November 28, 2001
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders men's and women's cross country teams will compete at the 2001 Fall USATF National Cross Country Championships on December 1st in Mobile, Alabama. The meet will be held at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park. This is the Invaders third year of fielding full squads since being founded in 1998.

In 2000, in the field of the country's top 15 teams the Boston Athletic Association (90 pts.) won the women's race thirteen points ahead of the Indiana Invaders (103 pts.) followed by Fila Track West (117 pts.) in third, Reebok Boston (128 pts.) in fourth and the Greater Lowell Road Runners (142 pts.) in 5th. The Invaders look to finally shed the "national runners-up" label after finishing second in 1999 & 2000. Collette Liss, Priscilla Hein, Kelly French, Judy Porter, Keisha Banks, Susie Motl and Kathy Kadziolka will represent the Invaders in the women's race.

In the men's 2000 championship the Wisconsin Runner Racing Team (60 pts.) won the men's championship race in the narrowest of victories over the Hanson's Running Shop (61 pts), the NIKE Farm Team (98 pts) finished third followed by Reebok Boston (162 pts) in fourth, and the Indiana Invaders (180 pts) rounding out the top 5 teams in the field of 27. The Invaders look to continue the improvement of 2000 when they moved up three places from 8th in 1999 to 5th last year. Members of the Invaders men's team to compete in the meet are Rick Sluder, Todd Moroney, Gareth Wilford, Phil Hudnall, Eddie Nehus, and Jason Bialka.

The Battleship Park championship course is a spectator-friendly, European-style 2,000-meter loop grass course.

The meet's team champions will receive the Fred Wilt Traveling Trophy, an award presented in memory of Fred Wilt, a former NCAA Cross Country Champion while at Indiana University, Head Women's Track and Cross Country Coach at Purdue University and member of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame.

For additional information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg Harger at 317 289-4018 or online at: (email)