ELEVEN INVADERS TO COMPETE AT USATF INDOOR NATIONALS
February 26, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders have 12 athletes qualified, with 11
competing, at the USA Track & Field Indoor National Championships. Eight
Invaders' athletes will compete February 28th through March 2nd at the
Reggie Lewis Center in Boston, MA. Three Invaders will compete March
8-9, 2003 at the Eddie Smith Fieldhouse in Chapel Hill, NC.
This is the fifth competitive indoor season for the Invaders. The
team's first appearance at the indoor championships was in 1999 and
resulted in Connie Price-Smith (retired) and DeDee Nathan making the
US National Team to compete at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in
Maebashi, Japan. Nathan set an American Record in route to winning
the gold medal in the World Championships' pentathlon.
Since 1999, the Invaders have won one indoor title, had three runner-up
finishes, placed 10 in the top five, and placed 26 in the top 10.
=============================================
'03 '02 '01 '00 '99 Total(s)
=============================================
Qualified: 12 4 12 7 5 40
Top 10: 4 10 7 5 26*
Top 5: 2 4 2 2 10*
2nd: - - 2 1 3*
1st: - 1 - - 1*
=============================================
*pending '03 results
Eight Invaders will compete this weekend. Tameka Borders is set to
compete in the 60 and 200 where she is ranked sixth & seventh on the
entry lists. Borders, a graduate of Ball State University, competed in
four events at the NCAA Championships while in college (55, 100, 200,
& triple jump).
Mary Danner, ranked seventh in the 400 will kick off the action for
the Invaders on Friday afternoon in her USATF indoor debut. Danner,
a graduate of the University of Cincinnati (UC), is one of two UC
graduates competing for the Invaders and was a 2002 Conference USA
runner-up in the 400.
Hope Sanders returns for her third appearance at USATF Indoor nationals
in the 800 as the fourth ranked competitor. Sanders, a graduate of the
University of Illinois and Warren Central HS (Ind.), finished sixth in
2000 and seventh in 1999 at the Indoor Championships in addition to
competing at the 2000 Olympic Trials.
Jacob Koczman ranked seventh will race in his inaugural USATF Indoor
Championship 800. Koczman, a newcomer to the 800, is a two-time NAIA
Champion (400 & 600 indoors).
Donnie Fellows heads into his first USATF Indoor Championship 3,000
ranked ninth. Fellows, a graduate of Purdue University, finished 13th
in the 10,000 at the 2002 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Brandon Hon, a 400 hurdler, will compete in the 60 meter hurdles as the
18th ranked athlete in the field. Hon, a graduate of the University of
Cincinnati, is a 2001 Conference USA champion in the 400 hurdles.
USATF veteran, Shannon Gallagher, will compete as the sixth ranked
athlete in the pole vault. Gallagher, an eight-time USATF Championships
Qualifier, placed 10th at the 2000 Olympic Trials in the pole vault.
Greg Yeldell continues his national re-emergence in the triple jump as
the 4th ranked jumper. Yeldell, a three-time member of the US National
Team, took the gold medal at the Pan American Games in 1999 and took
the bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in 1998.
Carri Long, qualified in the high jump, will not compete due to
employment obligations. Team Director Greg Harger said, "Carri has
a great job situation at Purdue University with the track & field
program. This year's collegiate calendar along with the unique needs
of her job at this time made for a difficult situation but it is not
a big picture problem for her athletically. In fact, with respect to
her training and competing she couldn't have a better environment
heading into the best years of her post-collegiate career and a great
opportunity over the next few years to make USA National Teams."
Long, with a best performance of fourth at the Indoor Championships,
also finished fourth in both the 2001 & 2002 USA Outdoor Championships.
At the 2002 USA National Club Championships, Long captured the national
club title in the high jump and led the Invaders to a victory in the
Sprint Medley Relay. In addition to competing on the US National Team
at the 2001 World University Games, Long was a finalist at the
2000 Olympic Trials.
Four Invaders are currently listed in the top 60 in the world this
season - Yeldell (37th - triple jump), Borders (54th - 60), Gallagher
(42nd - pole vault), and Sanders (50th - 800).
Next weekend, the USA Indoor Combined Events Championships in Chapel
Hill, North Carolina will feature Alex Sprague (Heptathlon), Brendon
Falconer (Heptathlon), and Linise Gordon (Pentathlon).
Harger said, "We are generally pleased at having tripled the number
of USATF qualifiers that we had last year for indoor nationals.
Satisfaction for this group will not be graded until after we finish
competing." Harger added, "In most cases, we are headed to nationals
with the intent of competing for the privilege to represent USA Track
& Field on national teams. That opportunity is a long and challenging
path and this championship is a step in that process for these
individuals. We have a proud history of playing a role in the
advancement of talented athletes to the highest level of competition
in our sport. We expect to continue to grow our modest legacy of
athlete development."
2003 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2003/USAIndoorTFChampionships/
For further information on the Indiana Invaders, please contact Greg
Harger at 317 289-4018 or online at: (email)
|
