There is more than a month until the Big 12 Outdoor Championships, but that doesn’t stop the ISU men’s track and field team from thinking about the prize.

As Iowa State takes the trip down to Auburn for the Tiger Track Classic on Friday and Saturday, it feels this weekend is just another step on the way to the Big 12 meet and eventually the NCAA first and second rounds.

“Every meet is kind of a gauge. OK, there is where we’re at right now, what things do we need to change to get a little faster?” said ISU sprint and hurdle coach Glenn Smith. “It’s all just a process to get ready for [conference and national meets]. And honestly, nothing else is really … important except that.”

The team wants to be at or better than the pace that was set at this time last season. The ISU athletes set two personal records at the Tiger Track Classic last season in the 200- and 400-meter races.

But times aren’t everything for the Cyclones as they stressed the importance of improving in other areas to help during crucial moments.

“We’re hoping they make progress technically and tactically,” Smith said. “Maybe they can learn something from this weekend so they know how to handle something when it comes to the conference meet.”

The Tiger Track Classic is an especially important step for ISU hurdler and sprinter Kris Brander, who missed time this season after he dealt with a bout of mono and suffered a hamstring injury. He finished ninth in the 400-meter hurdles at the Baldy Castillo Invitational on March 20 and 21 with a time of 54.18 seconds.

He was a big boost to the team last season, qualifying for the Big 12 outdoor final in the 400 as a freshman.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Brander said about his setbacks. “I’m finally starting to feel like I’m coming back from [the injury and illness]. Physical-wise, I’m starting to get back into the shape I was before Winter Break. It’s just keeping on track with that and running faster than the last race.”

Iowa State will send the 4×100 relay team to Alabama as well, which was disqualified last season at the Big 12 outdoor meet, but may become an asset for ISU men’s track and field this outdoor season.

“We will try to get some good handoffs and see where we are timewise for conference,” said junior sprinter Jared Ingram. “The team is really banking on [the 4×100 relay], and it’s always good to pressure ourselves against other runners to prepare for the conference meet.”

In the Baldy Castillo Invitational, two athletes grabbed personal records for the Cyclones. Taylor Sanderson in discus and Logan Schneider in the 200-meter race were shining examples of their craft.

It is a good sign early, but the team knows this weekend is a chance to keep improving.

“I feel like we’re okay. We’re set in decent position right now,” Brander said. “We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but it’s nothing that we can’t do — nothing we haven’t done in the past. It’s just getting out there and doing it.”

The team will compete at the Tiger Track Classic starting at 5 p.m. Friday. The meet will finalize the next day.