INDIANA INVADERS CAPTURE THE TRIPLE CROWN OF TRACK & FIELD
July 20, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders captured the triple crown of track
and field by outscoring defending triple crown champion Greater Boston
Track Club in the combined (490 to 252), men's (222 to 136) and women's
(268 to 116) team scoring at the third edition of the USATF National
Club Track & Field Championships on July 19, 2003 in Bloomington,
Indiana.
The Invaders' women's team, in winning their 3rd USATF National Club
Team Championship ('01 T&F and '01 CC) won eight individual events and
three relays in route to setting seven meet records. Greater Boston's
national runner-up finish was followed by the LeMans TC in third,
edging Lords of the Rings by one point, 68 to 67.
In the men's competition, the Invaders men's team posted its first
USATF National Club Team Championship as they won nine individual
events and two relays in route to setting four meet records. Invaders'
Brandon Hon posted a 2004 Olympic Trials qualifying mark twice in the
110HH with a 13.97 in the preliminary round and a career best of 13.89
to win the final. In winning the 800, Jacob Koczman also hit an Olympic
Trials qualifying standard for the Invaders, improving on his career
best set July 5th at the New Balance Maine Distance Festival with a
time of 1:47.72. Greater Boston, trailing the Invaders' commanding
total of 222 points, took second with 136 points followed by USATF
National Club Championship newcomer Kansas City Smoke in third with
94 points to Lords of the Rings' fourth place finish with 61 points.
The competitive highlight of the Championship came from the final relay
with a three way battle from wire-to-wire in the men's 4x400, where
three teams finished the meet fighting for a relay title. The three-way
photo finish had the Kansas City Smoke winning in 3:12.10 while Phenom
Athlete(s) took second in 3:12.46, and Greater Boston was third in
3:12.81. Phenom Athlete(s), using the relays to their tactical
advantage, scratched from all of the individual events and improved to
10th in the men's team scoring from their 16th place finish in 2002.
Olympian DeDee Nathan and Brendon Falconer, representing the Indiana
Invaders, earned Most Valuable Athlete honors, by scoring the most
points at the Club Championships with 43.5 and 27 points, respectively.
Nolle Graham, of LeMans TC, and Kirt Thompson, of the Invaders, claimed
Top Female & Male Performer honors with Graham posting a 11.21 second
time in the 100 meters and Thompson a 76.31 meter throw in the javelin.
Overall 25 teams scored, 21 new meet records were established, 12
athletes posted marks meeting or exceeding the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials
qualifying standard, athlete participation increased by 50%, and
athletes representing communities from 31 different states competed.
The 12 athletes posting marks meeting US Olympic Trials qualifying
standards included Jacob Koczman (800 - 1:47.72; Invaders), Brandon
Hon (110HH - 13.89; Invaders), Joey Scott (110HH - 13.99; PTC Elite),
Regan Nichols (400H - 50.02; U.S. Army), Quinton Milner (400H - 50.11;
U.S. Army), Scott Boothby (Hammer - 67.50; Club Northwest), Mike
Milakovic (Hammer - 66.70; Pacific Bay TC), Kirt Thompson (Javelin -
76.31; Invaders), Nolle Graham (100 - 11.21; LeMans TC), Crystal Cox
(200 - 22.98; North Carolina Elite), Aisha James (Long Jump - 6.45;
Unattached), and Colleen Scott (Triple Jump - 13.32; Unattached).
Meet Director and Invaders' Team Director Greg Harger said, "This club
championship is doing for track & field clubs what we have seen emerge
for cross country clubs with the fall club championship; a growing sense
of team and community pride. Our athletes enjoyed for the first time a
real sense of pride and a sense of team honor along with a healthy
respect for the competitive aspect of this rapidly improving club
championship. Greater Boston's team effort in 2002 was just what our
team needed to grow as a club in terms of club pride. We expect the
number of clubs and the strength of the clubs competing to grow again
with the 2004 meet. The intensity of the meet overall bumped up
another notch and with next year's meet I'm sure that we will see even
greater competition for every point. We saw from the relay results and
with the number of athletes hitting 2004 Olympic Trials qualifying
standards that this meet could be a significant event in the U.S. in
the near future." Harger added, "The prospects of additional support
from USA Track & Field and those elements responsible for the
development of our sport to make this an event of excellence for fans
and athletes alike has never been better. We have much work remaining
in front of us but we are very encouraged by the prospects and
possibilities."
