INDIANA INVADERS SWEEP INTO NEW ENGLAND
June 30, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders, as part of an eight day effort,
will seek to post some national class performances at 800 meters as they
pass through New England and a three meet race series, the Boston High
Performance Series, and the renowned New Balance Maine Distance
Festival.
The Invaders hit the Boston High Performance meet series on Saturday
June 28th, 2003, with Jacob Koczman taking second in the elite section
of the 800 with a career best of 1:49.07 to Ireland's Indoor National
Record Holder Daniel Caulfield's time of 1:48.86. Teammates Daniel
Walden and Eddie Nehus went 1-2 in the second section of the 800
with both hitting season bests of 1:52.70 and 1:52.81, respectively.
Hope Sanders will join Koczman, and Nehus in the 800 on July 1st, 2003
at the Boston High Performance #6 competition at Bentley College in
Waltham, MA while Walden will compete over 1500 meters. Sanders,
competing at her highest level of fitness since 2000, will seek
to lower her career best of 2:04.32.
The squad will then hit the track, against an international caliber
field, at the New Balance Maine Distance Festival on Saturday July 5th,
in Brunswick, Maine. The Distance Festival features international
fields with world ranked competitors from a number of countries
including Canada, Ethiopia, Ireland, Kazakstan, Kenya, Mexico, and New
Zealand.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "The game plan going into this three
meet pass through New England is to make the most of the opportunities
presented by the best domestic competition in the country for middle
distance athletes after USA Nationals. These athletes are capable of
posting marks in the coming weeks and months that will qualify them for
the Olympic Trials next year and this type of high level competition is
vital to their preparation. The men did the job on the 28th with
everyone turning in career or season best on a tight travel schedule.
We'll be gunning for further improvements on Tuesday and Saturday."
Harger added, "We're in a great position with these 800 meter athletes
going into Club Championships on July 19th to potentially sweep the top
spots in the 800, 4x800, and distance medley relays. I expect that this
series will allow us to be very strong on the 19th in the middle
distance events."
Boston High Performance Series
http://www.bostonhighperformance.com/
New Balance Maine Distance Festival
http://www.mainedistance.org/
The New Balance Maine Distance Festival will be broadcast on
Fox Sports Net on Wednesday, July 16 at 3:00 p.m. and Tuesday,
July 22 at 11:00 a.m.
USATF National Track & Field Club Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USATFClubTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS WRAP UP DAY FOUR AT USA NATIONALS
June 30, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The USATF National Club Track & Field Championships,
hosted by the Indiana Invaders, will feature the highest level of elite
track and field team competition in the United States in Bloomington,
Indiana on July 19, 2003.
The battle in Bloomington will feature defending Triple Crown Champions,
Greater Boston Track Club, against the home team, the Indiana Invaders,
and over twenty leading teams from across the United States. Spectators
will have an opportunity to see the growth of team rivalries with this
battle for national team championship titles.
Greater Boston returned to Boston, MA in 2001 with a fourth place
finish. After redoubling their efforts in 2002 they brought home
the ultimate prize in team track & field competition, the Traveling
Helmet Trophies, and they became the first ever triple crown winners
of the USATF National Club Track & Field Championships as they won
the men's, women's, and combined team titles.
Greater Boston Sprint Coach David Callum said, "We intend to repeat
as champions. As we finished up the relays last year at Club Nationals,
my 2003 goal was forged. To return and do it again, that's the goal,
take the 2003 title, and bring the helmets back to Boston! We want
the helmets another year." Callum added, "This meet gives clubs the
opportunity for national exposure and it provides a goal for the year.
It's also been very helpful in developing sponsorship relationships.
In the past 12 months we have added Saucony as a club sponsor and
event sponsor. We have also added Carb-BOOM as the Official Energy Gel
supplier for the Greater Boston Track Club."
