June 17, 2003
(INDIANAPOLIS) Invaders' Olympian DeDee Nathan, a two time national champion, and Linise Gordon, the 2003 Drake Relays Champion, will do battle in the heptathlon at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships presented by Verizon, June 19-20 at Stanford University.

Beginning in 1999, the Invaders have had a history of success in the combined events with DeDee Nathan setting an American Record in route to winning the gold medal in the pentathlon at the 1999 IAAF World Indoor Championships, in Maebashi, Japan. Nathan, in winning the 2000 Olympic Trials, finished ninth at the Olympic Games, in Sydney Australia. Nathan also won the 2001 heptathlon national championship and finished second in 2002. Invaders male and female athletes combined have placed five in the top 10 indoors and five in the top 10 outdoors in the combined events since 1999.

Nathan, after focusing on graduate school for the past year, returns to championship competition after finishing second at last years' USATF National Championships. Nathan is looking for a return performance level above 6000 points this weekend along with a shot at this year's World Championship Team.

Gordon, a graduate of Ball State University, continues to make the transition to the combined events from the 400 meter hurdles. Gordon finished eighth in the 400 hurdles at the 2002 USA Outdoor Championships. This is Gordon's first appearance at the outdoor national championships in the combined events and finished eighth in her first appearance at indoor nationals in the pentathlon this past March. Gordon also holds USATF National Club Championship titles in the 400 hurdles ('02) and in the triple jump ('01). Gordon 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 title in the 400 meter relay.

Team Director Greg Harger said, "Nathan is set to let a few people know that she is not yet ready for retirement. In fact, she is on track for a run at her best marks in the coming months. Gordon, in only her second year of training for the combined events, will surprise some people with her efforts. She demands a competitive effort from herself every time she competes and her learning curve in the combined events is still very steep."