Top 15 Teams in Overall Scoring:
1) Indiana Invaders 490
2) Greater Boston TC 252
3) Lords of the Rings 128
4) Kansas City Smoke 94
5) LeMans TC 68
6) First Step TC 64
7) North Carolina Elite 55
8) Firebird TC 43
9) PTC Elite 40
10) U.S. Army 38
11) Ozark Track League 32
12) Club Northwest 29
13) Phenom Athletes 23
14) Buffalo Chips RC 12
15) Bruin TC 11
Top 10 Women's Teams:
1) Indiana Invaders 268
2) Greater Boston TC 116
3) LeMans TC 68
4) Lords of the Rings 67
5) First Step TC 60
6) North Carolina Elite 28
7) Firebird TC 24
8) PTC Elite 12
8) Buffalo Chips RC 12
10) Mountain West TC 10
Top 10 Men's Teams:
1) Indiana Invaders 222
2) Greater Boston TC 136
3) Kansas City Smoke 94
4) Lords of the Rings 61
5) U.S. Army 38
6) Ozark Track League 32
7) Club Northwest 29
8) PTC Elite 28
9) North Carolina Elite 27
10) Phenom Athlete(s) 23
USATF National Club Track & Field Championships - Record Book:
MEN
100 10.42 Darwin Davis Maryland Elite 2001
200 20.82 Byron Campbell North Carolina Elite 2002
400 45.88 Darnell Hall Detroit Pal 2003
800 1:47.41 Jebreh Harris Knoxville TC 2001
1500 3:55.48 Tony Young Club Northwest 2002
5000 14:25.7h Paul Kezes Club Northwest 2003
110HH 13.89 Shannon Flowers Shore Athletic Club 2001
13.89 Brandon Hon Indiana Invaders 2003
400H 50.02 Regan Nichols U.S. Army 2003
3000SC 9:26.76 Marzuki Stevens Greater Boston TC 2003
LJ 7.56 Okoineme Giwi-Agbormeire Maryland Elite 2001
TJ 15.72 Marc Dzradosi Indiana Invaders 2003
HJ 2.14 Kevin Netzer Lords of the Rings 2002
PV 5.20 Matt Phillips Club Northwest 2001
SP 18.10 Steve Ercegovac Indiana Invaders 2003
HT 69.29 Scott Boothby Club Northwest 2002
DT 62.16 Carl Brown Athenian Athletics 2001
JT 76.31 Kirt Thompson Indiana Invaders 2003
4x800 8:08.78 Club Northwest (Young, Swanson, Fryett,Kemper) 2002
4x100 40.71 Kansas City (Murillo, Nelson, Pyant, Drake) 2003
SMR 3:25.95 Phenom Ath. (Mauldin, Burney, Wilson,Roberson) 2003
DMR 10:25.42 Kansas City Smk.(Hacker,Sims,Kifleyesus,Dunne) 2003
4x400 3:12.10 Kansas City Smk.(Sherman,Nelson,Murillo,Pyant) 2003
WOMEN
100 11.21 Nolle Graham LeMans TC 2003
200 22.70 Crystal Cox North Carolina Elite 2002
400 52.65 Crystal Cox North Carolina Elite 2002
800 2:05.65 Priscilla Hein Indiana Invaders 2001
1500 4:13.79 Collette Liss Indiana Invaders 2001
5000 17:11.9h Heather Briggs Mountain West TC 2003
110HH 13.63 Linise Gordon Indiana Invaders 2003
400H 1:00.74 Linise Gordon Indiana Invaders 2002
3000SC 10:25.21 Judy Porter Indiana Invaders 2001
LJ 6.52 Nolle Graham LeMans TC 2002
TJ 12.14 Linise Gordon Indiana Invaders 2001
HJ 1.83 Stacy-Ann Grant Shore Athletic Club 2001
PV 4.11 Shannon Gallagher Indiana Invaders 2002
SP 15.32 DeDee Nathan Indiana Invaders 2002
HT 58.58 Alexandria Earl-Givan New Haven Age Group 2001
DT 43.24 Toyinda Wilson Indiana Invaders 2003
JT 45.98 Jamie Strieter Indiana Invaders 2001
4x800 9:16.51 Invaders (Schnell, Sanders, Stupian, Banks) 2003
4x100 46.71 LeMans (Brown, Baldwin, Walkes, Nolle) 2003
SMR 4:13.76 Invaders (Nathan, Gordon, Danner, Sanders) 2003
DMR 11:06.56 Invaders (French Smith, Hein, Liss) 2001
4x400 3:45.35 Invaders (Jones, Plowden, Schnell, Sanders) 2003
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
INDIANA INVADERS CHASING NATIONAL TITLES
July 17, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders will compete for national team
championship titles at the third edition of the USATF National Club
Track & Field Championships on July 19, 2003 in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Invaders will be a force to be reckoned with on the track this
weekend as they battle to capture the triple crown of track and field,
the traveling helmet trophies, from the reigning champions - Greater
Boston Track Club. The Invaders are led by Olympian DeDee Nathan, a
graduate of Indiana University, along with fellow Olympians Tanko
Braimah, Steve Ercegovac, and Kirt Thompson.