Joshua Seeherman, longtime member of Greater Boston commented,
"The club championship has certainly been beneficial in that it
created a new final goal-oriented meet. It's great that clubs
now have their own separate championship seasons (for us,
New Englands, East Regionals, and finally Club Nationals),
as opposed to before when the season simply drifted away.
Especially in the sprints/jumps/throws, winning and retaining
the championship "helmets" has become a number one priority."
Seeherman added, "It is of the utmost importance that we attend and
support a national club championship. The club system is where our
success has always and will continue to come from. There are many
who sit back and complain about the lack of post-collegiate
opportunities, but it is those who take action and affect change
that will succeed - and a revitalized club system will lead the way."
Another contenting club, Club Northwest, returns to the championship
after finishing third in 2002 which improved on their seventh place
finish in 2001. Club Northwest Executive Director Brad Barquist
commented, "Club Northwest is really excited about competing in this
event. We are excited about the Club Championship Series and the
track championship in particular. We want to continue supporting
the growth of this event. Everyone had a blast last year and we
can't wait to get back to compete. For Scott Boothby, the top male
performer of the championship last year, its added fuel to the fire
for him to be able to go after a PR in the hammer at the national club
championship."
Lords of the Rings, based in Wisconsin, finished only five points
behind Club Northwest last year to capture fourth place in only
its second year of existence. Lords of the Rings' President
Luke Hilgers added, "Our immediate goal is to improve on last
year's performance. The Club Championships have encouraged us
to expand our membership beyond the throwing events and we are
looking forward to expanding our roster to other event areas
to be competitive at the Club Championships."
The inaugural championship in 2001 brought together 21 clubs
representing a membership base of over 12,000 from communities
in 16 states. The year 2002 saw a 75% increase in athlete
participation with the clubs competing. The results from
2003 will be watched closely for increases in actual numbers
and the level of competition but most importantly the growth
and development of team rivalries that yield stronger teams
overall is the key to the further advancement of the value
of the Championships to USATF and the Club Championship Series.
Meet Director & Team Director for the Indiana Invaders Greg Harger
said, "The Club Championship is a critical element of any plan to
grow a club system in this country and it is an honor for us to host
this event again." Harger added, "Competitively we look forward to
the pursuit of championship honors as we owe all competing teams our
best athletic effort. I'm most encouraged by the approach our athletes
are taking to the championships as most are taking the position that
the meet is about winning as a team and that actual marks are secondary.
We look forward to posting our team entries very soon. Our entries and
approach should be indicative of the value of team pride and emerging
rivalries. The Greater Boston Track Club and their outstanding
performance in 2002 is the standard that we are pursuing and we are
fully confident that we are not the only team with this mind-set for
the 2003 Championships. It will be an exciting event with many teams
extending themselves in the spirit of team competition."
The Haugh Track and Field Complex has 3,100 permanent seats, with
additional lawn seating, and was the site for the 1997 NCAA Division I
Championships. The Club Championships, hosted by the Invaders, will
return to Bloomington again in 2004 on July 3rd.
USATF National Track & Field Club Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USATFClubTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS WRAP UP DAY FOUR AT USA NATIONALS
June 21, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders wrapped up the fourth and final
day of competition on Sunday at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field
Championships on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
High jump veteran Carri Long, a graduate of Purdue University,
improved on her incoming ranking of 10th with a jump of 1.84
tieing her for eighth place.
Triple Jumper Greg Yeldell, a three-time US national team member,
finished 13th with a leap of 15.67 meters.
After four days of championship competition, the Invaders placed three
in the top 10 (DeDee Nathan - heptathlon 4th; Carri Long - HJ 8th; Hope
Sanders - 800 9th) and four additional athletes in the top 15
(Greg Yeldell - triple jump 13th; Shannon Gallagher - pole vault 14th;
Donnie Fellows - 10,000 14th; Linise Gordon - heptathlon 14th).
