nearest competitor by four inches or more. She has already qualified for a spot at the 2003 NCAA Championships, and will be looking to surpass her ISU indoor record of 6-1 1/2.

Curtis-Rickert is the only Cyclone to bring a top seed into the meet. However, she will not go unchallenged. Lee said a few other entrants have had jumps of around six feet.

Miler Jessica Huff will line up at the starting line with a particularly strong group of competitors.

“There could be several kids that make the [NCAA] provisional mark in her heat,” Lee said.

Susan Sherman will be hoping to duplicate her most recent finish at the rec center. At the ISU Open on Jan. 25, she won the weight throw with a throw of 60-4 1/2.

Long jumper Jummy Alowonle likes two aspects of the meet this weekend.

“It’s a home field kind of advantage,” she said. “[A big meet] gives you a better idea of where you stand. A smaller meet doesn’t tell you how good you could be.”

On the men’s side, thrower Rocky Moore couldn’t ask for much better competition than what he will see when he throws on Saturday. Missouri’s Christian Cantwell has thrown the shot 68-5 already this year, the longest throw in the college ranks this season.

“Last time I checked, he was ranked fourth in the world,” Moore said. “He’s a tremendous thrower and a great guy.”

Moore will be looking to improve on his personal best of 59-7 1/2.

“I’ll take what I can get,” he said. “The bigger competition makes me want to throw harder and farther.”

Lynn said he expects a good meet from his middle distance and distance runners. In the meet’s longest event, the 5,000-meter run, Iowa State will be represented by Ben Fogarty.

In the mile, Iowa State will have a full contingent. Eric Dasso, Evans Menjo, Peter Hess, Chris Francois, Craig Cartier, Kristjan Hunter and Ryan Pence will combine to give the Cyclones a presence in three of the four heats of the mile.

“I expect to see some lifetime best performances this weekend,” Lynn said. “I don’t know where they will come from.”

The Iowa State men will regain the services of Tony Douglas, back from a sprain, but will be without James Lopes, who has a sore hamstring.