The Invaders' history, since their formation in 1999, is
highlighted by four individual national track & field titles, two
national cross country individual titles, two national individual
runner-up finishes, and over 90 individual event qualifiers for
the USATF National Championships and US Olympic Trials. The team
has two national club titles since its inception, both women's
titles with one from track & field and one from cross country.
Capturing the national team titles this weekend offers itself as
a potential defining moment for the team as the sport of track
and field continues to evolve toward energized team scored
competition between resident based clubs.
The Invaders will compete against 26 other clubs from across the
United States, a competition field that is 50% larger than in 2002,
and the return of a much larger force from the Greater Boston Track
Club.
Meet Director & Team Director for the Indiana Invaders Greg Harger
said, "Pursuit of the national team titles in head-to-head team
scored competition, is key to developing community identities for
our sport. Our athletes are prepared and determined to bring the
team titles back to Indiana and that determination is due entirely
to the competition provided by our opponents."
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/ The Indiana Invaders, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998,
presenting an innovative approach to track & field by providing a
resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in
the United States.
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018.
USATF NATIONAL CLUB TRACK & FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS: PREVIEW
July 15, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) Greater Boston Track Club, the 2002 National Track &
Field Triple Crown Champions, and the Indiana Invaders headline the
elite team competition headed to Bloomington, Indiana for the 2003
USATF National Club Track & Field Championships on July 19.
Greater Boston returns in 2003 with a much larger squad featuring a
talented women's team that includes Kourtney Trainor, the 2002 USATF
National Club Track & Field Championships Women's MVP, and Shaina
Damm, a top 10 USA Championship performer in the combined events.
Greater Boston, in defending their title, will have to deal with a
triple threat challenge that includes: a 50% increase over 2002 in the
number of total competitors for the championship, a determined and
motivated Invaders team, and the inherent challenges that come with
being the reigning champions.
The Invaders will enter the field of battle with a full complement of
weapons that includes: four Olympians (DeDee Nathan, Tanko Braimah,
Steve Ercegovac, and Kirt Thompson), an iron man squad of five combined
event competitors that will compete in a multitude of individual events,
and seven athletes that placed in the top 15 at the 2003 Outdoor
National Championships.
Greater Boston Sprint Coach David Callum said, "The Club Championship
is about the battle involved in winning and the excitement that comes
from team competition. We want the helmets another year and we're
ready to fight for them." Meet Director & Team Director for the
Indiana Invaders Greg Harger added, "The growth and development of
team rivalries that yield stronger teams overall is the key to the
further advancement of the value of this Championship to USATF and
the National Club Championship Series. We intend to extend ourselves
fully in the spirit of team competition. Greater Boston Track Club's
outstanding performance in 2002 is the standard that we are pursuing."
Top Male & Female Performers of 2002, Scott Boothby of Club Northwest
and Crystal Cox of North Carolina Elite, will also return to defend
their individual titles. Athletes representing communities from 31
states, will compete for national club team titles at the third edition
of the USATF National Track & Field Club 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.