Since 1999, the first full year of competition for the team, the
Invaders' have won three individual titles, captured two runner-up
finishes, and qualified 51 total athletes for the outdoor national
championships in 5 years. Additionally, the Invaders have won two
individual titles, had three runner-up finishes, and qualified 40
athletes for the indoor national championships.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Championship settings are about
head to head competition. I'm satisfied with the efforts this
weekend." Harger added, "We're looking forward to the team battle
next month at the USA Club Championships. The motivation
from this weekend's experiences will fuel the fire."
The 2003 Outdoor Championships, as the grand finale of USA Track
& Field's Outdoor Golden Spike Tour, was broadcast June 21 on NBC
from 4-6 p.m. ET and June 22 on ESPN2 from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.
2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS' DAY TWO RESULTS AT USA OUTDOOR NATIONALS
June 21, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Invaders started day two of the 2003 USA Outdoor
Track & Field Championships with a good start in the heptathlon, but
lost their momentum in the end.
After the first event, the long jump, Olympian DeDee Nathan moved
closer to the lead by one spot from fourth to third with a 6.15 meter
leap (896 points). Linise Gordon followed on Nathan's advance also moving
up one spot, from 14th to 13th, with a jump of 5.51 (703 points).
Defending champion Shelia Burrell's jump of 6.17 (902 points) took the
lead with a total point score of 4462 versus Nathan's 4372 after
five events.
The Invaders' duo, of Nathan and Gordon, lost their second day
momentum in the next to last event, the javelin. Nathan's 38.73
(643 points) and Gordon's 34.07 (554 points) meter throws pushed
each back to their original day one standing of fourth and 14th,
respectively. Nathan finished the day in fourth place (5829 points)
after a 2:20.70 in the 800. Gordon finished 14th (4991 points),
four spots ahead of her pre-meet ranking with a 2:29.46 (700 points).
Burrell the defending champion, won the heptathlon with a score
of 6159 points.
Nathan still retains an opportunity to select herself to the USA
World Championship team if she posts a World Championship "A" Standard
qualifying mark assuming that 3rd place finisher, Tiffany Lott does
not post a similar mark prior to the final qualifying date later this
summer. Nathan will officially announce plans to compete in an other
heptathlon before the conclussion of the weekend.
Additionally, Hope Sanders narrowly missed advancing to the finals of
the 800 by one position after finishing fifth in her semi-final section
with a time of 2:04.83. Sanders, with a season best performance, had
the seventh fastest time in the semi-finals.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Nathan has an additional opportunity
to extend her 2003 schedule if she is able to post a world qualifying
mark next month. Gordon will recognize that this weekend was a great
leap forward in learning if not in actual points. The learning and
the follow-up will make next year's Olympic Trials focus a beter
effort. Sanders has returned to her outdoor form from 2000 with her
time and more importantly she ran her best tactical races ever at
USATF Outdoor Nationals. The next couple of weeks could see several
more strong outings for Sanders as she plans to race several more
times against top national class talent. Her time today was a
Olympic Trials qualifying mark and that returns some solid
confidence going into next season."
2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS' SANDERS ADVANCES AT USA NATIONALS
June 20, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders' Hope Sanders advanced to the
semi-finals of the 800 with her time of 2:06.43 on day one of the
four day 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the
campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
Hope Sanders, in the second section of the 800 qualifying round,
finished fourth with a 2:06.43 comfortably advancing to the
semi-finals to be held on Friday. Sanders is a veteran USATF
competitor, with a career best of 2:04.32.
Donnie Fellows, competing in his first USA championship
10,000, finished 14th with a time of 29:24.11.
Mary Danner missed advancing out of the qualifying round
of the 400 by one place with her time of 54.33.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Sanders ran a very smart
tactical race, exactly as planned. I expect that she will
create an opportunity for herself to make her first outdoor
final in this next round against a very strong 800 meter field.
