Neville paces IU as Hoosiers showcase talent in Arkansas

The IU men's track and field team traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., this weekend to compete against some of the nation's premier programs at the annual Tyson Invitational. Unhampered by the sluggishness that often accompanies traveling for meets, the men's squad posted six top-10 finishes at the Randal Tyson Track Center.\nJunior sprinter David Neville paved the road to the team's success again with a blazing 21.36 seconds mark in the men's 200-meter dash, good enough for third place overall. Soon after, sophomore Marcus Thigpen breached the finish line with a time of 21.5 seconds. The time was good enough to earn an eighth-place finish and a new personal best for Thigpen.\nStill, the achievements were not limited to the sprinters, as the distance runners also fared extremely well. In the men's mile run, senior Eric Redman notched a third-place finish with a personal best time of 4:03.78. The time was also high enough to garner NCAA provisional honors. This distinction denotes a potential NCAA championship appearance for Redman; depending on the results accrued the rest of the season, he might earn a bid.\nIn the men's 5,000-meter, senior Stephen Haas took a fourth-place finish with a time of 13:44.09. The Tyson Invite has been a successful event for Haas. At last year's Invitational, Haas set a school record in the 5,000-meter. Likewise, this year's mark earned him an NCAA automatic bid, guaranteeing an NCAA championship appearance.\nIn the weight throw, senior Ryan Ketchum placed sixth with a heave of 18.61 meters. In the same contest, Paul Fearnow justified his imposing last name with a toss of 16.44 meters, solid enough for ninth place.\nThe jumpers continued their run of impressive showings under the direction of Wayne Pate, last year's national assistant coach of the year. On Friday, junior Kiwon Lawson snatched a first-place finish in the long jump. His 7.75-meter leap marked a personal best. It was also good enough for an NCAA provisional mark, although Lawson had already attained this achievement at last week's Hoosier Relay. In the triple jump, sophomore Kyle Jenkins grabbed seventh place with a mark of 15.45 meters.\nIn an event that showcased the pre-eminent track and field talent in the country, with athletes from traditional track powers Louisiana State University, Florida State University and the University of Texas, a slight tempering of expectations would not be unreasonable. Nevertheless, the Hoosiers ignored the adversity of travel and the intimidation of the opposition to secure a firm foothold among the nation's elite. Next week, IU returns to Gladstein Fieldhouse to finish out the regular season. The Hoosier Hills Relay marks the final opportunity for the team to gear up before postseason activity.