April 10, 2008

Jordan Neil and Michael Dyer have been teammates for more than the one year they have been at McNeese State.

For many years in County Down, Northern Ireland, they ran on the same track club team.

And, it wasn't by accident that both wound up on the Cowboy track and field squad this year. Neil came on as a freshman right out of high school and Dyer as a graduate student out of Loughboro University.

"Once Neil got here he told me about Michael wanting some place to go and we were able to get him here also," said McNeese coach Brendon Gilroy.

The two are both distance runners, but different distances.

Neil is a 1500 meter, 3000 meter runner and Dyer is an 800, 1500 meter runner.

Both hold the top times this season for a Cowboy in their speciality, Neil with a 3:52.56 in the 1500 meters and Dyer with a 1:53.0 in the 800 meters.

Dyer's time is also the fastest for a Southland Conference performer and Neil's ranks No. 3.

They haven't run against each other since they've been here and won't be running against each other this Saturday at the LSU relays in Baton Rouge.

But, they've done some swapping around and will be going after the other's top time.

Dyer will run the 1500 meter race and Neil will compete in the 800 meters.

Each believes he can better the others mark.

"I don't know about that,"said Gilroy, "but this week we decided to change it up a little. We've got the Kansas Relays coming up next week. Jordan needs some speed work so we put him in the 800 and Michael has a strength issue so we've got him in the 1500 meters.

"It should be interesting to see how each does against the other's best time."

It's almost a full team that the Cowboys and Cowgirls will have going to the LSU meet. Javelin throwers David Richardson, who was named this week's SLC track performer of the week, and Ben Chretien will take the weekend off and pole vaulter Jimmie Heath may still be sidelined with a leg injury.

Otherwise McNeese should have just about a full field.

The Cowboys will be gaining the services of Carlese Franklin in the javelin event for the meet. An all-conference performer in football, Franklin went 202-4 in the javelin two years ago, placing seventh in the conference meet and qualifying for regionals. He did not participate in track last year.

The Brown brothers - Darrick and Marcus - will compete in the long jump. They rank one-two in the SLC, Darrick having jumped 25-2 and Marcus 24-5.

Other key entries for the Cowboys will be Stephen Scullion in the 1500 meters, school record holder Freddie Hannie in the hammer and John Jamail in the shot put.

For the Cowgirls, top entries will be indoor record holder Christi McRae in the 400 meters, Lindsay Brooks in the high jump, Amy Guinn in the 800 meters and Julie Buller in the pole vault and javelin.