Fellows went out with the lead pack and managed to improve on
his 16th place pre-race ranking after the early pace proved
too quick on this day. He will continue to drop his times in
the next 13 months and have an excellent opportunity to move
into the top ten in the US next year. Danner did not perform
at a level indicative of her ability due to what we expect will
be found as a minor structural imbalance. Her experiences in
her first post-collegiate season have been over the entire
spectrum of highs and lows. She will profit greatly from
all of the experiences in the coming seasons." Harger added,
"The experiences gained this weekend by these athletes will
be very valuable going into the 2004 Olympic Trials."
The 2003 Outdoor Championships, as the grand finale of USA Track
& Field's Outdoor Golden Spike Tour, will be broadcast June 21
on NBC from 4-6 p.m. ET and June 22 on ESPN2 from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.
2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS' NATHAN AND GORDON IN HEPTATHLON AT USA NATIONALS
June 19, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders finished day one of the heptathlon
competition with Olympian DeDee Nathan in fourth and Linise Gordon in
fourteenth at the 2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on the
campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.
Nathan started day one of the two day heptathlon competition with a
fourth place finish in the 100 hurdles (14.03 - 974 points), tied for
seventh in the high jump (1.69 - 842 points), second in the shot put
(13.66 - 771 points), and sixth in the 200 (24.98 - 889 points).
Nathan (3476 points), trails by 141 points day one leader Kim
Schiemenz (3617 points)
Gordon, struggled with a slow start in her first outdoor championship
in combined event competition, starting day one with a 14th place
finish in the 100 hurdles (14.68 - 884 points), 14th in the high jump
(1.60 - 736 points), 14th in the shot put (10.04 - 532 points) and 10th
in the 200 (25.05 - 882 points). Gordon will start day two of
competition in 14th.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Gordon had a challenging first day
gaining critical experience for her future. She came into this thing
ranked 18th and has a chance improve a couple more spots on day two.
Nathan is within striking range of the current leader." Harger added,
"Nathan will be a challenger on day two in what we expect will be
a very close battle."
The 2003 Outdoor Championships, as the grand finale of USA Track
& Field's Outdoor Golden Spike Tour, will be broadcast June 21
on NBC from 4-6 p.m. ET and June 22 on ESPN2 from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.
2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS' NATHAN AND GORDON IN HEPTATHLON AT USA NATIONALS
June 17, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) Invaders' Olympian DeDee Nathan, a two time national
champion, and Linise Gordon, the 2003 Drake Relays Champion, will
do battle in the heptathlon at the USA Outdoor Track & Field
Championships presented by Verizon, June 19-20 at Stanford University.
Beginning in 1999, the Invaders have had a history of success in the
combined events with DeDee Nathan setting an American Record in route
to winning the gold medal in the pentathlon at the 1999 IAAF World
Indoor Championships, in Maebashi, Japan. Nathan, in winning the
2000 Olympic Trials, finished ninth at the Olympic Games, in Sydney
Australia. Nathan also won the 2001 heptathlon national championship
and finished second in 2002. Invaders male and female athletes
combined have placed five in the top 10 indoors and five in the
top 10 outdoors in the combined events since 1999.
Nathan, after focusing on graduate school for the past year, returns
to championship competition after finishing second at last years'
USATF National Championships. Nathan is looking for a return performance
level above 6000 points this weekend along with a shot at this year's
World Championship Team.
Gordon, a graduate of Ball State University, continues to make
the transition to the combined events from the 400 meter hurdles.
Gordon finished eighth in the 400 hurdles at the 2002 USA Outdoor
Championships. This is Gordon's first appearance at the outdoor
national championships in the combined events and finished eighth
in her first appearance at indoor nationals in the pentathlon this
past March. Gordon also holds USATF National Club Championship
titles in the 400 hurdles ('02) and in the triple jump ('01).
Gordon finished in the top three of four events at the 2002 USA
National Club Championships (100H, 400H, HJ, and JT) in addition
to leading the Invaders to a title in the 400 meter relay.
