Justin Tyner is Top American Finisher at NCAA Championships

March 12, 2010

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Crossing the finish line in an Academy-record time of 13:41.26, Air Force junior Justin Tyner finished third in the finals of the 5000-meter run at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday, March 12. Competing at the Randal Tyson Track Center in Fayetteville, Ark., Tyner was the top finishing American runner.

The time shattered the two-week old program standard of 13:52.47 (adjusted for altitude) that Tyner set in his runner-up performance at the Mountain West Conference Championships. That time is also the fastest ever by a Mountain West Conference runner, bettering the previous time by over four seconds.

Starting near the back of the pack in the 25-lap race, Tyner picked his way through the field of runners, moving into the top eight with just a few laps left. On the back stretch of the final lap, the junior got around New Mexico's Chris Barnicle to take third and never looked back, claiming third - and the top American spot - by over two seconds.

Northern Arizona's David McNeill (Australia) won the meet in a time of 13:36.41, edging out Liberty's Sam Chelanga, the defending NCAA cross country champion from Kenya, who placed second in 13:37.01.

Tyner's third-place finish is the best for an Air Force athlete at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships since 2005, when Paul Gensic took third in the pole vault. In addition, it is the Falcons' best finish on the track at the Division I indoor meet since Dan Rojas placed second in the 800-meter run back in 1984.

Senior Nick Frawley also competed in the pole vault today, but was unable to clear his opening vault of 17'2¾". Classmate Sara Neubauer concludes action at the NCAA Championships tomorrow (March 13), when she competes in the shot put at 4:30 p.m. (CST).

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