The ISU men’s track and field team will have a chance to compete under the spotlight — finally.

After many weeks competing at events that the team had shrugged off as “just another meet,” and which had minimal impact on the team’s overall season goal, the Cyclones will take the trip down to Des Moines for the Drake Relays this week.

The Drake Relays are again expected to attract national attention from track and field enthusiasts across the country.

“It can be a really good wake-up call to whether you are doing well or not,” said ISU field event athlete Henry Kelley, who finished first in the hammer throw at the Jim Duncan Invitational at Drake on April 11. “There’s a lot of stiff competition there. It’s one of the best meets in the nation for the entire outdoor season.”

The outdoor season has been in full swing for a few weeks now, but for the first time, Iowa State will send its runners to the same place. During the past few contests, athletes were split up and sent to different places across the country including Arizona, California and Louisiana.

But that doesn’t mean the team will have it easy.

The Drake Relays has been nationally renowned for its high level of talent and its discovery of exceptional track and field athletes. The meet will bring high-caliber track and field teams from colleges and universities across the United States.

The proposition of competing against some of the best teams in the country is something Iowa State is excited to take on.

“You know that we are going to face the best competition from all over the country,” said distance runner Brandon Barnes. “You know you are getting really good competition and you know you will be able to push yourself, and that’s always something you strive for — something that you love to have.”

For one ISU runner, the spotlight and hype at the Drake Relays provide a chance to make a lasting impression on his school and the event itself.

“I just want to break an ISU record,” said indoor All-American distance runner Edward Kemboi about his focus on the meet. “There is a lot of attention there, but I want to trust my teammates. Every time we go to [the Drake Relays], I think like, ‘OK, this is where we are a family.’”

Kemboi made his outdoor debut at the Sun Angel Track Classic in Tempe, Ariz., and broke his personal record in the 400-meter race. He is the favorite for the Cyclones to make the NCAA Outdoor Championships after placing in the NCAA Regionals last outdoor season.

With the attention garnered at the Drake Relays comes a lot of eyeballs on the runners’ performances. Competing on such a big stage has its benefits, such as harder competition and finding how one handles pressure, but those are accompanied by some negatives, too.

“For people who haven’t been on a stage like [the Drake Relays], it can be a little intimidating for them,” Barnes said. “Drake has a big stadium and a big crowd that gets rowdy. Most of them will be competing on Friday and Saturday when everybody’s going to be there, and it’s Iowa so you never know how the weather is going to be.

You enjoy it but at the same time it can be intimidating for some people.”

The Drake Relays start Wednesday with the men’s decathlon slated to begin at 9:30 a.m. The rest of the team will start its competition at 4 p.m. Thursday.