The ISU Open kicked off the indoor season with an unscored meet that gave men and women competitors the opportunity to go round the oval to see where they are.

Fortunately, the Iowa State men’s and women’s track and field teams opened the season with strong performances by many.

Cyclone Erin Bresnan, who placed second in the 800-meter competition with a personal-best time of 2:10.23, said she “was really excited that everyone had really good races.”

“If this meet is any indication, I think the women’s team is going to do really well this season,” she said.

She said the distance squad looks strong.

“We’re pleased with things that happened on the track and on the field,” Women’s Coach Dick Lee said.

Long jumper and sprinter Trina Radske topped the long jump with 20 feet, 9 1/4 inches. The flight earned her a provisional qualification for the national competition.

As for the sprinters, Lee said “it was an eye-opening experience for some of the kids.”

He said the women hurdlers hopped well and had some personal records.

Men’s Coach Steve Lynn wasn’t as thrilled.

“Well, it was our first meet and it kinda looked like it,” he said.

Lynn went on to say it was a tough meet and the ISU men have been much stronger.

Cyclone Jason Woods, who was favored to win, was forced out of the hurdle competition after his neighboring runner repeatedly hit him in the chest with his trail arm.

After the race, Woods said, “No quotes today.”

On the positive, Lynn said the men’s 800-meter runners ran well. Brian Smith ran 1:52.0, and Dan Ries clocked 1:53.26.

“Both of those guys looked real good,” Lynn said.

Other finishes Lynn mentioned included All-American Randy Thompson’s finalist appearance 55-meter and his fifth place in the 200 at 21.60.

All-American David Lichoro finished second in the 3000-meter in 8:27.49. Saul Lempirikany, another All-American, came in sixth in the mile with a time of 4:12.93.

In the field events, “Our high jumpers showed some promise,” Lynn said.

Cyclones Marcus Clark and Joey Brunkhorst tied at 6 feet 8 3/4 inches and had a couple of good jumps at 6 feet 10 inches.

The two teams prepare to travel the Mercantile Meet in Cedar Falls this weekend. The meet features ISU, UNI, Drake and Iowa.

“Right now, I wouldn’t consider us the favorite,” Lynn said. “We’ve been the best team for a long time. We do have the best team; it’s just a matter of putting it out on the track.”

Lynn said he expects to see notable improvements between now and the next home meet.

Lee said the women are going into the weekend and “are still pointing everything towards the end of the season.”

Lee said he expects good competition, although the field won’t be as deep as it was last weekend.

In addition, he said the switch to the 200-meter track from the Cyclone 300-meter terrain will affect the performances.

Because the ISU indoor track is larger, people tend to have smoother and faster races. He said the runners may not see faster times on Friday because of the size adjustment.

“The kids have some in-state pride and want to show which team is the better team,” he said. “There are some great rivalries.”