Linise Gordon

February 17, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) Invaders' Linise Gordon, a graduate of Ball State University, took top honors in the pentathlon at the Cannon IV Classic hosted by Butler University on February 15th, 2003. Gordon, with a score of 3806 points, narrowly edged out the University of South Florida's Alexis McGaffagan by one point. Both surpassed the USATF qualifying standard of 3725 points.

Gordon started the pentathlon by winning the 60 hurdles (8.75 - 963 points), tied for second in the high jump (1.63 - 771 points), won the shot put (10.28 - 548 points), and captured top honors in the long jump (5.66 - 747 points). Gordon's razor thin margin of victory came down to the wire in the 800 (2:23.50 - 777 points) where she finished second.

Coach Aron McGuire said, "She is continuing her second year of doing the combined events. She's making real solid progress. In her first pentathlon she hit half of her events well. This time she seemed to put almost everything together. If she can put all five events together she will have a really good score in North Carolina at Nationals." McGuire added, "For her, training for the pentathlon during the Indoor season will help her power outdoors in the 400 hurdles and expand her opportunities in the heptathlon."

Gordon finished eighth in the 400 hurdles at the USA Outdoor Championships in 2002. Gordon also 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 team title in the 400 meter relay.

Teammates Carri Long and Greg Yeldell also hit national qualifying marks at the Cannon IV Classic in the high jump (1.83) and triple jump (16.30), respectively. Both Long and Yeldell have previously posted USA Indoor National Championship qualifying marks in the 2003 indoor season.

The 2003 USA Indoor Combined Events Championships will take place March 8-9, 2003 at Eddie Smith Fieldhouse, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill - Chapel Hill, NC. http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAIndoorCombinedEventsChampionships/

The 2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships will be held February 28th through March 2nd at the Reggie Lewis Center – Boston, MA. http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAIndoorTFChampionships/

Butler University's Cannon IV Classic - Results:
http://butlersports.ocsn.com/sports/c-track/stats/021603aab.html

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