July 5, 2000

Greg Harger (Invaders' Club Director) & Bill Butcher (Fifth Third Bank VP of Retail Banking) present to the top three meet performers (Tim Mack, Collette Liss, & Mario Watts).

(INDIANAPOLIS)-- Collette Liss, of the Indiana Invaders, ran a personal best 4:11.24 over 1500 meters good for a 9.3 score to capture first- place honors and a check for $3,053 at the Fifth Third Bank Clash For Cash on Saturday at the Michael A. Carroll Track and Soccer Stadium at IUPUI.

The meet showcased many of the nation's finest track and field athletes in one of the final tune-up meets prior to the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials to take place July 14-23 at Sacramento, Calif..

All individual performances were scored on a ten-point scale with athletes competing against others in their respective events and all athletes in the meet. Scoring was updated following each event with the order of events determined based on the quality of the field of each event.

In a dramatic finish to the meet, Liss overtook hurdler Mario Watts with two events remaining. Liss attacked Watt's score of 8.7 points from the start knowing that she needed a time of 4:13.60 or better to take the lead from Watts and that the women's 100 hurdles and men's pole vault remained as the final events. The field of hurdlers & vaulters had several athletes with season bests that would post a score of 9.1 points which would require Liss to then post a 4:11.60 or better if she hoped to win the entire competition.

In posting her winning mark, Liss ran alone from the start with an opening 64 seconds for the first 400 meters. The winning time for Liss is among the top ten of all qualifiers for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Liss's fragile lead survived an assualt on the top 10 performances of the meet as four 100 hurdles lead by Tonya Lawson moved into the top ten. Minutes later, pole vaulter Tim Mack (Ultimate Athletics), as the winner of the men's pole vault competition and the sole remaining competitor of the meet, had the bar set at 5.86 meters. If cleared successfully, the height would garner 9.4 points and the first place prize. Mack had three gallant but unsuccessful attempts at the winning height before settling for second with his 5.75 meters mark (8.8 points).

Mack received the second place prize of $2,053 points. Third place and $1,053 was won by Mario Watts, who was clocked at 49.08 (8.7 points) in the 400 meter hurdles. A total of more than $10,000 in prize money was awarded to the top ten finishers in the point standings.

"Beyond the great competition we had in several individual events and for the overall prize money, we are very satisfied to have non-track spectators walk away from the meet surprised at how much fun they had and how informed they were throughout the event as to what was happening in a sport that was foreign to them," said Greg Harger, Meet Director. He added, "Even track fans, including the athletes and coaches, acknowledged that for the first time in their careers, they watched all the events and knew what was happening throughout a track meet. Given time and a few adjustments, we feel we have a very exciting format and presentation style and look forward to hosting four meets in 2001 with this format."

Other to receive prize money were: Tied for fourth at 8.6 points were Tye Harvey (Bell Athletics), second in the pole vault at 5.70 meters, John McAfee (Indiana Invaders) with a 49.25 timing in the 400 meter hurdles, and Tonya Lawson (Fila), who finished in 13.04 in the 100 meter hurdles. Each received $853.00 in prize money.

The seventh through tenth place finishers were: Monifa Taylor (8.4 points with a second place timing of 13.10 in the 100 meter hurdles), Yolanda McCoy (Nike) (8.2 points with a third place timing of 13.19 timing in the 100 meter hurdles), Le'Gretta Smith (Indiana Invaders) (57.30 timing in the 400 meter hurdles), and Nicole Harrison (fourth in the 100 meter hurdles in 13.23) each scored 8.0 points.

Other top performers were Hope Sanders (Indiana Invaders), of Warren Central HS, clipping Melissa Smith-Richardson (Laker Track Club) in the 800 meters with a 2:05.04 ahead of Smith-Richardson in 2:05.21 and LaTasha Jenkins (Nike), formerly of Ball State, being runner-up in the 100 meters and coming back to win the 200 meters in 23.06. Angela Manuel was ahead of Jenkins in the 100 meters 11.43 to 11.46.

Reigning world indoor heptathlon champion DeDee Nathan (Indiana Invaders) competed in five events winning the long jump (6.41 meters), third in the high jump (1.73 meters), shot put (14.44 meters), and javelin (43.15 meters), and fifth in the 100 meter hurdles (13.56).

In the men's triple jump, Lamont Dagen (Indiana Invaders) won top honors with a leap of 16.00 meters just ahead of Ike Olekaibe (Purdue) at 15.98 meters and Greg Yeldell (Indiana) at 15.85 meters).

For more information, contact Greg Harger.


Fifth Third Bank Clash for Clash Results (July 1st, 2000)

Midwest Challenge Complete Results (June 24th, 2000)


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