DES MOINES - Kyle Dunn is skinny.

That's the first thing you notice about the former Linn-Mar High School track star. He's lost about 10 or 12 pounds since last year and weighs 163 now on a 6-foot-2 frame.

It wasn't a diet or anything deliberate, just hard work and a demanding schedule with the sixth-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks.

"I don't feel like my strength has suffered," said Dunn, who is competing at the Drake Relays this weekend. "It's just a lot more intense training the whole year round. That's actually benefited me.

"Hopefully in the coming years I can build my strength and build my weight back up. I'm trying to balance it out."

Dunn won six state titles, set five school records and was a Drake Relays champion in both hurdles events during his career at Linn-Mar. He captured three state titles in the 400 low hurdles, claimed two state crowns in the 400 meter dash and also won a state title in the 110 high hurdles.

He's running all three of those events in college -- the 400 low hurdles, the 110 high hurdles and the 400 -- and is participating in all those events at the 103rd Annual Drake Relays. He said he's enjoyed returning to Des Moines, this time as a college freshman.

"Even though I went to Arkansas, Drake still feels like my home track," he said. "It's really fun to be back here."

Dunn ran in the 110 high hurdles Friday, but did not qualify for the finals. He helped the Razorbacks make the finals in the 4x400 relay and also will compete in the shuttle hurdle relay and 400 low hurdles on Saturday.

The 400 low hurdles is still his favorite event, just like high school, and he's been clocked in 51.3 seconds this spring. "That's encouraging, because I didn't know how it was going to go with the six-inch higher hurdles," he remarked.

Dunn set a school record at Linn-Mar last year in the 110 high hurdles in 13.96 seconds, but it didn't last long. Current Linn-Mar senior Brandon Ophoff, his understudy in previous years, lowered the mark to 13.90 seconds this season, the fastest time in the state.

"Brandon deserves it," said Dunn. "He's one of the hardest workers I've known. It's his year to shine."

Dunn said he likes Arkansas and feels like he's making progress, even though he's gone from being a high school star to a college rookie in fast company.

"I'm doing pretty well this year, but it's frustrating sometimes," he acknowledged. "Even if I run well, I could get third or fourth. But at the same time, it's nice to be the underdog. Overall, I think I like it, not having the target on my back."