No. 3 Hoosiers scorching the track

It's rare in sports for every athlete on a team to be in sync, healthy and geared toward the same goal. The IU men's track squad's good fortune is reflected with its No. 3 ranking in the recent release of the www.Trackwire.com's national poll. IU trails defending NCAA champion Arkansas and Big Ten foe Michigan.\nFresh off two convincing wins over Big Ten rivals Ohio State and Purdue, all of IU's key athletes are rounding into top form and nearing a phenomenal performance with each passing day.\nJunior All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up Aarik Wilson, who is tied for first atop the national triple jump rankings, likes the Hoosiers' progress.\n"The team has worked really hard," Wilson said. "I know I'm in good shape and ready to start jumping far, so I'm excited to see how the rest of the team does."\nThe Hoosier Relays are another chance to get in some prep work before Notre Dame's Meyo Classic, typically a top producer of elite national marks. Given Notre Dame's oversized track, which makes for softer turns and faster times, the meet attracts top talent from all across the nation. Tall athletes such as sophomore All-American David Neville get extra benefit from the track's features.\n"I'm pleased with how I opened up in the 400 last weekend," said Neville, who won the event in 47.85. "I would've loved to run faster but it's the first one and we've been having some really tough practices. I'm sure times will start to drop quick, and I can't wait for Notre Dame."\nThe Meyo Classic features an Invitational Mile which has a reputation for producing sub-4:00 performances. IU's All-American twins Sean and John Jefferson will be in the race challenging the legendary mile mark. \nThe Hoosier Relays might see the debut of junior Stephen Haas, who provisionally qualified for the NCAA Indoor 5,000-meter run with a time of 14:06 last year, but just missed the cut.\n"Until I was in the hospital for a couple of days a few weeks back I was going to run for sure," Haas said. "Training has been going well though so we'll see."\nThe two-day Hoosier Relays begin at 4 p.m. today.\n-- Contact Staff Writer Rob DeWitte at rdewitte@indiana.edu.