Members of the Iowa men’s track and field team will travel to two separate meets this weekend.

Most of the squad will be heading to Ames for the ISU Classic. The meet will start today and continue on Saturday.

The Hawkeyes will face in-state competition from Iowa State, Drake, and Northern Iowa. Kansas State and Missouri will also be at the meet.

Iowa is ranked third in the Midwest Region by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Kansas State is No. 8, followed by Iowa State (ninth), Missouri (11th), and Northern Iowa (13th).

Kansas State boasts a number of athletes who should provide good competition for Iowa in their respective events.

Mantas Silkauskas ranks 14th nationally in the 60-meter hurdles with a time of 7.80. Wildcat Martynas Jurgilas posted a time of 6.65 seconds in the 60-meter dash Feb. 4. That is the country’s 11th-best time.

Head coach Larry Wieczorek decided earlier in the week to send junior captain Erik Sowinski and sophomore Jeff Thode to Seattle to compete in the Flotrack Husky Classic.

Thode will compete in the 3,000-meter race and Sowinski in the 800 meters.

Wieczorek was hopeful during Wednesday’s practice that Sowinski could break the automatic NCAA qualifying time of 1:48.00 in the 800.

— by Ben Schuff