The Iowa State men’s and women’s track teams are ready to run the blue out of the track at Drake Stadium this weekend in the nationally known Drake Relays competition.

Women’s coach Dick Lee said this is the toughest competition the group will see before the Big 12 conference meet.

“Drake is one of the top meets in the country both in attendance and participation and also quality of participants,” he said.

Lee expects that Jane Groves, a sophomore distance runner from the United Kingdom, is one of the woman athletes who will finish well. He said that she will be running in the 1500-meter competition.

Groves said she is excited to be a part of the meet.

“Everyone goes on about how wonderful Drake is,” she said. “It’s probably the biggest event I have ever run at and I will be blooming nervous.”

Sydney Pounds is also another woman trackster Lee expects to place high. She holds the 5000-meter indoor title and Lee said she is hopeful to finish in the top six.

Women’s assistant coach Scott Roberts said, “We’re looking for some fast times. I think that with the atmosphere and with the fine track and the fast competition we should be able to post some good times at the relays.”

He said that the women’s sprinters have had a successful year thus far and have achieved many personal bests.

Kevin Bourke, assistant track coach for the men, said he feels good about the meet. “I think we’ll have a good showing. We’re hoping to continue our streak of win’s down there,” he said.

He said the meet seems like it is at home because the crowd always is excited to see a Cyclone runner on the track.

Coach Bourke said that he expects success in field events such as the long jump and the discus and shot put.

He said that throwers Jamie Beyer, Tim Wilson and Josh Hagedorn will be tough competition.

Beyer, 1997 indoor shot put champion and sophomore in construction engineering, said he is going into the meet confident and hopes to win.

Women’s thrower Kris Curnyn, junior in athletic training, also hopes to have a huge toss at the Relays but is looking further ahead than this weekend.

Coach Lee said Curnyn is one of the top throwers that will be at Drake.

“I’m not really going in looking at the rest of the field, I am trying to get a qualifying mark for nationals,” she said.

Coach Bourke said that the 4 x 1600 relay, if it stays healthy, should run well. He said that Corey Ihmels, senior in education and All-American and Big 12 Indoor champion, will be anchoring the relay. He said ISU has won this relay six times in the last nine years.

Two other Cyclone runners who are looking forward to the weekend are All-Americans Jason Woods and Randy Thompson.

Woods, who was indoor champion in the 55-meter hurdles, said he hopes to make the finals in the 4 x 100 and the 4 x 200 in which he will run with Thompson.

“This is one of the bigger meets we prepare ourselves for. We take a lot of pride in bringing home championships [from Drake],” he said.

Individually, Woods said he hopes to make the finals in the 110-meter high hurdles.

He said he is looking forward to the crowd that will include his family and friends.

Thompson, a junior in sports management, will be making his seventh visit to the Drake Relays as an athlete, will run in the relays with Woods and solo in the open 200-meter.

He said, “Everyone knows [Drake’s] one of the best meets that has the best competition. It’s a fun meet.”