The Iowa State Cyclones track and field team had athletes competing at two events this weekend at the Husker Invitational in Nebraska and the Meyo Invitational at Norte Dame. 

Meyo Invitational

At the Meyo Invitational, Alex Lomong and Frank Hayes put together strong efforts to lead the Cyclones in their respective events. Lomong and Hayes participated in the 800m, where they both ran great times. 

Lomong ended the day with a time of 1:48.43, a season-high and career-best. This effort was important for the NCAA Championships as it was a big showing and push. 

Hayes ended with a time of 1:48.86, which marked his season-best as he shaved off 0.13 seconds from his previous record. This time moved Hayes to ninth place in Iowa State history for the 800m and ranks him 16th in Division 1 this season.

Hayes and Lomong were accompanied by Wesley Kiptoo and Nehemia Too at the meet as they ran the men’s invitational mile. 

Kiptoo ran a personal best with a time of 4:01.02, which was enough to see him finish in fourth place. Too finished shortly after as he placed in fifth with a personal best time of 4:01.32.

All of the runners at the Meyo Invitational ran either a personal or season best which shows the talent that the Cyclones currently have. As the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships approach, these times are crucial in preparation for the event. 

Husker Invitational 

The Husker Invitational also had multiple athletes attend as there were participants in both the men and women’s 200m dash and men in the shot put event. 

Bria Barnes ran a strong time in the women’s 200m as she finished in 13th place with a time of 25.17. This time was just short of her collegiate-best. 

As for the men’s 200m, Joven Nelson and James Ezeonu put up impressive numbers as they ran sub-25 second times. Nelson finished with a time of 22.33, which placed him in 21st, and Ezeonu was able to finish shortly after in 24th with 22.44. 

The men’s shot put event had Jack Vetsch and Zach Kraft participate as they both finished within the top-20. Vetsch finished with a personal best of 12.98m placing 16th, and Kraft finished with 12.47m to finish 20th. 

There were some strong performances in both the Husker Invitational and the Meyo Invitational as Cyclones return to Ames for their last home meet of the season. 

Iowa State will host the two-day Iowa State Classic on Friday. There will also be athletes headed to Seattle, Wash., for the Husky Classic, which also takes place Friday and Saturday. 

Both meets will be important to the season, with the Big 12 Indoor Championships set to begin at the end of the month.