Iowa State Plays Host to Big 12 Championships

Iowa State Plays Host to Big 12 Championships


AMES, Iowa - Iowa State will play host to the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships for the fourth time, this weekend at the Lied Recreation Center.

The conference meet begins Friday at 10 a.m. with the start of the heptathlon and pentathlon. Prelims for running events begins at 2 p.m. with the men's and women's 60-meter hurdles, while field events will begin at 3 p.m. with the women's weight throw.

Seven-time All-American Lisa Koll leads the No. 27 ranked Cyclone women into battle this weekend after a injury plagued 2009 indoor season. This will be Koll's final race on the Harry Hoak track, as the three-time school record-holder looks to become a two-time champion in the 5,000-meters after winning the race at the 2008 indoor conference championships. Koll set the school record in the 5,000-meter race this season (15:29.65) at the ISU Classic, the second-fastest time ever by an American collegiate runner on any track. The Big 12 honored Koll for her mark by naming her Big 12 Female Athlete of the Week for the second time this season: the most by any athlete this year. Koll will run the 5,000-meter final Friday at 7:50 p.m.

Senior Jenna Caffrey will compete in the 60-meter hurdles prelims at 2 p.m. on Friday. Caffrey finished fourth at the 2007 conference championship in the 60-meter hurdles (8.44), and placed fifth in the pentathlon (3,582) last season in College Station, Texas. Caffrey set her personal best time this season at the ISU Classic (8.36), and looks to place in the finals for the second time in her career.

The Cyclone men had their best finish since 2000 at last years indoor conference meet, finishing ninth. The ISU Men are led by All-American senior Guor Marial and Kiel Uhl in the 5,000-meters, senior Eric Parker in the 60-meter hurdles and sophomore Ian Warner in the 60-meter dash.

The USTFCCCA Bowerman watch list consists of four Big 12 track and field male athletes including Ronnie Ash, Oklahoma (hurdles), Will Claye, Oklahoma (jumps), German Fernandez (Riverbank High School, CA), Oklahoma State (distance) and Tabarie Henry, Texas A&M (sprints). On the women's side, Big 12 athletes include Texas A&M teammates Jessica Beard (sprints) and Porscha Lucas (sprints).

The USTFCCCA currently has six Big 12 men's teams ranked in the top 25 (No. 1. Texas A&M, No. 8. Nebraska, No. 9. Texas Tech, No. 10. Baylor, No. 16. Oklahoma and No. 25. Oklahoma State) while the women boast three (No. 2. Texas A&M, No. 13. Oklahoma, No. 14. Nebraska).

Iowa State's Lisa Koll ranks first nationally in the 5,000-meters (15:29.65). Texas A&M currently ranks first in three events according to USTFCCCA, including Curtis Mitchell in the 200-meter dash (20.69), Zuheir Sharif (Franklin HS, Elk Grove, CA) in the triple jump (54-03.75) and the 4x400-meter relay team (3:04.86). The Texas A&M women also rank first in events, including Porscha Lucas in the 200-meter dash (23.06) and Jessica Beard in the 400-meter dash (52.27), both are Bowerman finalists.

Results will be posted on cyclones.com. Live Results will be made available on Friday. Click the 'Links' tab above for schedule, facility map and notes.

Courtesy Iowa State