Team Director Greg Harger said, "Nathan is set to let a few people know
that she is not yet ready for retirement. In fact, she is on track for a
run at her best marks in the coming months. Gordon, in only her second
year of training for the combined events, will surprise some people with
her efforts. She demands a competitive effort from herself every time
she competes and her learning curve in the combined events is still
very steep."
USATF OFFICIAL PREVIEW OF THE HEPTATHLON FINAL: THURSDAY and FRIDAY
World record: 7,291, Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA), 1988
American record: 7,291, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 1988
Meet record: 6,979, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, 1987
THE SCOOP: It has been a two-woman show between DeDee Nathan and Shelia
Burrell since Jackie Joyner-Kersee's retirement. Burrell won the bronze
medal at the 2001 World Outdoor Championships, and is the 1999 and 2002
U.S. champion. Nathan won in 2000 and 2001. The wild card is Arkansas
graduate GiGi Miller, an outstanding triple jumper who made the World
team in the heptathlon in 2001 after placing third at the USA
championships.
The 2003 Outdoor Championships, as the grand finale of USA Track &
Field's Outdoor Golden Spike Tour, will be broadcast June 21 on NBC
from 4-6 p.m. ET and June 22 on ESPN2 from 4-5:30 p.m. ET.
2003 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAOutdoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INVADERS TO HOST USATF NATIONAL CLUB TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
June 2, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders will host the third annual
USATF National Club Track & Field Championships at the Billy Hayes
Track in the Haugh Track and Field Complex in Bloomington, Indiana
on July 19, 2002. Track and field fans will have an opportunity to
see this groundbreaking event that features head-to-head competition
for national team championship titles.
With the addition of $6500 in prize money from USA Track & Field's
Associations Committee and the transition to significant administrative
support from USATF, the National Club Track & Field Championships
continue to progress as the significant event on the national club
calendar.
The inaugural year of the championship in 2001 showcased the potential
of true team competition with the exciting finale of Nashville Elite
edging Maryland Elite's 4x400 relay by 0.10 seconds in the final event
to win the men's team title. Nashville edged Maryland by 4 points, 92 to
88. The relays will be the featured conclusion to this year's Club
Championship. The inaugural championship in 2001 brought together 21
clubs representing a membership base of over 12,000 from communities in
16 states. The year 2002 saw a 75% increase in athlete participation
with the clubs competing.
Greater Boston TC, after finishing fourth overall in 2001, went back
to Boston with the goal of recruiting greater numbers with the focus
of winning in 2002. Greater Boston accomplished their mission by
increasing their ranks by a factor of five and set a new standard in
the competition with their three victories in capturing the Men's
National Team Title, the Women's National Team Title, and the overall
National Team Championship Title. With their wins in 2002, Greater
Boston TC returned to Boston with the ultimate prize in team competition
in track & field, the Traveling Helmet Trophies, as the first ever triple
crown winners of the club championships.
Meet Director & Team Director for the Indiana Invaders Greg Harger
said, "We are proud to again host the Club Championships and be a
part of the continued growth and development of this USATF Club
Championship. We look forward to taking another modest step forward
in the development of this event. This is a critical element of any
plan to grow a club system in this country and it is an honor for us
to host this event again." Harger added, "Competitively we look forward
to the pursuit of championship honors as we owe all competing teams our
best athletic effort. I expect that our athletes will conduct themselves
with the utmost degree of healthy disrespect for our competitors. The
Greater Boston Track Club and their outstanding performance in 2002 is
the standard that we are pursuing and we are fully confident that we
are not the only team with this mind-set for the 2003 Championships.
It will be an exciting event."
The Haugh Track and Field Complex has 3,100 permanent seats,
with additional lawn seating, and was the site for the 1997
NCAA Division I Championships. The Club Championships, hosted
by the Invaders, will return to Bloomington again in 2004 on
July 3rd.
USATF National Track & Field Club Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USATFClubTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
